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Aston Villa signs £20m Visit Rwanda sponsorship amid sportswashing warning
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Aston Villa signs £20m Visit Rwanda sponsorship amid sportswashing warning
Aston Villa have signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with Visit Rwanda, replacing Betano on the club's shirts, as Amnesty International warns the deal constitutes sportswashing.
- Aston Villa signed a multi-year, £20m-a-year sponsorship agreement with Visit Rwanda to appear on the front of men's, women's and academy team shirts.
- Amnesty International UK's head of campaigns Felix Jakens said Rwanda is using the partnership to deflect attention from its human rights record, including arbitrary detention and repression.
- Jakens also stated that Rwanda is playing a significant role in fuelling conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo through support to M23 rebels and direct military actions.
- Aston Villa president Francesco Calvo described the deal as a symbol of the club's expansion into international markets and said it offers opportunities for collaboration and tourism.
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