The US rapper 50 Cent has sponsored an under-14s girls’ football team in Cardiff, joining the growing list of stars supporting Welsh teams.
The musician has become a backer of the under-14 girls’ team at AFC Rumney in Cardiff. It is reported that the father of one of the players worked with the rapper on a tour and when the question of sponsorship was raised, he agreed.
Richie Brown, the coach of the under-14s and under-17s girls’ teams, said the club was “over the moon” with the sponsorship, and thanked the rapper for his support.
On the club’s Facebook page, he said: “We feel absolutely over the moon that our u14s Girls have been sponsored by World Known Superstar Actor / Music Producer Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson and G Unit.”
As part of the sponsorship, the players will be given a new away kit and club tracksuits, which Brown said the team looked forward to wearing this season.
The rapper’s name and that of G Unit, an American hip-hop group formed by 50 Cent with Tony Yayo and Lloyd Banks in 2001, will appear on the kit.
Brown added: “Thank you so much for your support, also a massive thank you to John Hall for securing the sponsorship for us.”
Brown told Sky News he was surprised by 50 Cent’s support.
“You expect it to be a ‘no’ and then when he says ‘yes’ it’s a huge surprise and then you’re massively grateful straight away.
“I’ve been involved in girls’ football for almost 10 years now so I’m promoting it this side, trying to do the best I possibly can, and when you’ve got someone as high profile a name as him, you just know he’s going to take it to the next level.”
In 2020 the Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds and the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Rob McElhenney, bought Wrexham AFC in north Wales. The club were promoted to the English Football League for the first time in more than 15 years this year.
Brown told Sky News the community of Wrexham was “really happy and buzzing” after McElhenney and Reynolds bought the club, and said he hoped Rumney would also feel some of that excitement from their new sponsor.
“Hopefully, the girls’ and women’s sections down in south Wales will get a little bit of spotlight and we can raise the profile,” he added.
