Energia has confirmed a new three-year sponsorship deal with Wexford Youths Women’s Football Club.
The sponsorship will cover the €500 annual membership fees of each player on the Women’s senior squad, over a three-year period, with a key focus on supporting meaningful change within women’s sport.
The sponsorship will allow the club to provide the players with more resources and support outside of day-to-day expenses.
It seems like a small step but it is in the right direction. Up until now, the players have covered all expenses themselves, including travel to and from matches even at a professional level, unlike their male counterparts.
Energia has made a statement on equality before with sponsorship of the All Ireland Leagues in rugby extending across both the Men’s and Women’s Leagues.
The inequality of expenses is one of the many barriers that can prevent women and girls from playing and remaining in sport. For many reasons, not all women are in the position to afford to invest financially in club membership or sporting clothing and equipment.
Sport for Business will be looking in detail at the commercial partnerships in place at SSE Airtricity League and Women’s National League Clubs later this month in the build-up to the start of the season.
Sponsorship deals like this with Energia are vital to the future and sustainability of women’s sport and while the numbers of fans that they reach are less than might be seen as worthwhile for now, it is an investment where the impact is stronger and which make that gap in support likely to be much less in the future.
“Energia is proud to continue our support of Wexford Youths Women,” said Marketing Acquisitions and Sponsorship Manager at Energia, Amy O’Shaughnessy.
“We are thrilled to confirm our new three-year sponsorship and we hope this helps to give women in football more opportunity to be taken as seriously as their male counterparts.”
“Women’s sport is thriving and the successes of women’s teams and athletes in tournaments is at an all-time high. It’s important that women, like Wexford Youths WFC, get the support they need to compete at their best. We are excited to see what the next three years will bring for the team.”
“We are incredibly grateful to Energia for giving us the support that we need to compete at an elite level,” added Kylie Murphy, Captain of Wexford Youths WFC.
“This sponsorship means a lot to us and will make a huge difference to the club and to each player individually. Determination, disappointment, excitement, adversity, winning, losing, are all a part of the game whether you are a man or a woman. Thankfully, with larger companies like Energia getting behind female athletes, they are facilitating a positive cultural change around women’s and girls’ involvement in sport and are helping us overcome some of the barriers we face, which is very exciting.”
“Energia’s support will provide a platform to enable us to improve standards and enhance the experience of competing at the highest level for our players,” said Alan Browne, Chair of Wexford Youths WFC.
“The assurance of a three-year contract will allow the club to remove the pay to play barriers to participation and to focus more on future opportunities as we look to grow and expand the club. On the back of Energia’s support, we have begun looking at increasing playing opportunities for girls and women in the region. Beginning with the introduction of a U19 League of Ireland team and the implementing of a football academy for girls, which is huge.”
“Sponsoring women’s sport involves much more than a financial investment because it demonstrates an investment in equality and meaningful change within the sporting industry.”
Sport for Business Partners
