Greene King signs Sale rugby sponsorship deal

Greene King IPA has bolstered its links with rugby union by becoming the official beer of Sale Sharks.

The deal will see Greene King IPA, already the official beer of England rugby, will its logo on the reverse of the Sale shirts for the remainder of the current season.

Sale fans will be able to enjoy a pint of IPA at Edgeley Park from the next home game against Bristol on 20 February. There will also be advertising boards and branding in all of the bars.

"There is a natural affinity between supporting rugby and drinking cask ale and the north of England represents a considerable opportunity in this category," said Greene King brewing company marketing director Fiona Hope.

"The sponsorship deal perfectly complements the brand's position as the Official Beer of England Rugby and we look forward to activating this partnership over the coming seasons."

Sale Sharks' commercial director Nathan Bombrys added: "We conducted a very thorough search to find the right brewery partner. Of course we wanted to achieve growth for the club in terms of maximising the return from our pourage capacity, but we also wanted a partner with the right range of products and a willingness to help us improve our ability to serve our supporters on match day.

"We want our supporters to be able to enjoy their beer nearly as much as they enjoy the rugby. We believe we've found the perfect new brewery partner in Greene King."