Not the Heineken Cup

[tigerbruiser]

FROM REUTERS

Rugby-Not the Heineken Cup, sponsored by Heineken
LONDON, Oct 6 (Reuters) - After replacing the Heineken Cup
with the Rugby Champions Cup, organisers of the new competition
announced on Monday that their "founding sponsorship partner"
will be -- Heineken.
The Heineken Cup was Europe's blue riband club tournament
from 1995 to 2014 but, after a long and acrimonious fight
featuring threats of boycotts and legal action, it was scrapped
and replaced with a similar competition.
European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) announced on Monday
that the Dutch brewer would come back on board, though not as a
title sponsor, and would also support the new second tier
competition, the European Rugby Challenge Cup through to the end
of the 2017/18 season.
EPCR director and executive committee member Paul McNaughton
said the launch of the competitions marked the start of a new
chapter in the 20-year history of European club rugby
"Building on the rich heritage of the past, both tournaments
are set to attract over one million fans in their inaugural
season alone and will continue to be the gold standard in
professional club rugby," he said.
Heineken's global activation director Hans Erik Tuijtsaid
said: "We're proud to be part of a new era in European rugby.
The opening group matches take place on Oct. 16 with the
finals of both competitions in London in May.
The new Rugby Champions Cup differs from the defunct
Heineken Cup in qualification criteria, distribution of revenue
and it enjoys a new TV rights deal.

(Reporting by Mitch Phillips; Editing by Ossian Shine)
REUTERS