Premiership Rugby and Gallagher Announce Multi-Year Title Sponsor Partnership

TWICKENHAM, United Kingdom and ROLLING MEADOWS, Illinois, April 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Premiership Rugby and Gallagher (NYSE: AJG), one of the world's largest insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services companies, have agreed to a multi-year strategic business and marketing partnership beginning with the 2018-19 season with Gallagher becoming the official title sponsor of Premiership Rugby. 

The new partnership starts on July 1, and the competition will be known as "Gallagher Premiership Rugby" when it kicks off on 31 August, with naming rights, branding opportunities and local community programs included in the agreement.

Premiership Rugby has established itself as one of the foremost professional sports competitions and is watched by fans in more than 200 countries worldwide through its network of media partners, including BT Sport in the UK and NBC Sports in the USA. Last season more than 2 million fans attended live Premiership Rugby matches, a new record high for the league.

In the UK alone, it is believed that more than 23 million individuals are engaged in rugby either as players, fans, coaches or spectators.

Mark McCafferty, Chief Executive of Premiership Rugby, said: "The international expansion of Premiership Rugby has been accelerated in recent years and it is fitting that we are now partnering with a global company with an equally strong presence here in the UK. Gallagher will be an excellent partner for us in terms of the group's ambition, focus on growth and shared values around both business and the community."

"The last decade has seen major growth in Premiership Rugby's fan base and it is a huge credit to our clubs – and the way they have grown their businesses - that we can announce this new partnership today. We are very much looking forward to the first matches of Gallagher Premiership Rugby in September," added McCafferty.

"We'd also like to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to Aviva for our 8 year partnership which is one of the longest running and most successful title partnerships in British sport."

"By uniting with this globally-known and fast growing franchise, we have a terrific opportunity to increase awareness about our company, values, expertise and services, and jointly participate in community projects and causes to make a difference. This dynamic business and marketing partnership with Premiership Rugby reflects who we are culturally and professionally. We're looking forward to kicking-off the inaugural Gallagher Premiership Rugby season in late August," said J. Patrick Gallagher, Jr., Chairman, President and CEO of Gallagher.

"Gallagher Premiership Rugby will be another robust platform for our growing company across broking, risk management and consulting operations," added Christopher E. Mead, Chief Marketing Officer of Gallagher. "Gallagher is larger and stronger than it has ever been in our 90-year history in terms of sector expertise and innovative solutions. Coming off of our recent brand refresh, now is the time to amplify our brand, showcase our client solutions and differentiate Gallagher in the global marketplace through partnerships like Premiership Rugby that have broad appeal and deep community connections."

A Guide to Gallagher

• Gallagher (NYSE: AJG), a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services company, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, USA
• 27,000 strong global talent pool, including 4,500 colleagues across 50+ locations in the UK
• Founded in 1927 in the USA, company has grown to include talent and offices in 33 countries
• In addition, Gallagher has a worldwide partner network which provides services in more than 150 countries
• One of the largest commercial brokers in US, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada
• A $4.6bn* revenue business with a market capitalisation of $11.5bn*
• Only insurance broker to be named as a world's most ethical company by the Ethisphere Institute for seven consecutive years
• For the past 90 years, Gallagher has been dedicated to developing insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting solutions for its clients, and having a positive impact in the communities in which it operates.
• The Gallagher Way refers to Gallagher's unique culture based on professional excellence, integrity and team work
• Our values are core to our culture: passionate client service, strategic innovation, and ethical behaviour - all form the basis of how we do business
• The company also maintains a supportive and team-oriented culture in which employees can thrive and client expectations are exceeded.

*Figures correct as at 31 December 2017, based on Brokerage & Risk Management adjusted revenue for 12-month period

Premiership Rugby’s CEO Mark McCafferty (L) and global insurance broker Gallagher’s CMO Chris Mead (R) seal multi-year deal for Gallagher to become Premiership Rugby’s Title Sponsor for season 2018-2019. Partnership begins July 1, and the competition will be known as “Gallagher Premiership Rugby" when it kicks off on August 31, 2018.

J. Patrick "Pat" Gallagher, Jr. - Chairman, President and CEO of Gallagher, global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm

Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/676132/Gallagher_Premiership_Rugby_Announcement.mp4 
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/676031/Gallagher_Premiership_Rugby_Sponsorship_Deal.jpg 
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/663994/Pat_Gallagher_Gallagher_Chairman_President_and_CEO_headshot_2018.jpg 
Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/640603/Gallagher_Logo.jpg 
Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/676106/premiership_rugby_Logo.jpg