Maro Itoje and Zoe Aldcroft have hailed the continuing impact of England Rugby’s partnership with O2 on its 30th anniversary.
The two captains were part of a joint photo shoot featuring the men’s and women’s sides, who were sporting some of the most iconic England shirts of the past three decades, to mark the occasion.
O2 was the first brand to commit to equal investment in the men’s and women’s games in 2021 and the commitment to gender parity is only set to increase in 2025 – a year which will see the Red Roses bid to win the World Cup on home soil.
Aldcroft, who as captain will bid to hold the trophy aloft come September, said: “We take immense pride in representing our country and we greatly appreciate the support O2 has given England Rugby, and us as Red Roses, for such a prolonged period.
“We have felt O2’s incredible commitment for a number of years and it has been pivotal in bringing more eyes on women’s rugby. In an exciting year for the game, we know they will continue to back us and help elevate the sport.”
O2, in partnership with the RFU, commissioned the first women’s rugby team documentary ‘Wear the Rose: An England Rugby Dream’, a two-part series which aired on ITV1, attracting over 1.25 million viewers across ITV1 and on ITVX.
Those who tuned in to the documentary watched 21% more coverage of the Rugby World Cup than those who didn’t and saw a growth of 14% in awareness of the Red Roses.
In 2023, meanwhile, O2 and the RFU joined forces with the Women’s Sport Trust to help close rugby’s gender awareness gap by delivering an annual report that provides much needed data and insights to inform fans and industry alike as to how they can help tackle the issue.
The gender awareness gap in rugby has shrunk to 15% (a 10% reduction YoY), while also boosting overall national awareness of the women’s team and the desire to attend a Red Roses match continuing to rise.
The England men’s team are also continuing to benefit from the partnership which launched in 1995, with fans being brought closer to the action via the Inside Line content series.
Featuring behind the scenes action, including live streams from the England Rugby camp to the players telling their unique stories in their own words via the England Rugby Podcast: O2 Inside Line, the series in 2024 generated over 58 million views, a figure that continues to grow year-on-year.
Itoje, who took on the captaincy earlier this year, said: "For 30 years, O2’s commitment to England Rugby has been unwavering, so as a team, it makes us incredibly proud to be supported by such a loyal partner.
“I want to extend my thanks to O2 for their longstanding support – it’s been an amazing journey so far, and we’re excited for what lies ahead.”
Gareth Griffiths, Director, Partnerships and Sponsorship at Virgin Media O2, added: “We could not be prouder of everything we have achieved with the RFU over the past 30 years.
“Our Wear the Rose campaign continues to be a powerful and emotive way to support our England teams and has enabled us to bring the sport into the lives of millions of people.
“We are so excited for what 2025 has in store, for the women’s game especially.”
