Rwanda chose Aston Villa as its new football partner, with officials citing the Premier League club's fan base across Europe and around the world as a platform to promote the country as a destination for tourism, investment and business.
The agreement will see the Visit Rwanda logo appear on the front of the shirts worn by Aston Villa's men's, women's, and academy teams, as well as across a range of other prominent club branding assets.
ALSO READ: Aston Villa unveils Visit Rwanda as front-of-shirt sponsor
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In an exclusive interview with The New Times, Maëva Haguma, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Convention Bureau (RCB), said that the partnership reflects the different roles played by Rwanda's global sports partnerships in reaching specific markets.
"Each partnership is for different purposes and different markets. We have PSG, Atlético Madrid, LA Clippers and the LA Rams. Atlético helps us reach the Spanish market, while the partnerships in the United States target the American market. This partnership with Aston Villa is specifically aimed at the UK," she said.
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"Aston Villa is a premium club with fans across Europe and around the world. It competes at the highest level in European football. We started eight years ago with a sleeve sponsorship, and now we are moving to the front of the shirt, which offers greater visibility during games and interviews," she added.
Haguma indicated that the partnership is not just about visibility, but also about promoting tourism, investment, business opportunities and sports development.
The announcement comes after Rwanda's eight-year sponsorship agreement with Arsenal came to an end on June 30, during which the Visit Rwanda brand featured on the sleeves of the club's men's and women's shirts.
UK tourists to Rwanda doubles
Haguma said the experience from previous football partnerships showed the importance of consistency in building a global brand.
"Since the beginning of the partnership with Arsenal, we have doubled the number of tourists coming from the UK. The biggest lesson from all our partnerships is that it takes time and consistency to build a brand," she noted.
"Those partnerships have helped position Visit Rwanda as one of the most recognised tourism brands in football. This partnership with Aston Villa represents an evolution, moving from sleeve sponsorship to the front of the shirt," she added.
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Beyond boosting visibility, the partnership will see Rwandan coffee served at Villa Park as Aston Villa's official coffee partner, providing thousands of Premier League fans with an opportunity to experience one of the country's leading exports.
It also includes football development programmes - coaching and leadership programmes - involving the Rwanda Football Federation (FERWAFA) and Aston Villa.
"There are programmes that we are creating with FERWAFA as well as Aston Villa to support the long-term development of Rwanda's football ecosystem," she explained.
The deputy chief highlighted that Rwanda measures the success of these partnerships over time through indicators such as tourism growth, investment inflows, international visibility, and the impact of sports development programmes.
The country plans to focus on maximising the value of its existing partnerships before considering expansion into additional markets.
"The goal is consistency. We are already present in different markets, and we want to make good use of the partnerships we have. Then we'll see what opportunities come in the future," Haguma observed.
