Australian property investment and funds management company Cromwell Property Group has struck a deal to become a sponsor of the Samoa national rugby union team.
Although the terms of the deal were not disclosed, the Associated Press news agency said that the deal includes performance-related payments in relation to Samoa’s campaign at the 2015 Rugby World Cup national team tournament.
Cromwell will make a payment of NZ$1 million (€632,711/US$835,073) if Samoa wins the tournament. A payment of NZ$500,000 will be made if the team reaches the final, while NZ$250,000 will be paid if Samoa appears in the semi-final.
Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said money has “always been a problem for all the Pacific Island teams,” and the sponsorship deal will help with financial concerns.
The Prime Minister also said that Samoa had to seek substantial private sponsorship in order to fund its operations due to the current system of revenue sharing. At present, nations that host Test matches retain all revenue from such games and are not required to share with visiting teams.