Altrad ends French national rugby team jersey sponsorship in 2027, Digi Mart USA News (France): The Altrad Group will no longer be the main jersey sponsor of the French national rugby team after the next Six Nations Tournament. The group and the Fédération française de rugby (FFR) announced on Tuesday, November 3, the end of a partnership that began in March 2017, after ten years on the front of the blue jersey.
In its official statement, the group founded by Mohed Altrad said the two parties will end their collaboration “in mid-2027.” The company, born in Montpellier, noted that it was the first official jersey sponsor in the history of the French team, and that the agreement also aimed to develop rugby across the country, including amateur rugby.
The FFR issued a separate statement, cited by AFP and reported by Sud Ouest. It said the contract expires at the end of June 2027 and that it has launched a selection process for its future partner for the 2027-2028 season.
The federation said it informed the group that its offer “had not been selected.” No successor has been named at this stage; according to the FFR, “several proposals” are still under consideration.
March 2017 marks the starting point. The Altrad Group was then made official as the first jersey sponsor of the French national team, in addition to its premium partner status, as described on its partnership page.
On January 31, 2024, the federation announced in a press release a new two-and-a-half-year contract placing Altrad on the front of the national teams’ jerseys as a Tier 1 premium partner. The two parties left open the possibility of extending it by mutual agreement.
FFR president Florian Grill had said the deal would support efforts to “revive rugby from the grassroots up to the smallest village in France.” With the statements issued on November 3, 2026, both sides confirmed the separation, with a deadline set for summer 2027.
Founder-president Mohed Altrad described a “remarkable chapter” and thanked the federation, players, coaching staffs and supporters. “It was an honor for the Altrad Group to be the first name displayed on the French national rugby team jersey,” he said, adding: “If this chapter ends today, the pride we feel in having taken part in the history of French rugby will remain intact.”
The FFR also wished to “thank and acknowledge” its first jersey partner. The choice of a successor comes as the federation, whose financial difficulties were detailed by Florian Grill in early 2025, faces a key decision.
