BKT Tires is a leading manufacturer in the off-road tyre market, specialising in the agricultural, industrial and construction vehicles, has become the title sponsor of the United Rugby Championship (URC) until 2025. The Rugby Union League, formerly the Celtic League and more recently the Pro 14, with Irish, Scotish, Welsh, Italian & South African teams involved, is now known as the ‘BKT United Rugby Championship’.
Headquartered in India, BKT, known worldwide for its passion for sports, has long been an avid sponsor of global sporting events. This passion was ignited by our joint Managing Director, Rajiv Poddar, who believes that sports unites communities, inspires to break boundaries, and strive for greater results: “With this in mind we are thrilled to announce a new addition to our sponsorship portfolio, having been named the northern-hemisphere title sponsor of The United Rugby Championships (URC).
The sponsorship deal will last until 2025, and this news follows on from the League’s recent announcement that the 2021/22 season had exceeded its broadcast records in reaching an audience of 34.6 million, encapsulating both organisations’ constant pursuit of growth and improvement.
BKT will now hold naming rights for the League in the northern-hemisphere and aims to play an integral role in the continued growth of the United Rugby Championship. “This sponsorship will also help us gain greater exposure to local markets within the northern hemisphere, further enhancing our ‘glocal approach’ (think global, act local) and to build a stronger community of passionate sports fans around our brand, Lucia Salmaso, BKT Europe’s CEO, said. “We are so proud to be Title Sponsor of URC, a league recognized around the world with a mission to grow rugby that reflects and promotes the values which are at the basis of our activities. BKT will support the URC and its fans with its positive attitude, its passion for sports and its enthusiastic ideas, by engaging and including the whole audience. We will do our best to ensure that this partnership could only be the beginning of a stimulating adventure to live and an opportunity for Growing Together. I think we are a great match and team”.
Each season, the top eight ranking teams from the URC qualify for the following season’s Heineken Champions Cup while over 300 players from the league represent their countries in the international rugby competition. The URC’s mission is to bring innovation to the world of rugby, creating new ways of bringing fans closer to the action, using the power of rugby to create a purpose-driven league that allows athletes and teams to amaze on the pitch, and inspire change off the pitch.
Beyond the playing field, URC also seeks to celebrate the cultures and identities of the various teams and countries that are represented within the league. In addition, they also look to find new ways to connect with fans and communities through purpose-led activities away from the rugby pitch itself.