New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has filed a lawsuit against former sponsor Ineos for an alleged breach of contract, claiming that the petrochemical giant terminated an agreement with the governing body three years early.
The two parties signed a six-year sponsorship deal in 2021 that was due to cover the 2022-27 period.
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Through that tie-up, Ineos branding has been appearing on the back of playing shorts and on the front of training jerseys for the men’s and women’s senior sides – the All Blacks and Black Ferns – as well as the New Zealand Māori team and New Zealand sevens team.
However, NZR has stated that since Ineos had not paid the first installment of the 2025 sponsorship, NZR has therefore had no choice but to proceed with legal action.
The governing body also revealed – according to reports – that Ineos had only informed them at the end of January that they had been intending to exit the agreement effective from January 1.
In a statement, NZR said: “New Zealand Rugby is disappointed that Ineos has breached its sponsorship agreement.
“Most recently, it failed to pay the first installment of the 2025 sponsorship fee, confirming its decision to exit our six-year agreement.
“Having learned of Ineos’ decision to walk away three years early, we have moved to protect the interests of New Zealand Rugby and the wider game. We have been left with no option but to launch legal proceedings to protect our commercial position.”
The sponsorship deal is understood to be worth around $4.5 million per year.
NZR added that it is “actively pursuing new commercial opportunities and global interest in the All Blacks and other teams in black remains high.”
Ineos owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is a minority shareholder in English Premier League soccer giants Manchester United (although he effectively controls the on-pitch side of operations), and his company also runs the Ineos Grenadiers professional cycling team.
Last month, meanwhile, Ineos parted ways with four-time Olympic champion Ben Ainslie, having backed the Britannia America's Cup sailing team since 2018.
The global chemicals producer also owns European soccer teams Nice (France) and Lausanne-Sport (Switzerland) and has a minority stake in the Mercedes Formula 1 motor racing team.
Other NZR commercial partners, meanwhile, include brands such as Altrad, Adidas, Air New Zealand, Bupa, and Tudor.
