Telecoms giant BT聽has struck a new three-year sponsorship deal with the four professional rugby regions in Wales.
BT聽first entered in a three-year deal with the Cardiff Blues, Scarlets, Dragons and Ospreys in 2014. The sponsorship was extended in 2017.
The latest deal will run until 2023, at the end of which聽BT聽will have sponsored the four regions for nine consecutive seasons.聽
BT聽also announced last year that it had signed an agreement with FA Wales to become the exclusive lead partner of Welsh national football until 2024.
The new rugby agreement will see the聽BT聽brand featuring in all the Welsh regions鈥 home grounds, in community activity and in regional rugby marketing materials.
The agreement will also see community work continue between聽BT聽and the Welsh rugby regions, focusing in particular on highlighting the importance of technology, innovation and digital skills within communities across Wales.
The exact value of the latest deal has not been disclosed, but is worth six-figures split equitably between the four regions.
Richard Holland, chief executive of Cardiff Blues, said: 鈥淥n behalf of Cardiff Blues, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets, we are all delighted to continue our long-standing partnership with聽BT, who have already been such an enormous supporter of Welsh rugby.
鈥淭his is the only joint sponsorship across all four professional regions in Wales. It has already proved a great success and demonstrates what can be achieved by working collaboratively.
鈥淲e are all very grateful to retain such a high-profile and commercially successful partner, particularly at such a challenging time for all businesses navigating through this pandemic and the financial implications.
鈥淭here are some exciting new elements and community initiatives included in this agreement and we are looking forward to building upon an already robust relationship.鈥
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Nick Speed,聽BT聽group鈥檚 director in Wales, said: 鈥淏T聽is a long-standing supporter of Welsh rugby, so we鈥檙e pleased to be able to continue our sponsorship and relationship with the four Welsh regions.
鈥淭his new agreement will help us carry on working on community projects with all four regions, highlighting in particular how technology, innovation and improving digital skills can help people鈥檚 work prospects and lives across the country."
鈥2020 has been an incredibly difficult year for many sectors and sports, and Welsh rugby is no exception. We hope this new partnership will go some way towards making sure that our regional sides, and the communities in which they鈥檙e based, can emerge from the crisis stronger than before.鈥
