SportBusiness.com

NEW SUPER LEAGUE SPONSOR

Super League (Europe) Limited has reached agreement with Engage Mutual Assurance for the brand to become the main sponsor of rugby league’s Super League competition.

The two-year deal is said to be for “a significant seven figure sum”. The partnership means the official title of the competition will be 'Engage Super League'.

Richard Lewis, executive chairman of the Rugby Football League, said: "To attract a partnership with a national brand of this nature, demonstrates the growing value and prestige of the Super League competition.

"We are about to enter the 10th season of Super League and since its inaugural year in 1996, the competition has rapidly gone from strength-to-strength and continues to enjoy increasing levels of success.

"During the 2004 campaign, we enjoyed record crowds, both for the Regular season and the Play-Off series. Also, the Super League title decider was watched, for the second year running, by a 65,500 sell-out attendance and this success is set to continue."

Andrew Haigh, chief executive at Engage Mutual Assurance, said: "Engage Mutual Assurance will be the primary brand for new customers of Homeowners Friendly Society from early April. The new brand will specialise in the same good value savings and protection products as Homeowners as well as looking to new products which aim to preserve and enhance people's welfare.

"Engage Super League is the ideal way to launch this new identity to the public, thereby building awareness and understanding of this brand.”

Prize money for the Engage Super League in 2005 will be £290,000 for the champions - the team that wins the Grand Final – out of a total prize fund of £1.1million.