New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and UK-based Sports Travel and Hospitality Group (STH) have announced a new four-year partnership.
The deal, which builds on 12 years of previous All Blacks tour partnerships, will involve STH offering travel and hospitality experiences for fans in New Zealand and worldwide.
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One such experience offered will be the 1905 Club at All Black fixtures. This includes food and beverage packages, premium seats, entertainment, and guest speakers pre- and post-match.
Chris John, chief executive of STH Group, said: “It’s incredibly exciting for us to be the exclusive supporters travel and hospitality provider for the All Blacks and Black Ferns for the next four years, and we can’t wait for commercial partners, corporate guests and fans from all over the globe to see what experiences we can deliver for them.
“We can offer everything from hospitality, travel packages, and travel logistics, to once-in-a-lifetime experiences for fans.
Yarnie Guthrie, general manager of commercial at NZR, added: “STH has already taken fans to 35 cities in 14 countries to engage with and support the All Blacks, Black Ferns, and our Sevens teams while delivering All Blacks Tours.
“We know they are ready to take this to the next level as we look forward to a busy year of rugby here in NZ, and offshore.”
STH has also previously delivered five Rugby World Cup experiences and tour programs, having also secured an exclusive contract with the World Rugby governing body covering the next three men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups in January.
STH, a Sodexo Live! company, has provided travel, hospitality, and ticketing programs for several other major sporting events including the London 2012 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the Australian Open tennis grand slam, and ICC cricket tournaments.
NZR, meanwhile, earlier this month reached a settlement agreement with petrochemical giant Ineos following their dispute over the early termination of a sponsorship deal.
Last month, NZR filed a lawsuit against Ineos for alleged breach of contract after the company ended its six-year performance partnership three years early.
The deal, signed in 2021 and worth a reported $4.5 million per year, was due to cover the 2022 to 2027 period, with Ineos branding appearing on the back of playing shorts and on the front of training jerseys for the men’s and women’s senior sides – the All Blacks and Black Ferns – as well as the New Zealand Māori team and New Zealand sevens team.
On March 31, both parties issued a joint statement saying the issue had been resolved.
