RFL in hunt to replace Tetley’s

The Rugby Football League (RFL) is searching for a headline sponsor for the Super League following the departure of its long-standing sponsor, bitter brand Tetley’s.

The sponsorship, which was worth about &£8m over five years, will not be renewed for next season. RFL is in talks with companies to replace Carlsberg UK- owned Tetley’s, which has made the sport a cornerstone of its marketing in recent years.

Carlsberg is understood to be scaling back activity around the Tetley’s brand, although the company will maintain links with the sport through its involvement with league clubs.

The RFL has enlisted former Safeway and TXU Energi marketing chief Matthew Crane as a consultant to overhaul the sport’s brand identity and to boost sponsorship potential.

Crane has also been asked to create a marketing strategy for the sport as a whole. He has already led research into the core values of the sport to help to develop a marketing strategy that will encourage greater participation in the sport and boost match attendance. The RFL particularly wants to attract more families to matches.

Crane has also developed a new brand identity for the RFL and has helped to create key performance indicators for both the governing body and the leading Super League clubs.

The brand review encompasses all areas of the sport, from the Great Britain international team to grassroots activity. The strategy will be overseen by Paul Kimberley, who was appointed to the newly created position last month.