Visa presents/displays its program Legend of the Rugby Visa for the Glass of the World of Rugby 2007

Legend of the Rugby Visa chooses the presence of Nelson Mandela in the end of the Glass of the World of Rugby of 1995 like the most important moment of the history of the match.

11 of December, 2006 Madrid

International visa has announced that five of the best players of rugby of the world - Zinzan Brooke (New Zealand), John Eales (Australia), Martin Johnson (England), Philippe Sella (France) and Joel Stransky (South Africa) - will be the “Legend of the Rugby Visa�? and the official spokesmen for Visa the global sponsorship of the Glass of the World of Rugby 2007. Visa renewed in November of 2005 its collaboration with the Glass of the World of Rugby that maintains already for one decade, and is the Official Global Partner and the service of official payment of the Glass of the World of Rugby 2007.

These five great figures of rugby represent the true passion and the spirit of rugby. They connect with all the fans who have had opportunity to contemplate their athletic skill, its capacity to transcend this sport, and its great sportsmanship at the competitive high level - the Glass of the World of Rugby- “, said Tom Shepard, executive vice-president of Marketing Internacional, Associations and Sponsorships International Visa. “Their leadership, vision, relevance and excellence inside and outside the field, are values that Visa also ecarna. Working with us, also they will be able to share its shrewdness, passion and beliefs with the fans of rugby worldwide�?.

The sponsorship of the Glass of the World of Rugby provides to Visa with an important world-wide platform of marketing, that arrives at some from its more important markets in the world. As spokesmen for Visa, the Legend of the Rugby Visa are the image of several Visa promotions directed to commerce and holders. Each of them will carry out, in addition, some of the communications that become to the 20,000 member financial Visa organizations, and announcements in manifolds mass media.

The Legend of the Rugby Visa will be the protagonists of several activities online in which will be able to interact with the fans to this sport. These will include a forum of debate in Internet in which the Legend of the Rugby Visa will propose diverse subjects of interest for the followers of rugby, inviting the fans to establish and to participate.

During the event of presentation in Paris, the Legend of the Rugby Visa debated about the moment that considered for the Glass of the World of Rugby during these first twenty years of existence more important. The ex--players agreed unanimously in which the attendance of Nelson Mandela, with a t-shirt of rugby of South Africa in the end of the Glass of the World of Rugby of 1995, was the more important singular moment in the history of the match.

That moment symbolized how the sport can surpass all the adversities and unite communities. The presence of Nelson Mandela helped to unite to an emergent democratic nation that began to emerge and to improve the image of the Glass of the World of Rugby by everybody. As Joel Stransky explained, “the Glass of the World of Rugby1995 was much more that a match of rugby for South Africa, was an unifying process of a new democratic nation, that was supported by a nation being united about an equipment of rugby and showing support collectively. Madiba [Nelson Mandela] was the responsible man by this when taking the Bok t-shirt�?.

Between the five Legend of rugby Visa they accumulate 361 international ownerships, 61 of them in 13 Glasses of the World of Rugby. All count on a considerable experience in the Glass of the World of Rugby and, throughout the next months, they will be the protagonists of a special program of television, that will transmit by webcast and podcast, in that will speak of the moments that better remember of their activities in the Glass of the World of Rugby.

Zizan Brooke was member of the victorious equipment All Blacks of New Zealand that gained the first Glass of the World of celebrated Rugby in 1987 in its own country. Zinzan is considered like one of the best players of history, with a unique mixture of abilities of forward and defense who made him emphasize on their contemporaries. Their 17 tests with the All Blacks are everything a record for a forward.

John Eales was the captain of the Australian selection that gained the Glass of the World of Rugby 1999 in Wales, after to have been a member of the victorious equipment Wallaby that gained the same Glass in 1991 in England. During his race, he disputed the greater number of parties like captain of the Australian selection, and still he has the record of the forward who has marked more in history.

Martin considers itself to the ex--captain of the English selection Johnson like one of best the second line and how the best English captain. Known by his strong leadership and his by direct character, he led to the English selection to a Grand Slam and to gain the Glass of the World of Rugby 2003.

Philippe Sella played a record of 111 parties for France, a world-wide mark when it retired of rugby international in 1995. Phillipe also is one of the few players who have marked to a test in each and every one of the parties disputed in one season of the Match Five Nations.

Joel Stransky kicked for South Africa in the Glass of the World of celebrated Rugby of 1995 in South Africa. In spite of never to have kicked drop in an international party before that match, the feat of Joel in the prorogation ensured the victory South Africa by 15 to 12 in front of New Zealand.

Visa will work with the Legend of the Rugby Visa to take advantage of the passion and the spirit of rugby to provide unique and highly visible enterprise opportunities to its partners and commerce by the world, and to provide benefits additions to the card holders Visa.

Colin Grannell, executive vice-president of Partnership Marketing Europe Visa affirms “I am glad of which France is the country host of the Glass of the World of Rugby 2007. It is a true privilege to be able to reunite to the Legend of the Rugby Visa from all points of the world to support to us in promoting a so important sport event between our members, holders and commerce, not only in France, but in all the countries that Integra Europe Visa.

Visa sponsored the Glass of the World of Rugby 1995 at regional level and since then he has been sponsoring world-wide of editions celebrated in 1999 and 2003.

On Visa

In Europe he has more than 315 million cards Visa of credit, debit and of companies. In the 12 months until June end of 2006 those cards they were used to realize distant purchases and of cash by a total volume of more than 1.19 trillions of Euros.

Visa is an association formed by members, an organization directed by its 4,500 European financial organizations member, which allows him to quickly take care of the specific needs of the European financial organizations and their clients - titular and commerce, besides fulfilling with the aim of the European Commission to create a true inner market of payments. Europe visa is Visa co-owner the International, the organization who guarantees the global interoperability of her products as well as the management of the mark Visa.

In October of 2006, Visa announced the reconstruction of its organization at world-wide level excluding Europe to create a new company quoted in stock market that will be called Inc. Visa. Like part of this reconstruction, Europe Visa will maintain its structure of association and will operate exclusively with a license in Europe.

Visa is one of the payment marks leaders in the world and counts on a level of matchless acceptance that includes approximately 24 million acceptance points which they include more of a million automatic tellers.

For more information it visits www.visaeurope.com/es