Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) has secured its first paying title sponsor which will see more than £3m invested into the league.

The contract with car company Jaecoo will see more than £1m put into the league for each season of the three-year deal.

As part of the deal, from the 2026/27 season the league will be known as the Jaecoo PWR.

Speaking to BBC Sport, PWR executive chair Genevieve Shore said the lack of a previous title sponsor investing into the league had been “hanging over PWR” and described the new deal as “momentous and joyful”.

“Our job is actually to create a commercial entity and to create a league that generates revenue that we can redistribute to our clubs and to our athletes, and that has been very difficult to do over the first few years of this new joint venture,” said Shore.

“I’m particularly excited because it is a three-year commitment. So that gives us time to really see that growth together, build some deep connections and deep relationships with fans, athletes and clubs.”

England’s World Cup win in September boosted PWR attendances and TV viewers, but the league failed to capitalise on its popularity by failing to secure a title sponsor in “tough economic conditions”.

The deal with Jaecoo could support the league’s growth, bringing more money, stability and credibility.

While the numbers don’t compare to their Women’s Super League counterparts £45m deal with Barclays, it does represent a significant step forward as PWR continues to dominate the global club landscape for women.

The league has long been attracting the world’s top talent, further cemented with the announcement of France centre Gabriel Vernier’s move to Gloucester-Hartpury earlier this month.

Jaecoo has already invested into rugby union across the United Kingdom with their sponsorship of European Professional Club Rugby and the podcast market.

The link-up with PWR was part-motivated to move into women’s sport.

“They were very clear about that, that they felt that they had really strong investments across men’s rugby, but they wanted to invest in women’s rugby and see the opportunity there,” said Shore.

“The rugby audience that PWR is bringing is perhaps a bit more youthful and fresh.”

It has long felt like the missing piece of the PWR puzzle is a sponsor with serious cash.

The league had moved well beyond freebies, brand link-ups and in-kind support. What it needed was hard investment, and now it has it.

Shore described the deal as “momentous” and “joyful”, but you suspect “relief” belongs in that mix too.

Credit should go to the executive chair, who by all accounts held out for the right deal rather than underselling the value of the PWR product.

Having driven the global club game forward since the league’s inception, this agreement both underlines the PWR’s status and sets a benchmark for what others in women’s rugby can aim for.

With the news landing in the same week England’s Red Roses secured a 25 per cent pay rise, women’s rugby is becoming an increasingly attractive proposition.

The league’s next challenge is not just expansion but making sure the benefits of that growth are felt across the whole player base; particularly those outside England contracts who are still juggling full-time or part-time work alongside elite rugby.