The RFL have announced that Heinz, one of the world’s most famous brands, will be an official partner of the Stobart Super League in 2012 and 2013.

In a significant six-figure two-year deal, the Heinz Big Soup branding will feature prominently at all Stobart Super League matches, including on a specially-commissioned matchball which will be unveiled during the Easter programme.

Souper!

Got to say it was tempting to write that in the article

I really hope they don't chicken out of the deal or just let it oxtail off. Any idea how this story was potato & leeked out?

Nice work!

I was going to make that joke but I canned it,

Sorry.

A six-figure deal with a massive, iconic multi-national company and yet only five posts? Can someone please find a negative angle to this so we can get this thread going again.

Good news (someone already took "souper"icon_wink.gif. The RFL said they would get additional sponsorships and they're doing exactly what it said on the tin. Be nice to see some figures so we can see how chunky the deal is, and also whether there's any more sponsorship ingredients to throw into the mix.

PS - are we still being paid by Engage for all the flags and post protectors ?

PPS - now the RFL own Odsal, could it be renamed "The Souper Bowl Stadium" ?

I'll get me coat....

They didn't have them on at Salford, so I take it as a no. I think they just haven't got the new ones sorted yet.

Don't think they've updated the ball yet either. The engage ball is still on the SL intro video as well.

I'm rather hoping they haven't done anything about the Engage post-protectors and matchballs because that's where they're adding another sponsorship partner.

I've had a tin of the stuff in a cupboard for at least six months and there is still no reference yet to Super League on it. it's a disgrace - sack the RFL.

Domino Pizza are the sponsors of the NW Leagues in 2012.

Mulligatawny is not soup, it's just curry in a can. I don't think the RFL should aline themselves with such fraudsters.

The best news is that they paid in cash not branded pizza boxes

There is now a fleet of red scooters buzzing all over the NW, with 8 inch RL players emblazoned on their panniers; it's quite an arresting spectacle when they all pull out of the Domino's car park in convoy, with their tiny engines whining like a swarm of mozzies.

Cycling past Domino's in Guiseley last night I saw one of their scooters with a Rob Burrow emblazaning, until I got close up & realised it was actually him riding pillion.

Curry in a can....mmmmmmm!

Should we expect more from Stobart - or any other RL sponsor - than free advertising?

The missus, as an O2 customer, took advantage this weekend of their free pie and a pint offer ([url=http://www.o2priority.co.uk/deliverforengland/o2forenglandhere[/url, if you want to exploit it) which is associated with the England Six Nations effort in the lesser code. You get:

* two pies (one meat, one veg)
* two cans of weak southern IPA (no doubt head-free too, but at least it's beer)
* two coasters advertising the sport/O2 to rest your cans on
* a large (4' easy) England flag
* two reusable freezer ice bags for a coolbox

Even though I have hee-haw interest in England's performance at the union game, and live in a region where burning the flag would probably be more acceptable than sticking it on the house, we still get free stuff telling us the game's on and building anticipation. This kind of promotion - which spreads the word to the disinterested as well as those already interested in the game (unlike, say, the Nutrigrain bar giveaways from CCs gone past) could be a great way to raise nationwide awareness of RL.

A national link up of SL or the internationals with Domino's (mentioned earlier with the NW leagues) where, say, the game-night deals had some association with the match, or buy-one-get-one-free with free flag and programme for internationals on Four Nations nights could be good for this.

Essentially: where were everyone's two cans of soup and commemorative spoons for the WCC, Heinz? I was looking forward to putting the spoons on Cash in the Attic in 20 years' time.

I work right on the M62, next a large and very busy petrol station. I probably see ten Stobbart trucks a day. How many have I seen with the SL designs on them? A big fat 0! They turned down just under a million quid for that??WTF. I might tattoo the SL symbol on my bum and name next seasons league after it. Similar deal.

I did a return trip to Kent last weekend and saw three of them. Personal experiences are only indicative, not the whole story.

I drove from Maidstone to Leeds and back and saw a Salford lorry at the bottom of the M1 on the return leg. That was out of about 25 Stobart Lorries in total, which were all plain.

Betfair or whatever they were called offered £1.4m.

Was that for two years? I'm sure I read they offered around £750,000 a season.

Quite possibly, I was just told by an RFL employee that they declined a £1.4m bid.

£50,000 per club per season if nothing went to the RFL.