Xero signs deal with New Zealand Rugby & All Blacks

Xero has signed a multi-year partnership with New Zealand Rugby, linking the accounting software company with the All Blacks and Black Ferns.

Under the agreement, Xero becomes New Zealand Rugby's official small business accounting platform partner. The deal also extends into the wider rugby system in New Zealand.

Rugby clubs, provincial unions and other rugby organisations will have access to a discounted 'All of Rugby' licence from Xero to help manage finance and administrative work. The partnership will also include content collaborations involving the All Blacks and Black Ferns, along with hospitality and player engagement for staff, customers and partners.

Another part of the agreement focuses on staff development. Xero employees around the world will be able to access the All Blacks Performance Labs through leadership and workplace programmes based on the culture and practices used by New Zealand Rugby's top teams.

Both sides presented the tie-up as a partnership between organisations with strong New Zealand roots and international reach.

Bridget Snelling, Country Manager - Aotearoa New Zealand at Xero, said the agreement reflected shared values.

"This partnership celebrates the spirit of Aotearoa New Zealand: innovation, a drive to compete and win globally, and the discipline required to build championship teams," said Bridget Snelling, Country Manager - Aotearoa New Zealand at Xero.

She also pointed to the symbolism of pairing a New Zealand-founded technology company with two of the country's best-known sporting brands.

"We are so proud of Xero's Kiwi heritage. Partnering with New Zealand Rugby and its iconic teams like the All Blacks and Black Ferns, who represent New Zealand on the world stage, felt like a natural fit," Snelling said.

Community focus

For New Zealand Rugby, the deal is also tied to its community base. The governing body said the agreement is intended to connect with small business owners through a sport whose infrastructure relies heavily on clubs and regional organisations.

Chris Brown, Chief Commercial Officer at New Zealand Rugby, said the partnership reflected a shared connection to those local communities.

"Xero has built a global business by backing small businesses and the communities they support, the same communities that sit at the heart of rugby in Aotearoa," said Chris Brown, Chief Commercial Officer at New Zealand Rugby.

He said the commercial reach of the agreement was intended to go beyond the national sides.

"With strong New Zealand roots and international ambition, this partnership creates meaningful opportunities to connect with small business owners and deliver commercial value that extends well beyond the field," Brown said.

Staff access

The inclusion of the All Blacks Performance Labs takes the arrangement beyond sponsorship branding and customer marketing. Xero employees will take part in tailored programmes that draw on elite sport approaches to leadership, teamwork, resilience and performance.

That internal focus suggests the partnership is designed to serve both as a brand association and a staff development tool. For Xero, which built its business in New Zealand before expanding overseas, the agreement also reinforces its domestic identity through one of the country's most recognisable institutions.

Xero also plans to use the partnership to create experiences around Test matches and team-related content for customers, partners and employees. Those features are common in sports sponsorship agreements, but the discounted software offer to the wider rugby network adds an operational element beyond match-day branding.

Rugby clubs and provincial bodies often operate with limited administrative resources, making accounting and reporting tools a practical area for commercial support. By offering the 'All of Rugby' licence at a discount, Xero is seeking to embed its software more deeply across the sport's organisational structure in New Zealand.

Snelling said Xero wanted its people and broader community to see that connection with the national teams directly.

"We want our community and our people to experience the synergy between Xero, the All Blacks and the Black Ferns up close - the standards, global ambition and championship-team mindset that's palpable on game day," Snelling said.