All Blacks take action against Sir Jim Ratcliffe! Man Utd part owner and INEOS sued by New Zealand Rugby for alleged breach of sponsorship deal

The dispute stems from a six-year partnership deal that was signed in July 2021, making INEOS, who are now part owners of Manchester United, an official performance partner of the All Blacks and six other national teams under NZR's banner. This agreement was initially valued at NZ$8 million (£3.65 million) per year, running from 2022 until 2027.

According to The Telegraph,NZR has now alleged that INEOS defaulted on its first installment of the 2025 sponsorship fee, effectively confirming its decision to terminate the agreement three years ahead of schedule. INEOS chairman Ratcliffe has yet to publicly comment on the allegations. However, one notable change suggests that the company has already distanced itself from the partnership as the dedicated webpage on INEOS' official website that previously highlighted its involvement with New Zealand Rugby has been taken down, now displaying a "page not found" error. Moreover, NZR is believed to be taking swift action to remove the INEOS logo from the national team’s kits ahead of their upcoming international matches.

In their statement, NZR emphasized that they had no alternative but to take legal action against INEOS.

It read: “New Zealand Rugby is disappointed that Ineos has breached its sponsorship agreement. Most recently, it failed to pay the first instalment of the 2025 sponsorship fee, confirming its decision to exit our six-year agreement.

“Having learned of Ineos’s decision to walk away three years early, we have moved to protect the interests of New Zealand Rugby and the wider game. We have been left with no option but to launch legal proceedings to protect our commercial position.

“NZR is actively pursuing new commercial opportunities and global interest in the All Blacks and other Teams in Black remains high. We are committed to being world class on and off the field and deliver unique value to sponsors through our iconic brands.

"New Zealand Rugby is confident that its renowned All Blacks brand remains one of the most appealing in world sport and, following considerable commercial success, says that it “looks forward to building on that with new partners and fulfilling our purpose of seeing rugby thrive”.

The fallout with New Zealand Rugby adds to a growing list of controversies and setbacks involving INEOS' sports ventures. Recently, the company ended its America's Cup partnership with Ben Ainslie, a move that stunned the sailing world. Additionally, there have been major leadership changes within the Ineos Grenadiers cycling team.

However, Ratcliffe increased his stake in Manchester United to 28.94 per cent in December and injected an additional £79.3 million as part of his investment commitment. However, the club continue to struggle under Ruben Amorim with the team currently sitting 13th in the Premier League standings. They will return to action against Tottenham on Sunday in north London.