Bank Of Ireland Extends €15m Irish Rugby Deals

Bank of Ireland has extended its partnerships with Ireland’s four provincial rugby union teams – Ulster, Connacht, Leinster, and Munster.

The five-year renewals will run until 2028, and are worth €3m (£2.57m) annually, totalling €15m (£12.84m) over their duration, according to the Irish Times.

Bank of Ireland will continue to support grassroots rugby across the country.

While Leinster and Connacht’s women’s teams were covered by the previous agreement, the expanded commitment also includes Munster and Ulster’s women’s sides.

Further details of the deals were not disclosed, but the latest extensions represent the ‘most comprehensive sponsorship’ of Irish men’s and women’s sport, according to the commercial bank.

The firm first became a sponsor of Ulster in 1997, before partnering with Leinster in 2007, Munster in 2013, and Connacht in 2018 respectively.

Bank of Ireland is doubling down on its investment in Irish rugby, having recently revealed a multi-year partnership with the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) in October.

Laura Lynch, Chief Marketing Officer at Bank of Ireland, 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 never stop competing.”

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