Welsh regions set to confirm a lucrative sponsorship deal with broadcasting big-hitters BT Sport

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Welsh regions set to confirm a lucrative sponsorship deal with broadcasting big-hitters BT Sport

Regional Rugby Wales are expected to announce confirmation of the deal that will provide a substantial financial boost to the regions

As first revealed by WalesOnline in April, the deal will see the broadcasters acquire the naming rights for the Arms Park - the home of the Cardiff Blues - and become shirt sponsors for the other three Welsh regional sides.

The famous old ground will be re-branded as the BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park from next season, with the Blues having secured a three-year deal with an option for a further two years.

They will retain Airbus as their shirt sponsors, but the Ospreys, Scarlets and Dragons will have BT Sport on their jerseys from next term.

It’s understood that BT will also have involvement at community level within the regions.

The overall deal comes as a significant financial boost for the four regions, who have worked together on the package for a number of months.

The re-naming of the Arms Park - where the joint deal will be officially announced this lunchtime - will be a ground-breaking move for Welsh rugby.

It follows in the wake of a long list of stadium sponsorship packages in various sports, with the Aviva Stadium, the Allianz Park and the AJ Bell Stadium – the homes of Ireland, Saracens and Sale Sharks respectively – gracing the world of rugby.

In football, the list is an extensive one, with the likes of Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium, Bolton’s Reebok Stadium and Leicester’s King Power Stadium springing to mind.

In Wales, you have the Cigg-e Stadium (Merthyr FC), the Glyndwr University Racecourse Stadium (Wrexham FC), the Book People Stadium (Bangor City FC) and of course Swansea’s Liberty Stadium, not forgetting the Swalec Stadium, the home of Glamorgan cricket.

It’s believed the Blues were insistent on retaining the Arms Park in the title and that BT were more than happy to go along with that, recognising the iconic nature of the name worldwide.

As for the shirt sponsorship deal with the other three regions, that sees the broadcasters adding to the link up they have in Scotland.

They are already shirt sponsors for both Scottish pro-teams, Edinburgh and Glasgow, who will also be hugely boosted by the £20m naming rights deal for Murrayfield which BT are set to sign with the SRU.

BT Sport have emerged as increasingly prominent players in rugby over the past year.

They have taken over broadcasting rights for the Aviva Premiership this season and are set to share coverage of the new European Rugby Champions Cup with rivals Sky Sports.

That compromise joint TV deal was crucial to the Euro peace package which was announced last month.

Dragons are like Gods, they don't exist fella.

Same as likeable Bath fans.

Shower guys is the ones I hate. The quick dash'n'splash types that pretend they're too busy for foam and ducks.

God, I hate them types.

Good comeback, pop over to Cardiff on Friday there will be a load of likeable and loveable characters to meet and have a pint with.

The Blue Black and White Army will be out in force.

In force ? Petition worked to get a bigger venue then ?   

I've been to Bath games plenty of times, more life in a morgue

The Black Blue and Red army did someone say???? Oh no, that's later on in the evening.

Three cheers for BT for saving Regional rugby

Hip Hip.....

I expect BT are pleased the deal means that the Blues' ground will be renamed the "BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park" - that name will be on the tickets, advertising, etc -  but I'm sure the ground will remain simply "the Arms Park" to regular fans.

I've been a Cardiff and Wales supporter for 60 years, and remember when "the Arms Park" used to be the venue for two sports - rugby and cricket.

For many years the home ground for both Wales and Cardiff RFC was the big stadium, where a greyhound track ran round the pitch, whilst the home ground for Glamorgan county cricket was the smaller stadium next door. It was all known as "the Arms Park". The name originated with the Cardiff Arms Hotel, demolished in the 1870s.

In about 1969-84 the rugby ground was rebuilt and officially renamed the National Stadium, for the sole use of Wales, but I never heard anyone call it anything unofficially but "the Arms Park". The cricket ground was turned into a rugby stadium for Cardiff RFC which was officially called "the Arms Park", and it's where the Cardiff Blues still play. Confusing?

Meanwhile, county cricket moved half a mile to Sophia Gardens, where nowadays it has the Swalec Stadium and no connection, official or unofficial, with "the Arms Park".

In the late '90s the National Stadium was redeveloped in time for the RWC and called the Millennium, which is a name that has certainly caught on with the public, but to some old stagers like me Wales still play at "the Arms Park"!

munkian wrote:English rugby fan lives in past 'shocker'

You guys do love runners up spots don't you ?

You would too if there was a past worth living in!

I'd rather stay in the present and take the highs with the lows than live in rose tinted cloud.

optimist wrote:I expect BT are pleased the deal means that the Blues' ground will be renamed the "BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park" - that name will be on the tickets, advertising, etc -  but I'm sure the ground will remain simply "the Arms Park" to regular fans.

Surely with all this business wheedling it'll be known as the "BT Sport Cardiff Arms Dealers"?