The Guardian:
Real Madrid's president, Ramón Calderón, has continued his charm offensive at the Bernabéu by unveiling plans to take the club brand into rugby as part of an expansion of sporting activities. The move is being seen as the latest in a series of proposals aimed at rejuvenating the club's profile and keeping pace with their main rivals in Spain, Barcelona.
Real are in negotiations about sponsorship with a view to an eventual takeover of CRC Madrid Noroeste, who are currently in fourth place in División de Honor - the league in which FC Barcelona Rugby also compete. Initially CRC will be sponsored by realmadrid.com and wear the website's logo on their shirts, but it is believed that within two years the first team will be part of Real Madrid's sporting network. No deal has been signed but the two parties are in advanced negotiations.
Calderón also announced that the nine-times European champions are to acquire a private jet for team travel. "In December we will have our own aeroplane with 140 seats," he said. "The Real Madrid emblem will be on the tail. They will call it the Rolls-Royce of the sky and it will not cost us anything because it is sponsored."
Last month Calderón said Real would be sponsoring a formula one racing car in next year's Spanish grand prix in Barcelona. One vehicle, believed to be the McLaren of the world champion, Fernando Alonso, is expected to carry the Real Madrid logo.
Calderón is attempting to consolidate Real's position as the world's richest football club but also, and more importantly, restore his popularity after his controversial election victory in July. In the build-up to the election he complained of alleged irregularities in the postal ballot, which resulted in a freezing of all postal votes.