The 2017 Bord Gáis Energy GAA Hurling U-21 All-Ireland Championship was officially launched at an event in Bord Gáis Energy offices in Dublin yesterday. This is the ninth year of the companies involvement with this age grade of the sport and over those years it has identified players including Joe Canning as ambassadors that have gone on to the heights of the game.
This is the first year that the U21 tournament has been part of a wider involvement in the sport for Bord Gais Energy who are now also on board as one of the three main partners of the All Ireland Hurling Championship.
Following in the footsteps of other previous ambassadors such as Liam Rushe, Richie Hogan and Tony Kelly are Peter Casey (Limerick), Luke Meade (Cork), Patrick Curran (Waterford), Billy McCarthy (Tipperary), Aron Shanaghar (Clare), Shane Barrett (Dublin), Liam Blanchfield (Kilkenny), Aaron Maddock (Wexford), and Thomas Monaghan (Galway). Christy McNaughton was the Antrim representative at today’s launch.
These ambassadors will join Bord Gáis Energy’s line up of #HurlingToTheCore ambassadors revealed earlier this month; Joe Canning, Conor McDonald and Munster Rugby star Simon Zebo.
#HurlingToTheCore is the central theme of the campaigns that will run across both tournaments and celebrates the belief that hurling is more than a sport or pastime – it is deeply ingrained in Irish history and stitched into our national identity.
Ambassadors play a crucial role in bringing the U-21 Championship to life through #HurlingToTheCore on Bord Gáis Energy’s social media channels. Fans will be able to access key match statistics from each U-21 ambassador after games, along with highlights showing the best of the action across Bord Gáis Energy’s Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and YouTube throughout the Championship.
Read more: Hurling at the Heart of Bord Gais Strategy
TG4 will broadcast eleven games over the course of the 2017 Championship, and fans will once again be able to nominate their Man of the Match via Twitter using the #LaochBGE hashtag during televised matches.
“Bord Gáis Energy‘s huge commitment to hurling is very clear to see through their sponsorships across the Senior Hurling Championship, U-21 Championship and the GAA Legend’s tour series,” said GAA President Aogán Ó’Fearghail.
“They play an integral role in promoting the game and its players to fans all around the country.”
“We base our sponsorships on what is important to our customers and hurling most certainly matters to them,” added Bord Gáis Energy Communications Manager Irene Gowing.
“In 2017, we have expanded our association with the GAA to include the Senior Hurling Championship however the U-21 grade is still as important as ever to us. Its knockout nature, along with the passion and skill of the players, makes these games so exciting to watch.”
“We’re committed to continuing to give our customers exclusive experiences throughout the Bord Gáis Energy GAA Hurling U-21 All-Ireland Championship. We focus on bringing them as close to the action as possible through our Rewards Club, whether that’s through presenting Man of the Match awards live on TG4, welcoming the players to the pitch as flag bearers, or attending special Q&A sessions with players at the All-Ireland stages of the competition.”
