Six Nations Organizers Seeking £100M Sponsorship As RBS Ends Involvement

A £100M ($126M) world record rugby union sponsorship deal "is being sought" by organizers of the Six Nations, according to Nik Simon of the London DAILY MAIL. The proposed six-year contract "will begin after this year’s tournament" and will amount to £17M ($21.4M) per year. That is "a big increase" on the £11M ($14M) per year paid by current sponsor RBS, which is ending its involvement "after 14 years." Six Nations CEO John Feehan said, "We want a sponsor who is actively engaged not just in Britain, but around the world. We see potential in markets like the USA. We want a brand to align with that." He added, "The Six Nations is the biggest sponsorship in world rugby by a country mile. We’ve been in contact with well over 150 companies and we’re in a very good place. It will probably be another six months until we have a decision. Being the highest bidder ticks a huge amount of boxes but it's not all about that" (DAILY MAIL, 1/25).