By RBS 6N
January 18 2013

 The Six Nations Council and The Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) have agreed a four-year extension of their existing partnership that will see RBS remain as the tournament’s title sponsor until 2017 

The bank has been title sponsor of the RBS 6 Nations Championship since 2003. Since then, the Championship has grown to become the world’s best attended rugby event. The Championship’s matches are also broadcast on television in more than 160 countries around the world and viewing figures have increased by over 30% in the last decade. The partnership has benefited the game of rugby at its grassroots, through the RBS RugbyForce programme, which has supported more than 1,000 clubs and their communities since its launch in 2009. 

John Feehan, chief executive of Six Nations Rugby Ltd, said:

“We are delighted to extend our successful partnership with RBS. In the 11 years that the bank has backed the Championship we have worked together to exponentially grow the tournament both at a global level in terms of fans enjoying the games, but also at a community level, through the RBS RugbyForce programme.”

Gregory Thorpe, head of brand and marketing at RBS, said:

"Our RBS 6 Nations sponsorship delivers significant value to our business and is the cornerstone of everything we do in rugby. The Championship is a source of pride and passion for many of our customers, from the living room to the board room. Our involvement helps us engage more effectively with those customers and to connect with the communities in which we operate. We're thrilled to be on board for another four years."

RugbyForce is a nationwide community volunteer programme which helps local rugby clubs to improve their facilities and take steps toward becoming more sustainable businesses. Created by the RBS Group, the programme helped over 600 clubs in the UK and Ireland last year and is run in conjunction with the home rugby unions and our retail divisions across the four home nations as Ulster Bank RugbyForce in Ireland, NatWest RugbyForce in Wales and RBS RugbyForcein England and Scotland.

The programme culminates in the RugbyForce Weekend – an opportunity for members and volunteers to come together for some fun-filled DIY and make a positive difference to club facilities in preparation for season ahead.

For 2013, RBS RugbyForce programme has been enhanced and will include an education module that will provide clubs with small business advice in order to support them in building for their future.