Mike Tindall and James Haskell’s Blackeye Gin RTD Launch Urges Rugby Fans to Ditch Beer This Six Nations
Blackeye Gin founders James Haskell, Alex Payne and Mike Tindall want rugby fans to “swap a beer for a blackeye” amid Six Nations Championship celebrations. (Photo: Blackeye Gin)
On Friday, Blackeye Gin issued a call for rugby fans to support the sport’s future by swapping a beer for a can of its new ready-to-drink (RTD) gin and tonic during the 2024 Six Nations Championship.
Introduced in August 2023, Blackeye Gin was founded by former England rugby professionals Mike Tindall and James Haskell, along with television presenter Alex Payne. Developed in collaboration with Berkshire-based gin maker Hawkridge Distillers, the trio labels their creation as the “unofficial spirit of rugby.” The London dry promises a fusion of citrus, florals and juniper, paired with botanicals sourced from popular rugby nations.
“Blackeye began, as most good stories do, as a drink between rugby mates,” Haskell shared in a press release. “Since then we have been on an incredible journey of distilling, branding, testing, sampling, tweaking and now we’re really excited to be fully off and running.”
Following the success of its gin, the brand is now offering 250-ml RTD G&Ts with 6% alcohol content. These cans are now available in packs of 12, starting at £35.95 ($46.03), and can be purchased from Master of Malt.
Blackeye Gin’s new RTD cans next to a 70-cl bottle. (Photo: Blackeye Gin)
The founders of Blackeye Gin not only aim to create a distinctive product but also have a broader mission — to bolster the future of rugby. Through the Blackeye Fund, supported by an advisory board and the global rugby community, £1.50 from each bottle sold contributes to research, risk management and recovery initiatives for both current and former rugby players. The fund seeks to tackle industry challenges and aspires to be one of the prominent benefactors to rugby causes within the next five years.
According to the press release, the early stages of 2024’s Six Nations have underscored the significance of the Blackeye Gin cause, as injuries to 19 players from various teams — resulting from incidents both pre-season and during the tournament — have been reported.
“We’re also incredibly proud to have made our first Blackeye Rugby Fund donation (helping Gary Street, World Cup winning coach),” Tindall added.
“Now, we’d love to see rugby fans to swap a beer for an amazing Blackeye Gin and tonic, and in doing so they’ll be helping the game and the players they love. Launching our Blackeye cans means it’s never been easier to support the cause, and if Blackeye isn’t yet behind the bar in your clubhouse, it should be!”
With every purchase of a Blackeye Gin bottle or a pack of 12 RTD cans, a donation is made to the X Fund to support the game of rugby and the future of its players.
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