South African beer brand Castle Lager has become the Official Title Sponsor of the British & Irish Lions Tour of South Africa in 2021. As per the terms of the deal, the tour will be referred to as the Castle Lager Lions Series, and the South African beer brand will also receive a set of in-stadia rights.
Castle Lague will also benefit from kit branding and access to players and coaches from both teams throughout the series. Players from England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales in a single team will play three Test matches against the reigning world champions, the Springboks.
A Castle-branded logo for the series is likely to be designed. It will be used across broadcasting, merchandising, digital, and social media platforms. A dedicated website and social media channels have also been launched for the Castle Lager Lions Series.
SA Rugby chief executive Jurie Roux said, “They have now been the series partner for all three British and Irish Lions tours to South Africa in the professional era: first under the Lion brand in 1997 and now with Castle Lager for the 2009 and 2021 tours. It’s a tribute both to their enduring support for South African rugby but also to the appeal of the sport and a tour by the British & Irish Lions.”
The Castle Lager Lions Series is scheduled to begin on July 3, 2021. Lions face the DHL Stormers in the opening game at Cape Town. Three weeks later. the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg will host the first Test. The second Test follows on 31st July at the Cape Town Stadium before returning to Gauteng for the final Test on 7th August at Emirates Airline Park.
Castle Lager Brand Director Kudzi Mathabire said, “We are very proud to become the official title partner for such a massive sporting event in the Lions Tour. Castle Lager has an established track record of enhancing the sports events it is associated with, and we look forward to working with the Lions and SA Rugby to create a truly memorable Series”.
Both SA Rugby and the Lions are hoping that the pandemic eases by July next year and fans are allowed in the stadiums. More than 324,000 applications for tickets have been made by South African supporters since the ballot opened nine weeks ago.