Heineken Champions Cup: Organisers in talks to ‘renew long-standing partnership’ with brewer

The organisers of rugby’s elite European Champions Cup says they are in “advanced discussions” about renewing their partnership with Heineken but have stopped short of saying whether the brewing giant will remain its title sponsor.

La Rochelle's players celebrate after defeating Leinster in the Heineken Champions Cup final in Dublin. (Photo by Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP via Getty Images)

Heineken has been bound to the competition since its inception in the mid-1990s but it was reported at the weekend in the Rugby Paper that the company was to step down as title sponsor, raising concerns in what is an already challenging financial landscape for the sport, with three English clubs dropping out of the Gallagher Premiership.

European Professional Club Rugby, the governing body which runs the Heineken Champions Cup and the EPCR Challenge Cup, said it was confident an agreement could be reached later this summer which would see the brewer remain with the competition. The draws for the pool stages of next season’s European club tournaments will take place on Wednesday, with Glasgow Warriors in the Champions Cup and Edinburgh in the Challenge Cup.

In a statement released to The Scotsman, EPCR said: “Heineken has enjoyed a long and successful 28-year partnership with EPCR supporting the top-level of international club rugby. EPCR and Heineken are in advanced discussions about renewing our long-standing partnership, and both organisations remain confident about announcing further exciting news over the course of the summer. Both Heineken and EPCR celebrate social connections, and our continued collaboration will ensure that these values are translated into unforgettable fan experiences.”

Heineken has been the title sponsor of European club rugby’s top-tier competition since its launch in 1995, soon after the sport’s move to professionalism. It pulled out briefly in 1998-99 as English clubs withdrew from the tournament in a dispute about how it was run but the brewer soon returned and has been the main backer since. An EPCR spokesperson said: “Heineken has been part of our extended family for the past 28 years and we are excited about continuing our relationship to ensure fantastic fan experiences for years to come.”

The name “Heineken” was conspicuously absent from a statement released last week by EPCR which announced a new format for the Champions Cup. Next season’s tournament will be played with smaller pools - there will be four groups of six teams as opposed to two of 12. Each club will play four matches in the group stage and cannot play sides from their own league. The top four in each pool will advance to the last 16, with fifth-placed teams dropping into the Challenge Cup.

The 24 teams in the Champions Cup are drawn from the United Rugby Championship, the English Premiership and the French Top 14, with each league supplying eight clubs. South African teams were permitted to enter last season for the first time following the admission of four former Super Rugby franchises to the URC the previous season. The DHL Stormers and the Vodacom Bulls will be in Wednesday’s draw.

Last season’s Heineken Champions Cup was won by La Rochelle who defeated Leinster in the final in Dublin last month. The competition attracted over one million spectators over the course of this season for the first time since 2013-14 and the final at the Aviva Stadium was a sell-out. Next season’s European finals will be held at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.