With the Rugby World Cup landing in Australia, 2027 will be a big year for union Down Under. And that means a big year for Rugby Australia's sponsors too.   

The governing body has been active in the commercial sphere this past quarter. In December, the organisation tied up a fresh deal with insurance brokers Gallagher, who will embed themselves deeper into the sport's grassroots as part of a whole-game relationship.  

And a month later the NGB ended a long-term relationship with Asics to sign a record deal with kit manufacturer Castore.  

Both partners will be hoping for strong returns on their investments with Rugby Australia but what has the recent experience of partners been? We looked at the data around a couple of current sponsors to find out. 

How is Bet365's partnership with Rugby Australia performing? 

First, Official Betting Partner Bet365. The gambling brand signed a four-year renewal with Rugby Australia in around 2019 (details are thin on the ground) – a show of faith in what has been a testing period for the governing body. 

But a look at the data shows we shouldn't be surprised. Positive Impression for Bet365 runs at 29% among union fans, nearly twice as high as it is among the general Australian population (16%).  

Importantly that follows through into purchase intent too. 17% of union fans told us they planned to place a bet with Bet365 in the next three months, while that figure was just 12% among the general population.  

So the data suggests that the relationship may be paying off – the code's fans are 42% more likely to use Bet365 than the average Aussie.  

IHG and Rugby Australia partnership. Should they get a room? 

What about another of Rugby Australia's sponsors – IHG Hotels and Resorts? IHG became a Major Partner of the NGB in 2024 and its branding featured heavily during the 2025 British and Irish Lions Tour of Down Under. IHG even built a replica InterContinental lounge in the Wallabies Paddock fan zone for IHG One Rewards members.  

It too looks like it has reaped benefits from its relationship with the NGB's teams. Positive Impression for the InterContinental brand is significantly higher among Union fans than among the general public – 25% vs. 18%.  

Rugby union fans are also more likely to consider InterContinental hotels than are the general population. The brand receives a four-point bump among fans of the sport, taking it from a Consideration rate of 19% to 23%.  

The next few years will offer significant commercial platforms for both the code and its sponsors. Home World Cups for both the Wallabies and the Wallaroos will give partners global exposure – and when it comes to brands like Bet365 and IHG (both of whom operate in more than 100 markets) that's particularly valuable.

Union will continue to face fierce competition for eyeballs from League, Aussie Rules and cricket but from now until the Women's World Cup arrives in 2029, it has a golden commercial opportunity.  

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