Aon has extended and broadened its long-standing relationship with the IRFU, becoming a Premium Sponsor of Irish Rugby after 12 years as one of the women’s game’s most prominent commercial supporters.
The professional services firm first partnered with the IRFU in 2014 as the inaugural Principal Sponsor of the Ireland Women’s Rugby team, helping to build the Green Wave of support that has accompanied the sport’s growth over the past decade.
That growth has been substantial: more than 79 per cent of rugby clubs across Ireland now field women’s or girls’ teams, and a record attendance of 31,294 at Aviva Stadium for Ireland’s 2026 Guinness Women’s Six Nations clash with Scotland underlined the growing appetite for the international game.
The latest agreement broadens Aon’s involvement across Irish Rugby while maintaining its commitment to developing the women’s game.
“It has been truly inspiring to see the remarkable growth of the women’s game over the 12 years of our partnership, with more girls playing at grassroots level, more women’s teams in existence, larger audiences, greater visibility and stronger engagement from fans and communities across the country,” said Rachael Ingle, CEO of Aon in Ireland.
“As we move into this next phase as a premium sponsor of Irish rugby, our presence may look a little different, but our commitment to the players, the team and the growth of the game is undiminished.”
The partnership has spanned a significant period of change, including the introduction of centralised professional player contracts in 2022, when the IRFU awarded 29 contracts across its Women’s High Performance Programme.
Billy Murphy, Chairperson of the IRFU Commercial & Marketing Committee, welcomed the continuation of a relationship that has played an important role in the sport’s development.
“Aon has been an incredibly supportive long-term partner to the IRFU. As the first principal sponsor of the Ireland Women’s rugby team, they have played an important role in helping to support the growth of the women’s game in Ireland over the past twelve years.”
Sport for Business Perspective
Aon’s early commitment established a distinctive association with the game’s development, building brand equity over more than a decade of increasing participation, professionalisation, and audience growth.
As the need for a strong consumer-facing partner grew, Vodafone moved more centre stage with the Women’s team, first appearing on shorts and then with the Green Wave campaign created ahead of last year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup. Moving to the shirt front strengthened the association between equality and the Men’s team and created more opportunities to reach a wider audience.
The relationship with AON, though, remained important for both sides and has now matured into broader sponsorship of Irish Rugby, showing how an investment initially centred on women’s sport can create opportunities across an entire sporting organisation.
While commercial rights and the sporting landscape inevitably change, the strongest partnerships can evolve without losing the authenticity that made them valuable in the first place.
Aon’s move into a premium sponsorship position is a positive example of that approach, and a reminder that early investment in women’s sport can create commercial value well beyond its original scope.
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Image Credit: IRFU
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