World Rugby has reached an agreement giving advertising giant Dentsu Inc. a "substantial package" of official sponsor and supplier rights in Japan for the Rugby World Cup 2019.
The agreement, finalized Tuesday in conjunction with IMG, World Rugby's sales agent, will allow Dentsu to facilitate sponsor and supplier-level deals, taking advantage of growing interest in the event in Japan.
"This deal reflects the strong commercial interest within Japan and across Asia," said Murray Barnett, head of World Rugby's commercial, broadcast and marketing.
"Dentsu's unparalleled knowledge of the Japanese market will enable Rugby World Cup 2019 (to) reach and harness interest from top Japanese multinationals while maximizing promotion of the tournament across the host nation."
Rugby's premier event will be held in Asia for the first time, beginning Sept. 20, 2019, and will involve matches played between 20 teams from around the world at 12 venues in Japan.