International sports agency Two Circles has expanded and extended its tie-up with the World Rugby governing body through 2029.
Under a new deal unveiled today, Two Circles now becomes the governing body’s main sponsorship and digital sales agency, with an emphasis on unlocking new markets and audiences.
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The expanded tie-up represents the first time World Rugby has turned to a single partner for its active sponsorship and digital rights.
The initial tie-up between the two parties was unveiled in 2018.
The partnership will aim to leverage Two Circles’ capabilities in “key hosting and growth markets for rugby,” with Australia, the US, and the UK mentioned specifically. It comes with the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 in England around 12 months away and also aligns with the new World Cup hosting strategy now in place.
In total, it covers World Rugby’s portfolio of competitions, its array of media channels, and the rest of its content portfolio, globally.
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By GlobalDataRegarding the sponsorship and digital rights elements, Two Circles will work with World Rugby on both striking new partnerships and renewing existing deals, and will also use its expertise to “offer audience-led propositions to prospective brand partners.”
This relates to the audience carrying on as a partner for World Rugby’s worldwide fan engagement strategy.
Two Circles will continue to provide fan engagement services across marketing technology, content, campaigns, creative services, and data capabilities.
In terms of the previous relationship between the two parties, Two Circles – for example – served as the official UK and Ireland ticketing agency for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.
Michel Poussau, chief revenue officer at World Rugby, added: “In partnership with Two Circles, we can significantly grow the commercial value of our rights and media channels – through Rugby World Cups, but also through rights we operate in the USA, via our RugbyPass platforms, and through under-utilised commercial opportunities we see across the game.”
Earlier this month, it was revealed that Paul Calder, previously a long-serving senior media rights executive at soccer’s global governing body FIFA, has taken a director’s position at Two Circles.
Calder, who spent over 22 years at FIFA (between 2001 and October last year), was appointed as director for media sales.
