New Zealand: Lion Breweries and DB Breweries have signed new rights agreement with The New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU), NZRU announced on February 16. From 2008, a new pourage agreement will be introduced which sees Lion - one of the All Blacks key sponsors - have 100 % pouring rights at all NZRU test matches until 2010.

The previous deal stitched together by former NZRU chief executive David Moffett in 1997 allowed equal pourage rights at test matches when the host province was sponsored by DB. The current arrangement will continue until 2007.

NZRU deputy chief executive Steve Tew said from 2008 that the pourage rights for the Super 14 and the new two-tiered provincial competition which commences next year, will be assigned to the home team. "Effectively what this means is that the home team will determine what beer is poured," Tew told Radio Sport. "When the Hurricanes, who are sponsored by Tui (DB), play at Westpac Stadium then Tui is the beer."

The NZRU's agreement with DB hit a flat patch last September when a letter Tew wrote to Lion was also sent to rivals DB. Details of the letter were unclear but it reportedly suggested several strategic initiatives to improve Lion's share of pourage rights. At the time DB chief executive Brian Blake would not comment because the brewery was considering legal action.

Last year the NZRU board also decided to withdraw a decision made in May to terminate a three-way deal it had with Lion and DB. Along with Wellington and Auckland, DB sponsor first division unions Canterbury and Taranaki, and second division heavyweights Hawke's Bay, while Lion are the All Blacks "major" sponsor, behind Adidas.

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