There is a new name attached to the All Ireland Hurling Championship with Littlewoods Ireland becoming the first new brand in the GAA’s multi – sponsor model for the Championship since Liberty Insurance in 2013.
Littlewoods is Ireland’s leading online department store with 2.5 million visits each month and 70,000 products on sale ranging from fashion to electrical, toys to sporting goods and equipment.
It also becomes the first full commercial partner of the Camogie Association’s National League with the Irish Daily Star potentially moving aside into a role as an official media partner.
Littlewoods investment will be €3 million over the next three years with the deal running through to 2019.
Liberty Insurance will be ending their relationship with Hurling though it is believed will continue as the exclusive sponsors of the All Ireland Camogie Championships for at least one more year.
Centra extended their partnership with the Hurling Championship earlier this year, also running to 2019 while Etihad Airways extended deal since 2013 came to an end this season.
An announcement on whether they will renew or be replaced by a new third brand is expected shortly into the New Year.
Littlewoods Ireland’s first public act as sponsor has been to sign up two GAA Style Ambassadors in Cork’s Anna Geary and the newly retired nine-time All-Ireland winner Jackie Tyrell from Kilkenny. They took part in their first fashion shoot as part of the launch.
Waterford’s Austin Gleeson was also on hand at the launch in Croke Park as the double-hurler of the year was unveiled as part of the Littlewoods Ireland GAA team for 2017.
The trio took part in an impromptu fashion show on a catwalk specially constructed across the pitch at Croke Park.
Legacy Consultants have been a major player in bringing the two sides together and the company’s Director Bernard Brogan was also keeping a close eye that no damage was being done to the pitch on what for him is a very important theatre of operations.
Littlewoods Ireland has won a number of national and international marketing awards this year and plan to bring their expertise to bear as part of an innovative sponsorship campaign with a strong digital focus.
“We are delighted to be announcing our new partnership with both the GAA and the Camogie Association today,” said Managing Director Geoff Scully.
“This is a very exciting time for Littlewoods Ireland, we have experienced consistent growth in recent years as a result of placing the customer at the centre of our business.”
“We have used technology to revolutionise our business to become a fully online department store offering free delivery and returns and we have received international awards for our innovation in e-commerce.”
“We feel it is an opportune time to begin a partnership with the GAA. This is a new space for us and will allow us to engage with communities throughout the country through the Hurling Championship, Camogie National League and also the GO Games children’s events in Croke Park which we will be sponsoring.”
“I am pleased to welcome Littlewoods Ireland as new partners of the GAA Hurling Championship and I look forward to the support they will offer us in the promotion of the games in the months and indeed years ahead,” said GAA President Aogán Ó Fearghail
“This partnership will help us reach into new areas as we continually look at new ways of bringing our games to new audiences and supporters.”
“I laud the fact that the arrangement also covers the activities and games of the Camogie Association which strikes me as a particularly good fit covering the wide spectrum of the GAA family given the area of expertise of Littlewoods Ireland.”
“We are delighted to partner with Littlewoods Ireland as the new sponsors of the National League,” added Camogie Association president Catherine Neary.
“The popularity of Camogie continues to grow and it is an exciting prospect for us to be associated with Ireland’s leading online department store, a company that is synonymous with innovation, fashion and style.”
“This marks the first occasion that the National League has had a title sponsor and the Camogie Association is delighted that this national competition will receive a greater profile as a result of this partnership.”
