Ulster Rugby v Leinster

IT’S SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE IT’S A PARTNERSHIP

As Bank of Ireland celebrates a special night as proud sponsor of Ulster Rugby for over 20 years, it is an apt time to reflect on the sponsors that Ulster Rugby has attained over the years. We talk about the strength and depth of our squad, but as one of our major stakeholder groups, it is equally important to have this in our sponsorship portfolio.

It is obviously critical to the commercial success and viability of any club to have a number of key sponsors committed to long-term contracts that deliver financial stability, but where a sponsorship will live or die is in the ability to work in partnership. It is really a privilege to work with a partner such as Bank of Ireland, who shares the same vision, demonstrates the same passion and commitment, and fundamentality strives for the same goals, with the knowledge that this will deliver for both partners. Bank of Ireland, a stalwart as jersey sponsor to Ulster Rugby, has been committed to delivering unique experiences for our supporters, visible through its delivery of fan trips, masterclasses for schools, community group giveaways, and customer training days to name but a few.

through Ulster Rugby winning the Tourism Northern Ireland award for Best Event Experience (Ulster v Clermont match last season). We have the award-winning Mount Charles as bar partner, the gastronomic leaders in event catering in Yellow Door, and long established supply partners in RiverRock and Heineken ensuring product in stadium is top quality. Our transport partner FonaCAB provides the only in-stadium taxi service I have seen, again highlighting our strength in working together to deliver that unique experience for fans. It is equally important to have the ability to continue to attract new sponsors as it brings some fresh perspective and new ideas into the fold. In many cases these sponsors will grow and develop in partnership with Ulster Rugby and continue to be with us for many years to come. Abbey Insurance, sponsor of the Academy and the Family Stand, has delighted fans, young and old, with the creation of a new friend for Sparky, aptly named ‘Abbey’, who of course is a large bumblebee! Subway is entertaining us at half-time and also sponsors the Subway Ulster Rugby Summer Camps, which take place across the Province. Tobermore has taken pride of place as a new sponsor on the kit, and on the back of a very successful Women’s Rugby World Cup, it is great to see Deloitte take up sponsorship of the Ulster Women’s team. Our strength lies in having so many long term, major brands as sponsors, working with us in partnership. We also have the right number of partners across the breadth of the sponsorship portfolio, all of whom are active and committed to the cause. I would like to thank all of our sponsors for their continued support. Fiona Hampton Head of Sales and Marketing Ulster Rugby

SPONSORSHIP UPDATE The sponsorship model at Ulster Rugby allows us to work with a number of partners who have the exclusive rights within their sector, therefore ensuring that we can deliver back for them in terms of brand awareness, unique experiences, player appearances, tickets and hospitality, all in an undiluted space. A tribute to this success is again our long-term status with some of these key sponsors such as Kukri Sports, who, as official technical kit supplier and retailer, has been an exclusive sponsor for ten years. Kingspan, as stadium naming sponsor and main jersey sponsor, has again been involved with Ulster Rugby for over nine years, growing from an advertising partner, to a short sponsor and eventually to attaining the main sponsor rights. Again, this has only been feasible through a long-term working partnership.

Other exclusive categories are tied up by BT Sport and Go Power, both as official jersey sponsors, Bavarian BMW as official car partner and Dale Farm as official dairy partner and short sponsor. A number of key partners that we work with really enable us to deliver the match night experience that we are well known for, and this was demonstrated

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