Hockey Ireland has been given a positive bounce with the confirmation that EY Ireland is to extend it’s partnership as main sponsor of the EY Irish Hockey League for a further three years.
This season’s tournament gets underway this weekend on Saturday 17th of September, with ten men’s and ten women’s teams from around the Island of Ireland taking part over a 20-week season.
The top six in each competition advance to the EY Champions Trophy where the ultimate champion for the season is determined at an end-of-season festival, showcasing the men’s and women’s grand finals on an equal basis.
The sponsorship also supports the EY Hockey League Division 2 (EYHL2), which will also feature 10 men’s teams and ten women’s teams, the top two of which will win promotions to the EYHL for the following season via another end-of-season playoff series. The second tier gets underway in November.
EY Ireland has been the primary sponsor of the Irish Hockey League since 2016 with the formation of the EY Hockey League and its subsequent expansion to feature a second tier in 2019 The competition has since become universally known as the EYHL, a measure of the intrinsic link between sponsor and competition and provides an elite hockey competition on an equal basis to male and female players.
“We are proud to announce EY Ireland’s continued sponsorship of the Irish Hockey League for a further three years,” said Frank O’Keeffe, Managing Partner for EY Ireland.
“Hockey embodies strong team building and a great commitment to inclusion, diversity, and equality, values that are integral to EY.”
“This partnership highlights our commitment to building the highest performing diverse teams and to celebrating the amazing men and women who participate in this incredible sport at a national level. We look forward to the continued success of all of the teams in the league over the coming three years as we have proudly done since 2016.”
“We are delighted to have the continued support of EY Ireland for another three years,” added Ronan Murphy who will take over as CEO of Hockey Ireland next month.
“The support over the past seven years has been game-changing for clubs in Ireland, enabling them to hone their skills and match their ambition at an elevated level of competition. EY Ireland’s sponsorship is invaluable to raising the game, assisting with the organisation and promotion of the EY Hockey League, its high quality of matches, and ensuring clubs across the island are able to compete at the highest levels.”
“It is no coincidence that our international teams have enjoyed an almost unprecedented run of success in the last decade, with Olympic and World Cup qualifications for both genders. We are really looking forward to some top-class matches taking place over the coming season as we embark upon what promises to be a highly competitive 2022/23 season.”
