Vodafone extend their lucrative and successful sponsorship of Irish rugby
The men’s and women’s teams will benefit hugely from the new deal
Green of us: Vodafone has extended its sponsorship by four years
The boys in green will have Vodafone on their jerseys until 2028 at least
Green giants: Ryan, O'Mahony and Porter wearing the jersey
The Irish rugby team got a welcome boost today ahead of Saturday’s crunch clash with South Africa when it was announced that communications giant Vodafone has extended its sponsorship with the national team by another four years.
The new deal will also see Vodafone appearing on back of Ireland women’s jersey next year as well as a much-needed continuation of the Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship partnership.
The new contract means that Vodafone will be the union’s principal sponsor and communications partner until the end of 2028 making it one of the biggest sports deals in recent years.
The multi-year partnership will see Vodafone and the IRFU continue to work together to use new and existing 5G technology to enhance both fan and player experiences.
Vodafone customers will continue to enjoy numerous benefits including exclusive content while players and coaches will also benefit from the Vodafone Technical Area where they will use 5G Mobile Private Network (MPN) technology to enhance analysis capabilities and adjust training performance in real time.
The boys in green will have Vodafone on their jerseys until 2028 at least
Speaking about the sponsorship extension, Amanda Nelson Vodafone Ireland CEO told us; “At Vodafone, we take great pride in being the principal sponsor of Irish Rugby since 2016 and we’re delighted to be extending our partnership for a further four years to 2028.
“We have worked hard to create the most interconnected team and fanbase on the planet and want to continue helping fans feel the connection to Irish Rugby.
“We also have a shared ambition with the IRFU to grow the game on the island of Ireland, so I am very proud to announce the continuation of our partnership as principal sponsor of the immensely successful men’s team alongside the fantastic Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship and now the expansion of our partnership to include the Ireland women’s team.
“We have also recently expanded our role as IRFU technology partner through their adoption of the latest cutting-edge 5G Mobile Private Network (MPN) technology to increase the communication of performance data between the coaches and players. They are the only team to have access to this technology during the Rugby World Cup in France with the bespoke Vodafone 5G Connected Van.”
IRFU Chief Executive Kevin Potts commented: “The IRFU are thrilled to extend our partnership with Vodafone and warmly welcome the increasing role they are taking in our women’s game.
“Since 2016 Vodafone has been the official sponsor of Irish Rugby and together, we have experienced great success. As a not for profit, the revenue from sponsorship deals such as these are crucial to the delivery of our plans to ensure Irish rugby teams remain competitive on the global stage.
“I’d like to thank Amanda and her team for their commitment and investment in Irish rugby. The activation of “Team of Us” by Vodafone has been fantastic exposure for the IRFU brand and we look forward to continued success, both on and off the field, together for years to come.”
