Funding Circle, the UK’s leading SME finance platform, today announces its extended partnership with the For The Love of Rugby (“FTLOR”) for the upcoming 2026/27 PREM Rugby season.
The podcast partnership supports Funding Circle’s mission to expand its audience and become the first finance choice for UK small businesses, and the renewal comes as Funding Circle enters its fifth season as the official business finance partner of PREM Rugby.
The season-long relationship will see Funding Circle join FTLOR across its coverage of the new PREM Rugby season, connecting the worlds of elite rugby, entrepreneurship and small business. Sponsored episodes will showcase Funding Circle activations alongside first-hand stories from the hosts and top players including Finn Russell, George Ford, Jac Morgan and more.
Beyond match coverage, the partnership highlights the connection between sports and business. FTLOR is itself a successful small media business founded by hosts Ben Youngs and Dan Cole, making Funding Circle’s role a natural fit. By backing the entrepreneurial ex-professional rugby player hosts, Funding Circle directly reinforces its commitment to ‘business finance that backs you’, exploring the hard work and support needed to back teams and small businesses on and off the pitch.
Jo Casley, Brand Director at Funding Circle says: “We’re really pleased to renew our partnership with For the Love of Rugby. At Funding Circle, we want to reach small businesses where they spend their time, and this sports podcast is a key space for connecting with SMEs. Ben Youngs and Dan Cole aren’t just podcast hosts, they are running a small business themselves. Backing them as business owners directly aligns with our mission and our ‘business finance that backs you’ proposition, allowing us to support UK SMEs with the finance they need to succeed.”
Co-host and former England rugby union player Ben Youngs says, “PREM Rugby is where so many of the stories and moments that we love in the game come to life. We’re delighted to have Funding Circle backing our coverage. As a small business ourselves, we know how important the right support can be to help you grow, and we’re proud to partner with a business that shares that belief. We can’t wait to bring fans the most comprehensive PREM Rugby coverage we’ve ever delivered.”
Through this relationship, Funding Circle is further building its brand presence and cementing its position as the UK's leading SME finance platform, to help more SMEs access finance, build their business, and support UK economic growth. In 2025 alone, lending through Funding Circle’s platform helped support 117,000 jobs and contributed £7.9 billion to UK GDP.
To watch the first episode, visit https://youtu.be/E6z2V1JzlE0.
To learn more about Funding Circle’s partnership with PREM Rugby and finance options for UK small businesses, visit www.fundingcircle.com/uk/rugby.
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About Funding Circle
Funding Circle Holdings plc (LSE: FCH) is the UK’s leading SME finance platform. Since 2010, we have extended more than £18bn in credit to over 135,000 UK businesses, helping them power the economy and their communities.
By combining proprietary AI-powered credit models with a human touch, we provide a seamless experience that allows SMEs to borrow, pay later, and spend through a single ecosystem. For institutional investors, Funding Circle offers access to an attractive, underserved asset class through a platform built on deep data and a proven track record of robust returns.
About For The Love of Rugby
For The Love of Rugby is a leading rugby podcast hosted by former England and Leicester Tigers captain Ben Youngs and former England and Leicester Tigers prop Dan Cole. Combining insight from two of the game’s most experienced players with candid conversations and behind-the-scenes access, the podcast brings listeners closer to the people and stories at the heart of rugby.