Energia was unveiled yesterday as the latest major partner to come on board with Irish Rugby.
A new five-year partnership will see Energia become Official Energy Partner to Irish Rugby and title sponsor of both the Men’s and Women’s All Ireland League (AIL) competitions.
This is the first time that the Women’s AIL has had a headline sponsor and represents a significant step up in terms of the prestige of the competition.
The move was warmly welcomed within the Women’s game yesterday and is a strong endorsement of the new structures being created by Su Carty and her colleagues at National level.
“It was always part of our plan that the Women’s tournament would be part of the mix, just as much as the Men’s and we will be working closely with the IRFU and the clubs to work on activating the partnership and bringing the tournaments to vibrant life over the coming seasons.”
Sport for Business will have an in-depth interview with Energia CEO Gary Ryan in tomorrow’s Daily Digest. Energia is an active member of the Sport for Business community.
The partnership will also include title sponsorships of the Energia Club International Competition, Energia Bateman Cup and Energia All-Ireland Junior Cup.
Energia has been involved with Rugby since April 2018 when it came on board as a partner of Leinster Rugby and as naming rights sponsor of Energia Park in Donnybrook.
That deal is for ten years which gave Leinster comfort that the move towards national partnership was complementary rather than a stepping stone from the Province.
This deal like that one was brokered by Darragh Persse of The Brand Fans. Energia has been active in terms of creating some winning content activation with Leinster, working alongside fellow Sport for Business members Legacy Communications and Videos On The Net.
We can expect more of that now from the grassroots of the club game all the way to the Senior men’s team on their road over the coming months towards Tokyo.
“I am delighted to see Energia partner with Irish Rugby to help support rugby clubs across the country,” said Devin Toner who was on hand to launch the news yesterday alongside Sene Naoupu of Railway Union.
“Playing for your country begins with playing for your club. For so many players up and down the country, the journey begins in their local club. The All-Ireland League gave me the opportunity to be where I am today, doing something I enjoy and representing my country at the same time.”
“This is a great announcement to support both the men’s and the Women’s Leagues,” added Naoupu. “It’s a very exciting time in Irish Rugby with more and more young girls coming to the sport through club and community rugby. This will add to the sense that this is a sport worth playing as well as watching.”
“We are thrilled to announce our partnership with the IRFU,” said Gary Ryan, Managing Director of Energia Customer Solutions. “It is a very exciting time to be involved with Irish Rugby as they prepare to take on the world in Japan this Autumn and we’re delighted to sponsor Irish Rugby from grassroots to the national team.”
“We have an exciting journey ahead of us and we look forward to working closely with Irish Rugby to deliver future success.”
“We are delighted to welcome Energia on board as the title sponsors of our premier club competitions and official energy partner,” added Ian McIlrath, IRFU President.
“Energia are a dynamic company with a lot to offer to Irish Rugby and we look forward to working with them over the years to come in what is a very exciting addition to our club game.”
Join us tomorrow for an in-depth interview about the partnership with Gary Ryan of Energia
Image Credit: Billy Sticklan, Inpho.ie
