Aoife Clarke has been appointed Director of Communications by the Irish Rugby Football Union.
Clarke joins the IRFU from Lidl where she has been Director of Communications for Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland since 2013.
She operated at Divisional Director level as part of the senior management team where she had responsibility for the group’s PR, Internal Communications, Events, Social Media, CSR and Public Affairs.
In her role as Director of Communications, Clarke will be responsible for developing, managing and implementing an all-embracing communications strategy and programme for the IRFU.
She will take over the role from Stephen McNamara who left at the end of last year to become CEO of Paralympics Ireland and from Peter Breen who will continue to fill the role on an interim basis until she starts in the new position on a return from Maternity Leave on July 1st.
Clarke has been an impressive leader and speaker at two of our Sport for Business Women in Sport Conferences, events she helped bring to life as part of Lidl’s overall support for sport.
“We are delighted to welcome Aoife to our senior management team,” said IRFU CEO Kevin Potts.
“Her role, leading our talented communications team, will cover the entire spectrum of rugby in Ireland, from the grassroots to the professional game.”
“Her significant and varied communications experience will be a major asset to the IRFU as it seeks to meet the needs of Irish Rugby as a major sporting organisation which encompasses volunteers and members in clubs/schools throughout the island, professional staff, professional players, together with co-ordinating the communications demands of our various international teams.”
“It is a great honour for me to be chosen for this role; leading the development and implementation of the IRFU’s communications strategy to ensure it is supportive of the IRFU’s key objectives across the Domestic and Professional Games,” said Clarke.
“As a lifelong supporter of rugby at club, provincial and international level it is a role I relish, and I look forward to bringing my experience to bear on the opportunities and challenges facing the game here in Ireland.”
