England sponsor pledges to equally fund men's and women's game as part of new 5-year deal

The RFU have announced a new sponsorship deal with O2 which will extend the company's association with the England Rugby team to 30 years. As part of the new agreement, which will run for a period of five years, O2 has also pledged to equally fund the men’s and women’s game.

O2 is the principal shirt partner for the England Senior Men’s and England Senior Women’s teams with O2’s logo appearing on all match day and training kit.

This year marks 25 years of O2 sponsorship of the England Rugby team and the renewal will take the partnership to 30 years, with the new deal commencing from September 2021.

And as part of the new agreement O2 has pledged to equally fund the men’s and women’s game over the course of the partnership, with an RFU statement outlining that: "O2 and the RFU have the collective ambition to grow both the profile of the Red Roses and increase attendance at future games."

Bill Sweeney, RFU CEO commented: "O2 have been a loyal supporter of England Rugby, a partnership that has lasted for 25 years and we are proud to continue to carry their logo front and centre on our shirts for a further five years.

"O2’s commitment to equally support both our elite teams is commendable and it’s great to collaborate with a partner that truly shares our same passion to see the women’s game flourish and continue to grow for future generations to enjoy."

Nina Bibby, CMO of O2 said: "There has never been a more important time to get behind rugby, a sport we love and have invested in for over 25 years.

"We are proud to support the RFU through our extended partnership, which we believe is the longest shirt sponsorship in the history of UK sport.

"Our new agreement brings investment parity from O2 to England Men and England Women. The future for English rugby is bright, and together we want to make sure that rugby emerges from the pandemic stronger than ever before."