eToro Exits Rugby Australia sponsorship
eToro, the global trading platform, has chosen not to renew its sponsorship agreement with Rugby Australia when it concludes later this year, marking the end of a three-year partnership.
“After a rewarding three-year partnership, we are not renewing our sponsorship with Rugby Australia as we have decided to focus on new opportunities,” spokesperson from eToro explained.
eToro recently entered into a new three-year sponsorship agreement with football’s Australian Professional Leagues, which was announced last week. This deal includes eToro’s branding on the back of all men’s playing jerseys for the 2023-24 season and on all the substitution boards across both the A-League Men and A-League Women competitions.
eToro initially sponsored Rugby Australia in October 2020 when it became the ‘Presenting Partner’ for the Tri Nations, the renamed annual Rugby Championship following South Africa’s withdrawal. Seven months later, eToro extended its partnership with Rugby Australia through a three-year agreement running until the end of 2023.
The new sponsorship package expanded its home match naming rights to include the Rugby Championship and the ‘eToro France’ series, which featured three international Test matches against France in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. eToro acquired kit signage and had its logo placed on the back-right of the Wallabies’ shorts.
The decision by eToro to conclude its sponsorship and redirect its support towards APL highlights the challenging environment for Rugby Australia. The men’s national team’s disappointing performance in the recent Rugby World Cup in France – failing to make it past the group stage for the first time in RWC history – led to the resignation of head coach Eddie Jones, further raising concerns about the declining popularity of the code in Australia.
In June, Rugby Australia appointed former Wallaby Phil Waugh as its new chief executive, succeeding Andy Marinos, who left the role in May to explore new opportunities. The organisation is gearing up to host the British & Irish Lions in 2025, aiming to maximise the commercial aspects of this prestigious international tour by joining forces with the Lions in a joint venture. CSM Sport & Entertainment has been appointed as the exclusive sponsorship agency for the 2025 Lions Tour and IMG will serve as its worldwide licensing agency.
Rugby Australia has established a memorandum of understanding with the Japan Rugby Football Union to strengthen commercial and governance ties in pursuit of new opportunities. Australia will host the 2027 Men’s Rugby World Cup and the 2029 Women’s Rugby World Cup.
Although eToro is ending its partnership, Rugby Australia has secured sponsorships with brands such as Land Rover, Corpay, RM Williams and Taylors Wines in the past 18 months.
