Bank of Ireland this morning announced new five-year extensions of its sponsorships of the four Irish Rugby provinces, reaffirming its long-standing commitment to the game across all levels in Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster.
This is the first time that each of the Bank’s rugby partnerships have been synchronised to the same timetable, and also the first time they have been launched collectively.
The extension and alignment also ties in neatly with the Bank of Ireland’s official partnership with the Irish Rugby Football Union with the men’s and Women’s international teams.
A feature of the extended sponsorship agreements is the building on the Bank’s existing support for Women’s rugby.
In addition to its current sponsorship of the Connacht, Leinster and Irish Women’s sides, Bank of Ireland will now also sponsor both the Munster and Ulster Women’s teams.
The new agreements represent the most comprehensive sponsorship of Men’s and Women’s sport in Ireland. They see Bank of Ireland broaden its support from the grassroots, schools and clubs right up to the Provincial and Ireland Men’s and Women’s teams – representing a significant investment by the Bank in ensuring that rugby continues to thrive all over the island of Ireland.
“Bank of Ireland’s long-standing commitment to supporting all levels of Irish rugby from the grassroots to the green jersey has steadily grown over the past number of decades,” said Laura Lynch, Chief Marketing Officer.
“We are thrilled to extend our sponsorship of Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster Rugby for another five years.”
“Through our sponsorship we aim to support the growth and development of the game, building on existing successes and ensuring that players from all over the island of Ireland, from local schools and clubs all the way up to the men’s and women’s provincial and national sides have every opportunity to #neverstopcompeting.”
“This is a significant year for investment into Connacht Rugby, and the welcome support of our longstanding partners is crucial to the future success of rugby in the west of Ireland,” said Connacht CEO Willie Ruane.
“We welcome Bank of Ireland’s continued support of rugby in Connacht, from the grassroots all the way up to the Senior sides. With the Bank’s support, we look forward to making further investments in our player pathways and Professional and Women’s squads, that will help drive the growth of rugby across the province for years to come.”
“Leinster Rugby is delighted to continue our partnership with Bank of Ireland,” added CEO Shane Nolan.
“The Bank has been a strong supporter of Leinster Rugby since this partnership first began in 2007. The foundation of Leinster Rugby is rooted in our communities, and in the clubs and the schools that make up those communities. “
“The work that our rugby officers and development officers do across the 12 counties of Leinster would simply not be possible without this level of support from Bank of Ireland.”
“With Bank of Ireland’s continued support for our organisation, from our clubs and schools right through to our Senior Men’s and Women’s teams, we look forward to further accelerating the growth and development of Leinster Rugby in the coming years.”
“Munster Rugby is delighted to continue our long relationship with Bank of Ireland as our Main Partner, which is now more than 25 years strong, and is proof of our shared commitment to strengthening rugby in the province,” said CEO Ian Flanagan.
“The Bank’s investment in our development programmes is essential as we build pathways for the next generation of talent in Munster. We look forward to celebrating many shared successes in the years to come.”
“We look forward to continuing our longstanding partnership with Bank of Ireland, which has been in place now for 27 years,” concluded Hugh McCaughey, Interim CEO of Ulster Rugby.
“The Bank’s investment is vital to the ambition and success of our province, and testament to our shared commitment for long-term growth of our sport. We welcome the Bank’s new sponsorship of the Ulster Rugby Senior Women’s team and continued support for all levels of rugby in Ulster.”
The Provinces are fierce competitors on the field of play but this partnership provides a golden thread to draw them closer in relation of off the field, development and community initiatives that can be shared from one to the other without diluting the essence of who they are.
As part of the launch we had a great chat about the background the detail and the motivation that underpins this and we will share this in our Thursday ig Interview slot in the coming weeks.
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