Shannon Airport will continue as a Munster Rugby partner for three more seasons, securing its position as the province’s Official Airport Partner for the men’s and women’s teams through 2029.
The renewal will extend Shannon’s association with the men’s team beyond ten years, after first coming together in the 2017/18 season, and continues a relationship that has become a familiar part of Munster Rugby’s identity, particularly around European travel and the connection between the province and its supporters.
The partnership has a strong regional dimension, bringing together two organisations whose identities are closely associated with Munster but whose activities and ambitions extend well beyond it.
The relationship has also developed beyond traditional sponsorship visibility, with Shannon Airport increasingly incorporating Munster Rugby into the passenger experience and using the association to strengthen its connection with the region’s sporting community.
The latest development sees official Munster Rugby merchandise and kit now available to purchase at Shannon Airport Duty Free, including the red heritage polo shirt. It adds a retail element to an existing branding and engagement programme that includes the Munster Rugby-branded passenger tunnel leading to the departure gates.
The opportunity to reach supporters as they travel to European and United Rugby Championship fixtures gives the partnership a particularly relevant commercial setting. Few sporting sponsorships have such a direct link between the partner’s services and the regular activities of a club and its supporters.
The extension confirms Shannon Airport’s continued backing of the Munster Women’s team. This side of the partnership began in 2024 and has continued through back-to-back Interprovincial Championship titles in 2025 and 2026.
Including both teams in the renewed agreement reflects the growing importance of sponsorship arrangements that embrace the wider sporting organisation.
Vanessa McTigue, Commercial Director of The Shannon Airport Group, said the natural connection between the two organisations had been central to the relationship’s success.
“There is a natural connection between Shannon Airport and Munster Rugby. We are both rooted in this region, but with an outlook that reaches far beyond it.”
“Over the years, we have seen Munster players and supporters set off from Shannon for some memorable trips across Europe and return home through the airport together. We’re very proud that this relationship will now continue to 2029 and take our partnership with the men’s team beyond the decade mark.”
She also highlighted the importance of extending support for the women’s game and building a stronger Munster Rugby presence within the airport itself.
“For supporters, we want the Munster experience to begin before they board their flight. From the Munster tunnel to official jerseys now available in Shannon Duty Free, there’s a real sense of Munster at the airport for fans heading away to support their team.”
Dave Kavanagh, Head of Commercial and Marketing at Munster Rugby, welcomed the renewal and acknowledged Shannon’s role in connecting the club with its supporters.
“Shannon Airport has been a fantastic supporter of Munster Rugby for almost a decade now and has been there for our teams throughout that time.”
“They understand what Munster Rugby means to people across the province and have been part of so many of the journeys that come with following and representing Munster, whether that’s our teams travelling for fixtures or our supporters heading off to get behind us.”
Kavanagh said the women’s partnership had further strengthened the relationship and welcomed the commitment to both teams for another three years.
The agreement provides another example of the value that can be built through a long-standing regional sporting partnership.
Shannon Airport benefits from a close association with one of Ireland’s most recognisable sporting brands, while Munster Rugby gains a commercial partner directly connected to the movement of its teams and travelling supporters.
The addition of merchandise sales, airport branding and support for the women’s team shows how the relationship has evolved over its first decade, with both organisations finding new ways to make the partnership relevant to the people they serve.
That continuity, along with the ability to develop new elements of the agreement, is an increasingly valuable quality in the Irish sports sponsorship market.
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Image Credit: Shannon Airport
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