'Left with no option' - Manchester United co-owners Ineos sued by New Zealand Rugby over missed payment
New Zealand Rugby have instigated legal proceedings against Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos after the company defaulted on a sponsorship agreement. Ineos signed a six-year partnership to become an official performance partner of the All Blacks in July 2021, with the deal valued at roughly £3.65 million per year until 2027.
The Ineos logo had been displayed on New Zealand rugby uniform, but will now be removed with immediate effect after they missed their first instalment of the 2025 sponsorship fee, effectively confirming their decision to terminate the agreement three years ahead of schedule.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdIt is the latest controversy associated with United's co-owners after they recently ended their America's Cup partnership with Ben Ainslie, in a move that stunned the sailing world. There have also been major leadership changes within the Ineos Grenadiers cycling team. It comes just a couple of months after Ratcliffe increased his stake in Manchester United to 28.94 per cent and injected an additional £79.3 million as part of his investment.
New Zealand Rugby release statement
“New Zealand Rugby is disappointed that Ineos has breached its sponsorship agreement. Most recently, it failed to pay the first instalment of the 2025 sponsorship fee, confirming its decision to exit our six-year agreement. Having learned of Ineos’s 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.
“NZR is actively pursuing new commercial opportunities and global interest in the All Blacks and other Teams in Black remains high. We are committed to being world class on and off the field and deliver unique value to sponsors through our iconic brands. New Zealand Rugby is confident that its renowned All Blacks brand remains one of the most appealing in world sport and, following considerable commercial success, says that it “looks forward to building on that with new partners and fulfilling our purpose of seeing rugby thrive.”
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.