HSBC is poised to succeed fellow banking group NatWest as title sponsor of the Six Nations rugby union tournament, according to The Guardian.
The UK newspaper said HSBC is set to strike a deal after last year seeking to combine the Six Nations with title sponsorship of the British & Irish Lions’ 2017 tour of New Zealand.
HSBC previously sponsored the 2009 and 2013 Lions tours but was replaced by savings company Standard Life for last year’s tour.
NatWest, a subsidiary of RBS, landed title sponsorship of the 2018 Six Nations in a one-year deal after an about-turn from tournament organisers.
Six Nations Rugby ended its long-term partnership with RBS after the 2017 tournament in the belief it could secure £100m (€112.9m/$129.6m) for the rights over a six-year period.