Under the terms of the agreement, BlackBerry will be the official handheld mobile device of the tournament, with the very latest smartphones and PlayBook tablets provided to World Cup officials. Blackberry will also provide a free-to-download official Rugby World Cup 2011 app, which will offer live match scores, video highlights and the latest news.
“Rugby World Cup Limited is delighted that Research In Motion’s BlackBerry brand has joined the impressive portfolio of sponsors and suppliers for Rugby World Cup 2011,” said Rugby World Cup Limited chairman Bernard Lapasset. “This partnership with one of the world’s most recognisable brands further enhances the enormous prestige and attraction of Rugby World Cup in the global marketplace.”
Adele Beachley, managing director for Research In Motion Australia and New Zealand, added: “We felt a partnership with Rugby World Cup 2011, a global sporting event which is played and watched by people from all over the world, was a great fit. Our innovative BlackBerry smartphones and BlackBerry App will allow officials, referees and fans worldwide to communicate instantly and stay up to date with the matches in New Zealand.”
BlackBerry has joined Brancott Estate, Toshiba, Land Rover and Microsoft in the tournament’s portfolio of official sponsors. Emirates Airline, MasterCard, Heineken, ANZ, DHL and Société Générale are the competition’s worldwide partners.
