Bank Of Ireland Announces New Five-Year Sponsorship Agreements Of Connacht, Leinster, Munster And Ulster Rugby
Pictured at the announcement of Bank of Ireland's sponsorship extension were Connacht Rugby’s Mack Hansen and Ava Ryder, Ulster Rugby’s Jacob Stockdale and Abby Moyles, Munster Rugby’s John Ryan and Kate Flannery and Leinster Rugby’s Jamison Gibson-Park and Aimee Clarke. ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan
Bank of Ireland today announced new five-year extensions of its sponsorships of the four Irish Rugby provinces, reaffirming its long-standing commitment to the game across all levels in Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster.
A feature of the extended sponsorship agreements, all to run until 2028, enables Bank of Ireland to build on its existing support for Women’s rugby. In addition to its current sponsorship of the Connacht, Leinster and Irish Women’s sides, Bank of Ireland will now also sponsor both the Munster and Ulster Women’s teams.
The new agreements represent the most comprehensive sponsorship of Men’s and Women’s sport in Ireland. They see Bank of Ireland broaden its support from the grassroots, schools and clubs right up to the Provincial and Ireland Men’s and Women’s teams – representing a significant investment by the Bank in ensuring that rugby continues to thrive all over the island of Ireland.
Speaking at the official launch of the sponsorship extensions, Laura Lynch, Bank of Ireland Chief Marketing Officer said: “Bank of Ireland’s long-standing commitment to supporting all levels of Irish rugby from the grassroots to the green jersey has steadily grown over the past number of decades. We are thrilled to extend our sponsorship of Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster Rugby for another five years.”
“Through our sponsorship we aim to support the growth and development of the game, building on existing successes and ensuring that players from all over the island of Ireland, from local schools and clubs all the way up to the men’s and women’s provincial and national sides have every opportunity to #neverstopcompeting.”
Willie Ruane, CEO of Connacht Rugby said; “This is a significant year for investment into Connacht Rugby, and the welcome support of our longstanding partners is crucial to the future success of rugby in the west of Ireland. We welcome Bank of Ireland’s continued support of rugby in Connacht, from the grassroots all the way up to the Senior sides. With the Bank’s support, we look forward to making further investments in our player pathways and Professional and Women’s squads, that will help drive the growth of rugby across the province for years to come.”
Shane Nolan, CEO of Leinster Rugby said; “Leinster Rugby is delighted to continue our partnership with Bank of Ireland. The Bank has been a strong supporter of Leinster Rugby since this partnership first began in 2007.
“The foundation of Leinster Rugby is rooted in our communities, and in the clubs and the schools that make up those communities. The work that our rugby officers and development officers do across the 12 counties of Leinster would simply not be possible without this level of support from Bank of Ireland.
“With Bank of Ireland’s continued support for our organisation, from our clubs and schools right through to our Senior Men’s and Women’s teams, we look forward to further accelerating the growth and development of Leinster Rugby in the coming years.”
Ian Flanagan, CEO of Munster Rugby said; “Munster Rugby is delighted to continue our long relationship with Bank of Ireland as our Main Partner, which is more than 25 years strong, and is proof of our shared commitment to strengthening rugby in the province. The Bank’s investment in our development programmes is essential as we build pathways for the next generation of talent in Munster. We look forward to celebrating many shared successes in the years to come.”
Hugh McCaughey, Interim CEO of Ulster Rugby said; “We look forward to continuing our longstanding partnership with Bank of Ireland, which has been in place now for 27 years. The Bank’s investment is vital to the ambition and success of our province, and testament to our shared commitment for long-term growth of our sport. We welcome the Bank’s new sponsorship of the Ulster Rugby Senior Women’s team and continued support for all levels of rugby in Ulster.”