December saw James Haskell of London Wasps and Steve Borthwick of Saracens switch the pitch for the pool by playing a game of rugby in the underwater tank at Pinewood Studios. Submerging themselves in 1.2 millions litres of water, the England duo were promoting the GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP Drinkaware Weekend and highlighting the importance of staying refreshed by drinking water in-between alcoholic beverages. 

Have a look at the behind-the-scenes footage to see how the players avoided sinking in their size thirteens:

By Nick Stocker on January 6th, 2009

Tags: Guinness, Guinness Premiership, Public relations, Rugby

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A week before this year’s Guinness Premiership Final, Guinness proudly hosted a lunch and an opportunity for the country’s top sports journalists to sit down and chat with two giants of the English game who are walking away after a quarter century of service - Lawrence Dallalgio and Richard Hill.

Whilst Richard Hill has regularly been described as a linchpin for both club and country, it is Lawrence Bruno Nero Dallaglio who has captured the hearts of the nation. And as he entered the restaurant last week, his presence filled the room and it was easy to understand why.

For Lawrence, playing rugby was like going into battle. Whether he was playing in the Guinness Premiership or on the international stage, he always brought to the table that fearless Churchillian spirit. He was never afraid to put other players in their place, he always spoke his mind, both on and off the pitch, and when on international duty he bellowed out the national anthem with more pride than the entire England football team.

So it seemed fitting that on Saturday, Lawrence played his 339^th and final game of competitive rugby in front of a world-record crowd for a domestic game. Once again he played at Twickenham, once again he shed tears in the tunnel and once again, as expected, he led his team to victory.

For Lawrence his charisma and natural aura stands him in good stead for the next stage of his career and can be summed-up in the words of another staunchly proud Englishman: “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

Something tells me we will be seeing Lawrence again.

By Nick Stocker on June 5th, 2008

Tags: Guinness, Guinness Premiership, Rugby

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With 82,000 fans attending this year’s Guinness Premiership Final, this was the biggest domestic game the world had ever seen and it was up to us to ensure that everyone left with a smile.

As tradition dictates, fans flocked to the Guinness Village on arrival for a pre-match pint of the black stuff and were immediately greeted by the Guinness Honesty Bar. This was a simple concept designed to reward fans by entrusting them to deposit their money in an ‘honesty box’ before collecting their pints from the bar. As anticipated, queues were cut, allowing fans more time to enjoy the day. Judging by the amount of Guinness being poured, the PRA Benevolent Fund were also delighted as they received a donation of £1 from each pint sold.

For those with quick hands, the Guinness Power Pass tested how fast you could pass a rugby ball. Leicester Tiger’s Harry Ellis or London Wasps’ Eoin Reddan needn’t worry just yet, but with each entrant being rewarded with a Guinness headband, it was certainly very popular.

Your Shout gave fans an opportunity to explain why they loved this year’s Guinness Premiership season and with winning entries being relayed on Twickenham’s giant screens at half time, the sell-out crowd were enlightened to some rather excitable views…

However, despite all this activity, perhaps the biggest winners on the day were amateur side Highley Rugby Club who were given the chance to play on Twickenham’s hallowed turf after winning the Guinness Club Together initiative. Gloucester Rugby’s Dean Ryan surprised the team with a pre-match training session before the team ran out to club anthem “Come on Eileen.” English rugby, it seems, is in a very good place!

With the Guinness blimp majestically floated around Rugby HQ parading the message “Seconds from Greatness” for all 82,000 fans to see before the game, the match, it seemed, was the only thing out of our control. By the end of the day even Prince Harry was raising his pint of Guinness as winning team London Wasps paraded the trophy under a banner that simply read “Greatness.”

By Nick Stocker on June 5th, 2008

Tags: Event management consultants, Event management service, Experiential marketing, Guinness, Guinness Premiership, Rugby, Sales promotion, Sponsorship

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