The FAI will today unveil a major new sponsor for Women’s soccer in Ireland. The deal is expected to cover the Women’s National League, Women’s FAI Cup and elements of both underage and international set ups.
Sport for Business understands that the partner in question is a major international brand with a heritage in soccer sponsorship and one which will make a major difference to the perception in which Women’s sport is held.
The benefit business can gain from associating with the rising tide of Women’s sport is an idea we have consistently championed since hosting last year’s successful Business of Women’s Sport conference at UCD. It is one that has been adopted by Liberty Insurance, Aon, AIB and Tesco among others here in Ireland and which has begun to fly across Europe and the rest of the World. BMW were obvious partners of the recent Women’s Rugby World Cup in Paris.
Progress on any broad canvas is always difficult to see day by day but looking back on the advances made in the way in which Women’s sport is treated over the past two years, we are now in a much better place than was the case even when Katie Taylor was winning Ireland’s only Gold medal at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The crowd at tonight’s Women’s World Cup qualifier against Slovenia in Tallaght will be less than the team deserves but it will be greater than it would have been some time ago. The exploits of players like Claire Shine in reaching the Euro U19 Championship semi finals, and Raheny United getting through to the knockout stages of the Champions’ League have been well covered across mainstream media and have built a bigger audience.
We are moving towards a point where we see sport as valid in it’s own right and not needing to be preceded by a particular gender.
There are those who argue that Women’s sport is not as fast, not as strong, not as good as the men’s version. Let them, they are missing the point. Every game in every sport is different. All have their place, all have the power to deliver benefits for sponsors.
Today’s announcement will be another step in the right direction for the parity of esteem we need to hold for anyone who puts themselves forward to compete at the highest level of their particular sport.
If more people watch and follow one team over another then they have a greater value to sponsors. That is self evident but the smartest of marketeers and business leaders are so because they look not just at the winners of today but at those who could be tomorrow.
