Hockey Ireland has announced a major new three-year agreement with EY in a move that strengthens their existing commercial partnership and provides enhanced backing for the Ireland Senior Women’s and Senior Men’s hockey teams.

The agreement delivers both financial and in-kind benefits to Hockey Ireland’s high-performance programme, with EY securing prominent marketing visibility and brand association in return.

Most notably, the new deal will see EY move into the front-of-shirt position across both Senior International teams’ match kits.

The branding will debut on March 1st as both squads travel to Chile for the Hockey World Cup Qualifiers, where they will bid to secure qualification for the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup, taking place in Belgium and the Netherlands next August.

EY first partnered with Hockey Ireland’s international high-performance programme in 2023, with branding previously appearing in secondary positions across the senior teams’ kit. This latest agreement elevates that presence to the most visible position on the jersey.

It also builds on EY’s long-standing commitment to the domestic game as title sponsor of the EY Hockey League Divisions 1 and 2 since 2017. With the new international investment, EY now becomes the most significant commercial backer of Irish hockey.

The agreement marks a new commercial chapter for the senior international sides, while maintaining continuity with existing partners. Park Developments will remain a committed sponsor of the Senior Women’s team, with enhanced visibility now including the back of the team’s skorts, as well as collar and side-panel placement on the match kit.

SoftCo, which hit the jackpot with sponsorship of the Women’s team when they made it to the World Cup Final in 2018 concluded their partnership after a further two year extension to the end of 2025.

“All of us in EY Ireland have been incredibly proud of our long-standing support for hockey, and we are genuinely delighted to take that commitment even further by becoming the new front of shirt sponsor of the Ireland Senior Women’s and Senior Men’s teams,” said Frank O’Keeffe, Managing Partner of EY Ireland.

“These teams continue to inspire people across the island with their talent, hard work and resilience, and it means a great deal to us to stand behind them as they push for World Cup qualification and future success on the international stage.”

“This is a landmark agreement for Hockey Ireland and our International Senior Teams,” added Richard Fahey, CEO of Hockey Ireland.

“EY have been a valued and long-standing supporter of our domestic national leagues and now we will work with them to build and grow the same reputation on the world’s stage.”

“For a long time now, our senior teams have punched well above their weight internationally and this EY partnership supports the ambition we have for both teams going forward. To have the support of a brand of EY’s reputation and standing gives us the confidence and support we need to succeed for many years to come.”

The Ireland Senior Women’s team currently sits at World Ranking No. 13, with the Men ranked No. 11 globally. Both squads have established themselves as consistent performers at the highest level in recent years, competing at Olympic Games, European Championships and in the FIH Hockey Pro League, which the Women’s team hosted at the Sport Ireland Campus in November of last year.

Image Credit: Hockey Ireland

 

ABOUT SPORT FOR BUSINESS

Sport for Business is Ireland’s leading platform focused on the commercial, strategic and societal impact of sport. It connects decision-makers across governing bodies, clubs, brands, agencies and public institutions through high-quality content, events and insight. Sport for Business explores how sport drives economic value, participation, inclusion and national identity, and how your story can be part of ours.

Through analysis, storytelling and convening the sector, it helps leaders understand trends, share best practice and make better-informed decisions. Its work positions sport not just as entertainment, but as a vital contributor to Ireland’s social and economic fabric.

Find out more about becoming a member today.

Or sign up for our twice-daily bulletins to get a flavour of the material we cover.

Sign up for our News Bulletins here.

Upcoming Events