Leeds Rhinos record breaking Junior Academy will start their defence of their Championship title with a new sponsor in camera manufacturer Olympus UK Ltd and set another record in the process. The five-figure sponsorship deal is a record for any academy team and will see the eight time champions wearing the distinctive Olympus logo on the front of their shirts this season. The Under 18 team began their season by beating France U18 58-6 in a pre-season fixture before the season begins this Saturday at Salford City Reds. The Rhinos have won the Championship for the last eight consecutive seasons and produced 16 of the current 28 man Rhinos first team squad including captain and Great Britain star Kevin Sinfield. Commenting on the sponsorship agreement Head of Commercial Sales Rob Oates said, "We are delighted that Olympus UK Ltd are supporting the Rhinos Junior Academy. The success of the Academy is vital to the future success of the Rhinos and Olympus are supporting our stars of the future. To have a company of Olympus' stature, who also sponsor Ferrari in Formula 1, involved with the Rhinos is a major boost for us and shows the national appeal of the team at all levels." Olympus UK Ltd will also sponsors a monthly award for Player of the Month, the Junior Academy Player of the Year and become the Official Camera supplier to Leeds Rhinos.