Super League club Leeds Rhinos has announced that local vehicle solutions business AMT Auto has acquired naming rights to its Headingley stadium as part of a 15-year deal.
The agreement, which the club said is the largest commercial deal in its history, will come into effect from December 1. The ground will officially be known as AMT Headingley Rugby Stadium as part of the deal.
It marks only the fourth time in the 133-year history of the rugby league stadium that the Rhinos have allowed a naming-rights deal. The previous naming-rights sponsors were Bass (1990 to 1994), Carnegie (2016 to 2017) and Emerald (2018 to 2021).
Publishing group Emerald withdrew its sponsorship of the stadium, along with the nearby Headingley Cricket Ground, in November 2021 following Yorkshire County Cricket Club’s handling of an internal investigation into racism within the club.
AMT Auto is headquartered in Leeds with additional outlets in London, Birmingham and Edinburgh. The company also sponsors Yorkshire CCC and Championship football club Leeds United.
AMT Auto’s deal with the Rhinos will also include branding on the collar of the team’s shirts and shorts next season. The company’s logo will also feature around Headingley.
Rob Oates, commercial director at Leeds Rhinos, said: “First and foremost, I would like to thank Neil McGawley and all his team at AMT Auto for the support they have given the club. To have secured such a significant partner, especially in a tough marketplace for all professional sport at present, shows just how much belief that Neil has in the future of our club.”
McGawley, managing director of AMT Auto, added: “Our aim is to be the number one choice for vehicles in Leeds and Yorkshire. To have our brand associated with the famous Headingley Stadium reinforces that vision and is a wonderful opportunity for us.”
