The Altrad Group, which sells and hires out equipment for the building and construction industry, has today (Tuesday) been confirmed as the first jersey sponsor of the French national rugby union team.
Altrad Group chairman, Mohed Altrad, owns French Top 14 club Montpellier and the deal was first reported in the French press last week. It has now been confirmed by the French Rugby Federation (FFR), with Altrad to lend support to France’s bid for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
France has been wearing the #France2023 logo on the front of its shirts during the 2017 Six Nations tournament, and Altrad’s brand will now appear below this logo, starting from France’s game against Italy on Saturday.
The agreement will run through to November 15, when the World Rugby governing body is due to select the World Cup host. The FFR added that it is still seeking to market shirt sponsorship rights from 2018.
FFR president Bernard Laporte said: “This support illustrates perfectly the strong mobilisation of the economic world behind #France2023. Indeed, the French bid can already claim to have the support of leading companies in their category and whose expertise will be a real asset and a valuable help in the construction of our application.”
Mohed Altrad added: “Through this process, we want to show our deep attachment to the national interest. In addition, the presence of the Group in a large number of countries will make it possible to exhibit this application worldwide.”
FFR vice-president Serge Simon in January revealed that the body was seeking to secure a first-ever shirt sponsor for its national team. France was the only major rugby-playing nation in the world that did not have a shirt sponsor.