Dacia, part of the Renault group has signed up as the Official Car Partner for the Guinness PRO14 Final Series.

The deal will see branding and activation through the Quarter Finals and Semi-Finals of the tournament, all the way through to the Final at Celtic Park in Glasgow on Saturday, May 25th.

Last week Renault signed up as Official Car Partner to the GAA as well as taking on title sponsorship of the GAA World Games in Waterford this summer.

Read More: Renault in Gear with GAA World Games

This is the first step into sports sponsorship in Ireland for the Dacia brand though it has been a title sponsor within Rugby League in England since 2016. Last year it moved from Official Car Partner to main sponsor and the brand is worn on the shirts of the England Rugby League team.

That four year deal kicked off in 2018 and runs through to 2021.

Dacia’s range of cars includes the Duster, Logan MCV, Sandero and Sandero Stepway. In 2018 Dacia reported record sales in Europe.

In Ireland, it had a 2.45 per cent market share, making it the 15th most popular brand in terms of unit sales, just behind BMW but ahead of Mazda, Honda, Suzuki and Lexus.

The Guinness PRO14 has been one of the most talked about rugby tournaments of the past two years after expanding into South Africa and agreeing to record-setting TV deals at home and abroad, including Premier Sports and eir sport in the UK and Ireland and ESPN in the United States.

“We’re always thrilled to welcome a new member into our sponsorship family and ourselves and Dacia are coming together at a time of great success and growth for both organisations,” said Dermot Rigley, PRO14 Rugby’s Commercial Director.

“The Guinness PRO14 is in a great place on and off the pitch which is why Dacia are so keen to be a part of the Final Series when the competition reaches white-hot intensity and captures the attention of rugby fans right across the world.”

“Last year we saw a record attendance for the third year in a row at the Guinness PRO14 Final and with our new world-wide broadcast deals we know Dacia and all our other partners will get to be a part of one our biggest audiences yet.”

“Dacia is the best new car brand ever to launch in Ireland and so, we are delighted that we can align the brand with the success of the PRO14 Rugby for the Final Series which will crown this year’s champion team,” added Patrick Magee, Country Operations Director, Dacia Ireland.

“Dacia has, from the start, been a no-nonsense brand offering affordable cars to all, from the robust muscular styling of the All-New Duster SUV to the spacious Logan MCV and the compact Sandero, there is a car in the range for everyone.

“We look forward to the partnership with PRO14 Rugby and to the excitement of the upcoming Final Series.”