The company is the worldwide partner for the 2021 Rugby World Cup, with the women's edition being postponed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is now scheduled to take place from October 8 to November 12, with the final due to be held at Auckland's Eden Park.

The latest announcement means Canon is to become the tournament's official imaging partner and official camera partner too.

It also becomes the official imaging supplier for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.

Canon has worked with World Rugby since the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

It is also set to be the first women's Rugby World Cup that Canon will act as a partner at.

"Having recently confirmed both men's and women's editions of the Rugby World Cup up until 2033, there couldn’t be a more pivotal time to welcome Canon on board," said World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin.

"Their relentless focus on innovation echoes our vision to make rugby as relevant and accessible as possible and their support will accelerate the development of our sport across the globe.

"We have had the great pleasure of working with Canon for a number of years and we are very proud to be continuing our long-standing relationship for Rugby World Cups 2021 and 2023. 

"Canon shares our passion for driving gender parity across the game and we are delighted to be welcoming them to the partner family for the pinnacle women's 15s tournament that kicks off in New Zealand later this year."

Canon is set to offer full support over its products and solutions including cameras, lenses, video camcorders, network cameras and medical equipment.

The 2023 Rugby World Cup is scheduled to take place from September 8 to October 28 2023.