Aon, a leading global professional services firm, and the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) today announced Aon will be a premium sponsor of Irish Rugby.
Aon first joined forces with the IRFU in 2014 as the first principal sponsor of the Ireland Women's Rugby team, helping ignite the Green Wave, which has driven support for the women's game.
Over the past 12 years, Aon’s partnering with the IRFU has helped transform the sport; today, more than 79 percent of rugby clubs across Ireland have womens and girls' teams.
"It has been truly inspiring to see the remarkable growth of the women’s game over the 12 years of our partnership, with more girls playing at grassroots level, more women’s teams in existence, larger audiences, greater visibility and stronger engagement from fans and communities across the country,” said Rachael Ingle, CEO of Aon in Ireland.
"As we move into this next phase as a premium sponsor of Irish rugby, our presence may look a little different, but our commitment to the players, the team and the growth of the game is undiminished. We’re excited to support the development of a vibrant and thriving women’s rugby community for years to come and to work with the IRFU to continue building the Green Wave."
In 2022, the IRFU introduced centralised professional player contracts, awarding 29 contracts across the Women’s High Performance Programme, a significant milestone in the professionalisation of women’s rugby in Ireland.
Just four years later, a record 31,294 fans filled Aviva Stadium for Ireland’s 2026 Guinness Women’s Six Nations match versus Scotland.
Together these milestones mark the growth of the game and the momentum it has gained since Aon first joined forces with the IRFU.
"Aon has been an incredibly supportive long-term partner to the IRFU. As the first principal sponsor of the Ireland Women’s rugby team, they have played an important role in helping to support the growth of the women’s game in Ireland over the past twelve years," said Billy Murphy, Chairperson of the IRFU Commercial & Marketing Committee.
"I’d like to thank all the team at Aon in Ireland for more than a decade of support and look forward to continuing to work together to encourage more young girls and boys to get involved in the game."