NRL star Josh Addo-Carr dumped by Chinese ute brand

Josh Addo-Carr, star winger for the Parramatta Eels NRL club, has lost his sponsorship from Chinese ute brand JAC Motors in Australia, the carmaker has confirmed.

As reported by ABC News, Addo-Carr was stopped for a random roadside test in Sydney on Friday, September 11 when he allegedly returned a positive preliminary drug wipe for cocaine.

NSW Police obtained an oral sample from Addo-Carr which is being further analysed. In New South Wales, motorists who return a positive roadside oral test for drugs can be placed under arrest, instead of needing to be taken to a police station or nearby testing bus.

The first test is sent to a lab for analysis while a second on-the-spot test is conducted and, if this returns a positive result as well, the motorist is banned from driving for the next 24 hours.

While the Parramatta Eels have said it had “notified the NRL Integrity unit and is cooperating with the appropriate processes”, JAC Motors Australia announced it has ended its sponsorship of Addo-Carr, effective immediately.

“JAC Motors Australia wishes to announce the immediate termination of our sponsorship with Josh Addo-Carr,” the brand posted on social media.

“The allegations and reported behaviour do not reflect our values and standards.

“We believe in safety and integrity in all our products and all our dealings and we are disappointed with this news.”

Addo-Carr had been sponsored by JAC Motors since earlier this year, joining its promotional trail of the Hunter plug-in hybrid ute.

This led to Addo-Carr (whose initials are JAC) revealing his customised JAC Hunter in March, complete with a lift kit, hard lid, lighting, JAC genuine accessories, Lenso tyres and a custom paint finish.

The deal to sponsor Addo-Carr came despite the winger being axed from his former club, the Canterbury Bulldogs, in 2024 after he failed a roadside drug test.