Hertz New Zealand has signed a two-year agreement to become the naming rights sponsor of the New Zealand International Sevens Tournament, effective from 2012.

The inaugural Hertz Sevens event, which is already sold out, will be held at Westpac Stadium in Wellington on the weekend of February 3rd-4th 2012.

It is part of the annual HSBC Sevens World Series, which has become so popular that rugby sevens has now been accepted as an official Olympic sport, and will debut at the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

“We love our rugby in New Zealand, and the New Zealand International Sevens is a major annual event on the national sports calendar, featuring teams from 16 countries, attracting 35,000 fans to games and generating a massive television viewing audience in New Zealand and internationally,” said Mark Righton, Hertz New Zealand country manager.

“We are delighted to have secured naming rights for the New Zealand International Sevens Tournament in 2012 and 2013, not only because of the event’s popularity in New Zealand but because rugby sevens worldwide is about to be elevated to the status of an Olympic sport,” Righton added.

“For Hertz this sponsorship opportunity is ideal, not just to increase awareness of our brand but to introduce New Zealanders to Horatio, our new global mascot and brand ambassador.”