TVH becomes main sponsor of Belgian rugby

Waregem-based parts specialist TVH will become the main sponsor of the Belgian Rugby Federation for at least the next three years. In a joint press conference, CEO of TVH Dominiek Valcke and president of the Belgian Rugby Federation Michiel Leysen presented the plans. On 9 September, the national league starts, which will be called the TVH Rugby League. In addition, TVH also becomes the sponsor of the men’s and women’s national teams. “There is a perfect match between the values of rugby and those of TVH, and of course, a sports sponsorship also fits perfectly with TVH as Sports Company of The Year,” said CEO Dominiek Valcke.

Nothing but beaming faces from both TVH and the rugby delegation at the press event. Dominiek Valcke: “A while ago, rugby popped up on our radar as a possible sponsorship opportunity. During the discussions that followed, it soon became clear that rugby’s reputation as a rough sport was not entirely accurate. The values of the sport, namely respect, passion, team spirit and solidarity, match our corporate values. In addition, rugby is a global sport, with top performances in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, the UK, South Africa and France, where TVH has major branches.”

On the eve of the World Cup in France starting on Friday 8 September, Michiel Leysen of the rugby federation spoke out about future plans, “With TVH’s support, we can further professionalise and invest as a sport and federation. We aim to be at the World Cup in 2027 and participate in the Olympics in 2028.”

In addition to the TVH Rugby League, in which TVH sponsors both the women’s and men’s competitions, the company also becomes the main partner for four national teams: the so-called XV teams for men (Black Devils) and for women (The Lionesses), and the 7’s teams for men (Men Sevens) and women (Belsevens).

Dominiek Valcke, “The sport is still in its infancy in Belgium, but we believe in the teams’ ambitions. We hope to use our support to provide the necessary push to grow the sport even more, in line with our slogan: Keeps you going. Globally, the Rugby World Cup is the third most-watched sporting event in the world. And given TVH’s global presence as a parts specialist, we can certainly capitalise on this abroad. We are very much looking forward to working together, which we see as a win-win. For the federation, this means support for their professionalisation and growth, and on the other hand, we are putting the TVH brand, as a parts specialist and an attractive employer, more strongly in the market.”