Press release

14 Sep 2022 Dublin, IE

EY Ireland extends sponsorship of Hockey League

Dublin, 14 September 2022: EY Ireland has announced it will continue as official sponsor the Irish Hockey League, Irelands highest performing hockey competition on the island of Ireland for a further three years.

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EY Ireland

Multidisciplinary professional services organisation

EY Ireland, a leading global professional services organisation providing assurance, tax, audit, strategy and transactions and consulting services.

EY Ireland extends sponsorship of Hockey League

Dublin, 14 September 2022: EY Ireland has announced it will continue as official sponsor the Irish Hockey League, Irelands highest performing hockey competition on the island of Ireland for a further three years.

The EY Irish Hockey League (EYHL) with ten men and ten women’s teams from around the Island of Ireland coming together to compete. Matches are scheduled to take to the pitch for the first round of the Men’s and Women’s EYHL this weekend on Saturday 17th of September, while the EYHL 2 returns to action on the 12th of November. 

Covering all four provinces, the all-island EYHL will see twenty of Ireland’s top male and female clubs battle it out to become league champions over 20 weeks of exciting, fast-paced hockey.

The top six in each competition advance to the EY Champions Trophy where the ultimate champion for the season is determined at an end of season festival, showcasing the men’s and women’s grand finals on an equal basis.

The sponsorship also supports the EY Hockey League Division 2 (EYHL2), which will also feature 10 men’s teams and ten women’s teams, the top two of which will win promotions to the EYHL for the following season via an end of season playoff series.

The EYHL and EYHL2 showcase some of Ireland’s top players and has provided a vital stage for club players on their road to the international arena and, notably, the World Cup and Olympic Games.

EY Ireland has been the primary sponsor of the Irish Hockey League since 2016 with the formation of the EY Hockey League and its subsequent expansion to feature a second tier in 2019 The competition has since become universally known as the EYHL, a measure of the intrinsic link between sponsor and competition and provides an elite hockey competition on an equal basis to male and female players.

We are proud to announce EY Ireland’s continued sponsorship of the Irish Hockey League for a further three years. Hockey embodies strong team building and a great commitment to inclusion, diversity, and equality, values that are integral to EY. This partnership highlights our commitment to building the highest performing diverse teams and to celebrating the amazing men and women who participate in this incredible sport at a national level. We look forward to the continued success of all of the teams in the league over the coming three years as we have proudly done since 2016.
Frank O’Keeffe
EY UK & Ireland Managing Partner, Markets, and EY Ireland Managing Partner
We are delighted to have the continued support of EY Ireland for another three years. The support over the past seven years has been game-changing for clubs in Ireland, enabling them to hone their skills and match their ambition at an elevated level of competition. EY Ireland’s sponsorship is invaluable to raising the game, assisting with the organisation and promotion of the EY Hockey League, its high quality of matches, and ensuring clubs across the island are able to compete at the highest levels. It is no coincidence that our international teams have enjoyed an almost unprecedented run of success in the last decade, with Olympic and World Cup qualification for both genders. We are really looking forward to some top-class matches taking place over the coming season as we embark upon what promises to be a highly competitive 2022/23 season.
Ronan Murphy
CEO of Hockey League Ireland

Notes to Editor

About EY

EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

EY refers to the global organisation and may refer to one or more of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organisation, please visit ey.com.

About Hockey Ireland

Hockey Ireland is the National Governing Body for the sport of field hockey in Ireland. Governing the 32 counties of Ireland, the Association is responsible for the management and overall development of all areas of the sport.

The Association was formed in 2000, as a result of the merger of the two pre-existing Unions which governed men’s and women’s hockey separately. Both pre-existing Unions’ origins date back to the late 19th Century, when they were formed within a year of each other. At the 2013 AGM a motion was passed to become a Limited Company.

Hockey Ireland has a number of affiliated Branches that govern the sport at regional level. The sport’s approximate 168 clubs and 280 schools are affiliated to Hockey Ireland through its Branch network. The Irish Hockey Umpires Association, which manages the sport’s umpire base, and the Irish Universities Hockey Association, which governs the sport in Ireland’s university system, are also affiliated to Hockey Ireland.

Hockey Ireland is funded through grants from Sport Ireland, Sport Northern Ireland and the Olympic Council of Ireland adding to the membership fees and sponsorship. For more information, visit: www.hockey.ie