The expanded deal, negotiated by Specsavers' international sponsorship consultancy MEC:Sponsorship, will see the Specsavers logo appear on the shirts of all match officials at all venues across Ireland, Wales and Scotland. In addition, the deal extends to perimeter boards and interview backdrops for every match in both the Celtic League and Cup competitions.
Many of the world's leading referees are keen to expand use technology to assist them in making crucial decisions. In advance of the Celtic Cup Final between Munster and Llanelli Scarlets, Nigel Williams claimed that a fourth pair of eyes would take some pressure off referees and ensure even more accurate decisions using television replays: "Referees are only human and do make mistakes, but we are coming under increasing scrutiny and if the technology exists, we should be able to use it. I have known referees turn to TV monitors on the pitchside to make a judgement, for instance, but we must be aware that TV replays do not always clearly show what we require."
Technology is currently only available for referees in rugby to determine whether a try has been scored, but Williams argues that it could be potentially be used to ask specific questions of the fourth official – particularly concerning foul play. He continues, "If we can ask a video referee about instances of foul play we will be able to readily identify the culprits and issue the appropriate punishment on the spot instead of teams having to resort to citing players after the match. Clearly there are numerous recent examples of where this would have helped and could even have affected the outcome of matches."
Chairman of Specsavers, Doug Perkins, himself a former player for Llanelli, comments: "Celtic Rugby is very much alive and prospering and we are delighted to be supporting the most important individuals on the pitch – the match officials. Our previous sponsorship experiences have demonstrated that the humorous link between match officials and an optical retailer has been extremely well received by the supporters and we look forward to welcoming more of the referees to our stores to get their eyes tested."
David Jordan, Tournament Director for Celtic Rugby adds: "Specsavers has a recent tradition of match officials sponsorship and we're pleased that their strong commitment to Celtic Rugby has been extended. Both tournaments are growing in stature and we are looking forward to working together to raise its profile even more."