HEINEKEN has become the Official Lager and Cider Partner to Wasps and the Ricoh Arena.
The company will supply all beer and cider to the award-winning Midlands venue whether guests are visiting the Ricoh Arena for sport, business or entertainment.
As well as the flagship Heineken brand, visitors to the Ricoh Arena will also be able to sample Foster’s, Amstel Strongbow, Symonds Founder’s Reserve Cider and John Smith’s on draught, along with bottles of Heineken, Bulmers, Foster’s, Sol, Desperados, Birra Moretti and Old Mout.
HEINEKEN will be supporting the refurbishment of many of the bars around the Ricoh Arena and will also create brand areas and pop-up fanzones on Wasps match days to enable supporters to enjoy a full match day experience.
HEINEKEN has a long association with international rugby including the Rugby World Cups in 1995, 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015, the Heineken Cup between 1995-2014 – which was won twice by Wasps – and many of the IRB Rugby 7s tournaments.
David Armstrong, Group Chief Executive, Wasps, said: “This was a fiercely competitive tender process. We are very proud to have agreed a partnership with a brand of the calibre of HEINEKEN and its exciting portfolio of brands, for supporters and visitors to enjoy at the Ricoh Arena.
“This new partnership is the culmination of months of planning to bring together three best-in-class brands under one roof: Heineken, Majestic Commercial and Purity Brewing Co, the Midlands-based market leader in craft ales.
“This powerful pouring rights combination provides significant value to Wasps and ensures we have the best of everything in one place, to cater for all tastes at the Ricoh Arena.”
Luke Organ, Group Commercial Director, said: “This is the third partnership we have announced in recent weeks and we are delighted to be associated with such a prestigious international business.
“HEINEKEN shares our ambition for providing a high quality, memorable experience for our guests, whether they are visiting the Ricoh Arena for a match, conference, exhibition, awards dinner or concert and I am sure this will be a successful relationship.”
Lawson Mountstevens, HEINEKEN’s managing director, on-trade sales, said: “This partnership was secured on the strength of our premium range of beers and ciders and we have a long-standing connection to rugby which is fitting as Wasps embark on their first full season of Aviva Premiership and European rugby at the Ricoh Arena.
“Wasps and the Ricoh Arena are keen to create the best possible match day experience and we will be playing our part by working with the club to encourage supporters to visit our fanzones and brand areas.”
HEINEKEN joins the Ricoh Arena and Wasps brand family, which includes Ricoh, Land Rover, EMC2, E.ON, DS Smith, Under Armour, Pins & Stripes, Majestic, Causeway and Purity.