Mitsubishi extends backing of women’s rugby
13th May 2026
UK: Mitsubishi Electric Europe BV has extended its sponsorship of UK women’s rugby by becoming an official partner of Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR), and the Rugby Players Association (RPA).
The partnership with the Rugby Players Association brings together the association’s Thrive programme and Mitsubishi Electric’s Parallel Potential platform. The combined goal is to provide athletes with meaningful career support during, and beyond their playing careers.
The Parallel Potential platform was launched alongside the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, and set out to shine a light on the financial and professional challenges facing female rugby players, and to create tangible pathways for women to thrive both on and off the pitch. The new partnership with the RPA and its Thrive programme, is said to formalise and deepen this commitment.
The Thrive programme is the RPA’s dedicated personal development and wellbeing programme for women’s rugby players. Launched in 2024, Thrive exists to support players in building sustainable futures both during and beyond their playing careers, recognising the unique challenges many female athletes face in balancing elite sport alongside education, employment and personal development.
This aligned partnership will include the development of a toolkit that will help players, clubs and corporates become better informed with clear information and guidance on the realities and benefits of dual-career athletes in the workplace. The RPA will also use its influence to capture insights and data and produce content to fuel the development of Parallel Potential as well as explore initiatives that will enable the RPA to effectively support more PWR players manage their rugby careers.
The official sponsor of Premiership Women’s Rugby will give Mitsubishi Electric a matchday presence and prominent visibility at all matches.
“Thrive shares much of the same ambition as our own Parallel Potential platform – raising awareness of the challenges athletes face and helping businesses understand the extraordinary value that players bring to the workplace,” commented Hans-Joerg Hinkel, Mitsubishi Electric’s general manager, EMEA head of communication. “Similarly our partnership with Premiership Women’s Rugby gives us a powerful platform to help inspire the next generation, and connect with communities who care deeply about performance, sustainability and building something that lasts.”
Together, these partnerships represent Mitsubishi Electric’s most significant investment in women’s rugby since the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2025.
