Under the deal, Emirates will become the official airline for the Tournament, which will be held for the first time in New Zealand since the inaugural event in 1987.
Gary Chapman, Emirates' President Group Services, said: Building on the success of our relationship with Rugby World Cup 2007, we are excited to make this commitment to the sport of rugby by becoming the first Worldwide Partner of Rugby World Cup 2011. Emirates have always had a great affinity with rugby through our sponsorships of the Sevens game and the England and Samoan Sevens squads. Emirates is currently building a state of the art rugby venue in Dubai which will host the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2009, of which Emirates is the Principal Partner”.
Emirates other sponsorship deals include the FIFA World Cup 2010 and the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.
