Dacia has announced it has become the principal partner of England Rugby League ahead of this year’s Denver Test and International Series against the New Zealand Kiwis.
The four-year deal will see Dacia take pride of place on the front of the national team’s playing shirts across England Men’s, Knights, Academy, Youth, Women and Wheelchair teams, until the end of 2021, including the next Rugby League World Cup which will be held in England.
Dacia has been involved with Rugby League since 2016, as the official car partner of the Rugby Football League and title sponsors of the Dacia Magic Weekend and Dacia World Club Series.
The Dacia brand is all about community and through its Rugby Football League partnership, Dacia has supported all levels of the game, by providing grassroots clubs with training sessions with professional coaches and players from the Betfred Super League as part of the Dacia #FlairPlay Awards.
Interim Rugby Football League Chief Executive, Ralph Rimmer, said, “After the success of reaching a World Cup final in 2017, this year is hugely important for England Rugby League as we take a Test Match to North America for the first time in 18 years and face New Zealand in a three-match Autumn International Series.
“Dacia has been a fantastic supporter of Rugby League throughout its time involved with the sport, from grassroots level to Betfred Super League and their commitment is shown through the extension of its partnership to include all the England Rugby League teams.
“We have been working closely with the Dacia team on this new partnership for a number of months and I know that this long-term deal, that sees them involved with England until after the 2021 World Cup, will be a great benefit for the sport and for them.”
In 2017, Dacia also extended its support by becoming Principal Partner of England Wheelchair’s Rugby League team for the 2017 World Cup held in France, which saw the brand feature on the team’s playing shirts throughout the tournament.
Fans will first see the partnership in action when the 2018 England Rugby League kit, produced by hummel, is launched on Monday, June 18th.
Louise O’Sullivan, Head of Dacia UK, said: “We’re very proud to be extending our association with Rugby League to become the principle partner of England teams across all ages, genders and abilities. The inclusivity and community nature of the sport were some of the core values that we recognised when we first started our relationship with the Rugby Football League and they continue to be central to our plans as we move forward in our new role.”