Land Rover Becomes Rugby World Cup 2011, 2015 Sponsor

After the economic recession forced many to cut deep in their marketing budgets and eliminate most of their efforts to bring the products in the spotlights, sales are finally showing the first signs of recovery. And because things are getting back to normal, most companies are reconsidering their costs to get back in the game.

Land Rover is one of the examples, as the company has just announced that it will become a sponsor for the Rugby World Cup 2011 in New Zealand and Rugby World Cup 2015 in England.

Of course, this can only be good news for the carmaker, because it is expected that the New Zealand tournament will be attended by more than 1.6 million spectators. In addition, estimates are pointing to more than 4 billion people from 200 countries to watch the games on TV.

"Today’s announcement marks a significant development in the partnership between Land Rover and Rugby. The Company is proud of its ongoing support of the sport from a grassroots level to the world class Game and it is fitting that the world’s finest all-terrain vehicles – sold in over 160 markets worldwide - are now supporting the world’s ultimate Rugby competition," John Edwards, Global Brand Director, Land Rover, said.

Meanwhile, Land Rover focuses on promoting the new Evoque crossover SUV which is expected to be the main star at the upcoming tournament in New Zealand. The company recently confirmed the five-door version of the car which is going to be equipped with a 2.0-liter Si4 engine that develops 240 horsepower. Pricing was released as well, with the cheapest configuration to cost around $45,000.