http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/nrl/story/0,27074,24647072-14823,00.html
Row over Jim Beam, Bundaberg Rum sponsorship
JIM Beam has been dumped under orders from league overlord Colin Love to placate World Cup sponsor and rival distillery Bundaberg Rum.
Furious Jim Beam officials last night accused the NSWRL of bowing to pressure from Love and the NRL to strip their major sponsorship of the third-tier state competition and award the naming rights to Bundy for $250,000 less.
Known as the Jim Beam Cup for the past six seasons, the grassroots competition will now be called the Bundy Red Cup until the end of 2011.
Having poured $1.5 million into the former Metropolitan Cup since 2002, Jim Beam was committed to investing another $1 million over the next three seasons. But Bundy's sponsorship of the NRL and World Cup created a conflict between the two spirits, and the NSWRL recently voted to cast Jim Beam out to give its competitor exclusivity across all levels of the game.
Jim Beam this week reacted by sending all clubs a letter (printed at right) of explanation blaming politics for its enforced withdrawal. The bourbon producer is particularly disappointed with Love, who it feels was conflicted in negotiations with Bundy in his dual role as World Cup tournament director and NSWRL chairman.
But Love and the NRL claim that rugby league will earn more from a "whole of game" sponsorship with Bundy. They also accused Jim Beam of trying to hijack undue leverage of its sponsorship by using the "Spirit of Rugby League" slogan.
Jim Beam brand manager Ray Noble said last night the money would now be invested in V8 motor racing. "There's no question - it's very disappointing," Noble said.
"It's a case of petty politics. They forced our hand and we've decided to just let it go. But we'll still stay involved with individual NRL clubs."
Love denied the NSWRL had made a commitment with Jim Beam to extend its contract and said claims that Bundy's NSWRL naming rights deal was inferior were "completely false".
"The money generated across all levels of the game from the Bundaberg Rum sponsorship is significantly more than that generated from Jim Beam," Love said. "And it was never a conflict of interest between the World Cup and the rest of the game.
"Jim Beam were great sponsors of one competition only."
Love also denied Bundy had ordered Jim Beam out, but did reveal the world-renowned bourbon brand was "placed on notice a number of times in relation to some of their marketing activities".
Bundy acquired the slogan, "Spirit of the NRL" when it first signed on in 2004.
NRL marketing and commercial manager Paul Kind made no apologies for advising the NSWRL to accept Bundy's proposal.
"Jim Beam did not have a clear understanding of Bundy's agreement with rugby league," Kind said.
"I've got no doubt that Bundy's investment across the game puts us in a preferred position compared to Jim Beam's isolated involvement in one competition."
There will also be a change of teams in 2009. Erina and Belrose have withdrawn, but the NSWRL is trying to convince North Sydney and Ryde Eastwood to fill the void.
