English Premier League club Aston Villa has announced Visit Rwanda as its new principal shirt sponsor in a landmark partnership described as the biggest commercial sponsorship agreement in the club’s history.
The multi-year deal will see the Visit Rwanda brand displayed on the front of shirts worn by Aston Villa’s men’s, women’s, and academy teams, replacing the club’s previous shirt sponsorship partnership with betting company Betano.
According to The Athletic, the agreement is worth £20 million annually, equivalent to nearly Rwf40 billion, making it one of the most valuable sports marketing partnerships involving Rwanda.
The partnership extends beyond shirt branding, with both sides set to collaborate in areas including tourism promotion, investment attraction, international events and conferences, football development, coaching programmes, community initiatives, and skills development.
Aston Villa’s President of Football Operations and Commercial, Francesco Calvo, said the partnership marks an important step in the club’s global expansion strategy.
“This partnership opens up many opportunities for collaboration, learning, and innovation. We look forward to working with Visit Rwanda to promote tourism, investment, and sport,” Calvo said.
Janet Karemera, Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Convention Bureau, said the partnership reinforces Rwanda’s strategy of using football’s global reach to promote the country as a destination for tourism, investment, and business.
She said the deal builds on the success of Rwanda’s previous eight-year partnership with Arsenal, which helped increase the country’s visibility in the United Kingdom and beyond.
The partnership is also expected to support Rwanda’s efforts to attract tourists, investors, and international conference organisers while contributing to the growth of football through training and development initiatives.
The agreement comes after the Premier League introduced a ban on front-of-shirt gambling sponsorships from the 2026/2027 season. Aston Villa had initially unveiled its new season kits without a main sponsor before announcing the Visit Rwanda deal.
Supporters who had already purchased the club’s new shirts will be allowed to add the Visit Rwanda logo free of charge at Aston Villa’s official stores.
Established in 1874, Aston Villa is one of England’s most historic clubs, having won the European Cup in 1982 and the UEFA Europa League in 2026.
Through the Visit Rwanda campaign, Rwanda has previously partnered with European football giants including Paris Saint-Germain and Atlético Madrid.
