Brains close to new Welsh rugby dea

Brewer in final stages of negotiations

Welsh brewer SA Brain is close to renewing its four year sponsorship of the Welsh rugby union team.

SA Brain signed its first four-year deal to sponsor the team in 2004 — and chief executive Scott Waddington is hopeful of securing a four-year extension shortly.

He said: "We're in the final stages of negotiation and we're hopeful. We've been very pleased with the deal — the team has won two grand slams in four years."

Waddington revealed that another successful Six Nations campaign by Wales had provided the company with a trading boost in its second financial quarter.

"The Welsh market behaves in a slightly different way. Our second quarter was ahead of expectations — the weather wasn't bad and we had the rugby effect."

He said that April had been a "difficult month", especially in comparison

to the strong sales in April the year before. "A lot of

people are saying it's difficult to remember anything so tough and sustained."

Waddington said the company had been supporting tenants who were struggling — one approach had been to flex rents on a seasonal basis for those whose trade was weak in the winter and strong in the summer.

Sales of the company's beers, supported by the rugby tie-up, are in growth during the current year. Brains has reported a slight rise in profit after tax despite challenging market conditions for the year to 30 September 2007.

Turnover declined by 3.3% to £117.1m, down from £121.1m in the previous year. Profit before tax was just over £8.7m, a decrease on the £10m of the previous year.