Closing date looming for Cork companies to enter Rugby Sponsor for a Day Competition

12th October 2015

• Unique opportunity for Company Brand to feature on international Rugby Stage
• Prize valued at €50,000

“The buzz that was created from taking part and winning the competition within Irish Yogurts, around Clonakilty and amongst our loyal customers was fantastic” – Cork company Irish Yogurts on winning Munster Competition 2014

The closing date is looming for companies throughout Cork to enter Bank of Ireland’s ‘Sponsor for a Day’ rugby competition for 2015. Cork company, Irish Yogurts, based in Clonakilty, was last year’s Munster winner and there’s been a strong response from Cork organisations again in 2015.

The competition provides two businesses with the chance to sponsor the Munster and Leinster Rugby teams for a day at a European Rugby Champions Cup match. The unique prize opens up a national sponsorship opportunity to SMEs – something that would normally be beyond their reach. The prize valued at €50,000, includes the winners’ company logo on the front of the players jerseys’; pitch signage; corporate hospitality for ten guests; a match programme advert; photographs with the team; and promotion from Bank of Ireland, Munster and Leinster Rugby through press and media for all shortlisted companies and winners. Additionally, the ten companies that are shortlisted – five from Munster and five from Leinster and the two overall winners of the competition will be announced by media partner, the Ray D’Arcy Show on RTE. This gives all the companies involved the opportunity for wide brand exposure and allows the companies to be associated with the famous brands of each team.

The selected games will take place on the third weekend in January 2016 when Leinster take on Bath at the RDS and when Munster will face Stade Francais in Thomond Park. Both games will be broadcast live on television across the world.

Companies can enter the competition via www.bankofireland.com/sponsorforaday from today until the closing date of Wednesday, 28 October 2015. A shortlist of five companies to sponsor Munster and five companies to sponsor Leinster will be announced on Tuesday, 3 November 2015, at which point the competition will be open to a public vote on www.bankofireland.com/sponsorforaday. Voting will close on Tuesday, 24 November 2015 and the winners of both the Munster and Leinster prizes will be announced on Thursday, 26 November 2015. Participants and voters can also follow the campaign on Twitter and Facebook with the following hashtag #sponsorforaday.

The panel of judges include: Declan Galvin, Head of Small Business at Bank of Ireland, Jamie Heaslip from Leinster Rugby, Peter O’Mahony from Munster Rugby and Ray D’Arcy from RTE.

Commenting on the competition, Declan Galvin, Head of Small Business at Bank of Ireland said: “This competition is a fantastic brand building and profiling opportunity for two lucky businesses. It is the third year we have held this competition and the positive feedback from the winners and wider business community re-affirmed that winning the competition adds real value. Winners found that having their company logo on match day jerseys and the wider exposure this brings to their brand was a real success for them in building their business profile and creating marketing opportunities for their business.

“The competition is open to all businesses in Ireland, regardless of whether they are Bank of Ireland customers or not. We are committed to supporting the SME market and actively look for real and tangible ways to help people grow their businesses- ‘Sponsor for a Day’ is one way that we do this. I encourage both customers and non-customers of Bank of Ireland to come and talk to us to see how we can help develop their business” concluded Declan Galvin.

Remarking on the Munster ‘Sponsor for a Day’ win Alan Long, Production Manager at Irish Yogurts said “Sponsor for a Day is a once in a lifetime opportunity and is an amazing experience for any SME. The buzz that was created from taking part and winning the competition within Irish Yogurts, around Clonakilty and amongst our loyal customers was fantastic. Seeing the Irish Yogurts logo on the Munster jersey was a proud moment for all of us and the exposure it generated for the company has continued long after the competition has ended.”

To enter, participants have to visit www.bankofireland.com/sponsorforaday and answer a simple question: ‘Name one rugby province that Bank of Ireland sponsor?’ and a tiebreaker: ‘Tell us why your business should be on the front of the Leinster/Munster jersey?’ (in less than 200 words). Entries must be submitted by Wednesday, 28 October 2015.

Ends

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