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PwC And IRFU Announce Four-Year Extension Of Longstanding Partnership

PwC Ireland Managing Partner, Enda McDonagh, with Ireland U20 players Ruth Campbell and Oliver Coffey. ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy

PwC and the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) are today delighted to announce a further four-year extension of their longstanding partnership, ensuring a continued investment and commitment to the development of the next generation of Irish Rugby players.

The new deal, which runs until December 2027, sees PwC continue as the Main Sponsor of the Ireland Men’s and Women’s U20s teams, the U19 and U18 National programmes, the U18 Men’s and Women’s Interprovincial Championships, and the National Talent Squad (NTS) programmes, which develop talented underage club and schools players.

PwC’s steadfast support of Irish Rugby – now in its 19th season – has been crucial to the ongoing development of young male and female players, and today’s sponsorship renewal announcement further strengthens the close relationship between PwC and the IRFU ahead of the 2024 U20 Six Nations.

Sharing the same principles of nurturing talent, growing resilience and supporting ambition on and off the pitch, PwC’s support has been critical in the evolution of Irish Rugby’s underage programmes, leading to memorable on-field success such as back-to-back U20 Six Nations Grand Slam titles in 2022 and 2023, and last June’s second place finish for the Ireland U20s at the World Rugby U20 Championship in Cape Town.

It promises to be another exciting season for the Ireland underage teams, with Richie Murphy‘s Men’s U20s preparing for their Six Nations campaign, which gets underway against France in Aix-en-Provence on Saturday, 3 February and includes three Friday night home fixtures at Musgrave Park in Cork.

Ruth Campbell, Ireland Women’s U20s Rugby Player; Niall Rynne, Chairman of the Management Committee, IRFU; Enda McDonagh, Managing Partner, PwC; Gillian McDarby; Head of Women’s High Performance & Pathways, IRFU; and Oliver Coffey, Ireland Men’s Rugby U20s Player. ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy

The newly-formed Ireland Women’s U20s programme is set for its second season in 2024, while the U18 Men’s and Women’s Six Nations Festivals will continue to play a key role in the development of players on the international stage in April.

Speaking at the announcement, Enda McDonagh, Managing Partner, PwC Ireland, said: “We are thrilled to extend our partnership with the IRFU for a further four years. This is our longest-running sponsorship as we enter our nineteenth year as partners with the IRFU.

“Our association with Irish Rugby is a perfect fit for our brand, where qualities such as excellence, teamwork and resilience are key ingredients both on and off the field.

“We look forward to continuing to support the development and progression of the next generation of female and male rugby at underage levels from U18s, U19s and U20s across Rugby Sevens, Rugby XVs and Interprovincial Championships.

“Talent development and supporting our people to be the best they can be are also very important areas for our business. We are therefore excited to be associated with the National Training Squad programme, which identifies and develops talented underage club and school players.”

Speaking about the renewal of PwC’s support, Greg Barrett, IRFU President, said: “The IRFU is delighted to be renewing our partnership with PwC. Their support for our underage representative teams, both on-pitch and in terms of their own personal development, has been invaluable in helping us to nurture and develop well rounded players of the future.

“On behalf of the IRFU, I would like to reinforce our thanks and appreciation to Enda and all the team at PwC for their continued support of Irish Rugby, and we look forward to working with them over the next four years.”