Mon Sep 29 14:35:31 2008

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RSL's new soccer-specific venue to be called Rio Tinto Stadium

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Salt Lake City, UT (Sports Network) - Major League Soccer's Real Salt Lake announced on Monday that the team's new soccer-specific stadium, set to host its inaugural league match on Oct. 9, will be called Rio Tinto Stadium.

Rio Tinto, the parent company to Kennecott Utah Copper, Kennecott Land Company and Kennecott Exploration, has signed a multi-year naming rights agreement for the brand new sports and entertainment venue located at the heart of the Wasatch Front in Sandy.

"With Rio Tinto, we have found a very special sponsor with deep local ties and one who shares the unique vision for what this Stadium provides," RSL owner Dave Checketts said. "Rio Tinto and the Kennecott Utah Companies exemplify that vision with their collective commitment to our Utah community, the perfect match for what Rio Tinto Stadium represents."

"This opportunity helps us tell our story and lets people know who we are on a local and global level," Rio Tinto Copper CEO Bret Clayton said. "Soccer transcends cultural and economic boundaries, as it did when Rio Tinto employees introduced soccer to Spain in the late 1800s. This was done to create recreational opportunities for those living in the village and bring people together. Not much has changed since then."

"This is a tremendous opportunity to work with Real Salt Lake and have Rio Tinto's name on this world-class facility," Kennecott Utah Copper President Andrew Harding said. "At Kennecott Utah Copper, we are part of something bigger. We are part of Rio Tinto, and we are part of this community. Through this opportunity, Rio Tinto and Kennecott can continue to educate the public about the importance mining plays in modern life, reach out to local youth through soccer clinics and other community events, and continue our long- standing commitment to Utah."