LONDON: The ICC has named the Somerset-origin Thatchers as the official cider of the Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019, to be held from 30 May to 14 July in England and Wales, with 48 matches played across 11 venues in what will be the year’s largest sporting event in the United Kingdom.
The cider brand will have exclusive pouring rights for its Thatchers Gold and Thatchers Haze brands in each of the venues for the duration of the matches. These will be available exclusively in the eight official fan zones that are being organised during the six week-long cricket celebrations.
Thatchers branding will be across bars within all the stadia, as well as a presence on the giant venue screens.
ICC Commercial GM Campbell Jamieson said: “We welcome Thatchers as a partner for what is one of the most anticipated sports event in the world with the sport’s billion fans following the fortunes of their favourite players and teams. Thatchers is a renowned cider brand and we are delighted to be teaming up with them for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019.”
Thatchers Cider MD Martin Thatcher added: “This is a fantastic opportunity to be a part of a major sports occasion that will have the eyes of the global sports community firmly on it. We know sporting events on this scale don’t come around very often, and we’re delighted to be a part of it.
“Cricket has such a long heritage and tradition, something that as a fourth-generation family company we share and are immensely proud of. So, this partnership with the ICC is a real fit with our brand. We are really excited about bringing our ciders to the World Cup so fans from around the world can add to their enjoyment of some brilliant cricket with a refreshing pint of Thatchers.
“We know the Cricket World Cup will deliver, and we look forward to working with the ICC to gain maximum exposure and activation for our ciders during this hugely anticipated summer of cricket. Cricket has exceptionally passionate fans, and we’re keen to share the experience with them.”
Over 850,000 people are expected to attend the matches which are being played across cricket venues in the country.
Fan zones, which are expected to attract upwards of 200,000 fans, will be set up in Nottingham, Southampton, Taunton, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Leeds, Durham and London.
The World Cup will be a truly multi-cultural event and taps into the UK’s love of sport. According to a research by YouGov, 83% of adults in the UK follow football, rugby or cricket.
