Ladies Gaelic Football Association & Yoplait Ireland celebrate renewed partnership for 2023
- Yoplait Ireland will continue to sponsor Ladies HEC third-level championships
THE Ladies Gaelic Football Association is pleased to announce that Yoplait Ireland will continue to sponsor the Higher Education Colleges (HEC) third-level championships in 2023.
Yoplait Ireland, the ‘Official Yogurt of the LGFA’, has extended its partnership with the LGFA, and marked the announcement today at the launch of the 2023 Yoplait HEC third-level championships at Croke Park.
2022 TG4 Junior Players’ Player of the Year Bláithín Bogue from Fermanagh, Clare’s Aisling Reidy, Galway’s Hannah Noone and Meath’s Aoife Farrell were present at Croke Park this morning ahead of the start of the 2023 Yoplait HEC third-level championships.
Bláithín will wear the colours of Queen’s University Belfast in the Yoplait O’Connor Cup, Aisling will be a key player for holders UL, Hannah will line out for University of Galway, and Aoife will help to lead the charge for DCU Dóchas Éireann.
Before Christmas, Hannah was a star for Kilkerrin-Clonberne as the Galway club landed a second successive currentaccount.ie All-Ireland Senior club title.
The leading third-level and inter-county stars were joined at today’s photocall by Deirdre Lowry, Brand Manager Yoplait Ireland, Daniel Caldwell, Ladies HEC Chairperson, and representatives from ATU Sport, who will host the concluding stages of the various championships in March.
Nigel Jennings, Sports Officer, and former TG4 Underdog Elaine Ni Niadh made the trip to Croke Park today on behalf of ATU Sport.
Yoplait Ireland will continue to sponsor the flagship third-level Colleges competition, the Yoplait O’Connor Cup.
Yoplait Ireland will also retain the title rights of the HEC’s Giles, Lynch, Moynihan, Donaghy, Lagan and HEC Cups. The opening rounds of these championships will commence from the 1st of February.
It has also been confirmed that the Yoplait Donaghy, Lagan and HEC Cup Finals will be played on Wednesday, March 8, to coincide with International Women’s Day.
The Yoplait Moynihan Cup Final will be played on Friday March 10, with the Yoplait O’Connor Cup, Giles Cup and Lynch Cup semi-finals pencilled in for the same day.
On Saturday, March 11, the Yoplait O’Connor Cup, Giles Cup and Lynch Cup winners will be confirmed.
Speaking on behalf of Yoplait Ireland, Brand Manager Deirdre Lowry said: “Yoplait Ireland is delighted to join the LGFA again this year both as the main sponsor of the HEC third-level Championships and as Official Yogurt of the LGFA.
“Over the past year, we have been lucky to meet with many of the players and to witness the dedication and hard work that goes into their training and the passion that goes into their games.
“It is evident that this drive begins at home, with players benefitting from the unwavering support of their families throughout their training and play.
“Similarly, Yoplait Ireland has been fuelling Irish families for over 50 years as a reliable and great tasting source of protein, which is an integral part of a healthy and winning diet.
“We look forward to continuing our support for the LGFA, the players, their families and their communities on their way to ‘the win’ in this year’s Yoplait HEC third-level championships.”
Ladies Gaelic Football Association President Mícheál Naughton said: “We are delighted to confirm that Yoplait Ireland are extending their partnership with the LGFA, as ‘Official Yogurt of the LGFA.’
“Yoplait Ireland will continue to sponsor our HEC third-level Championships, and we are looking forward to some incredible football over the coming weeks.
“The 2022 competitions, which returned after an absence of two years, were keenly contested and presented a real ‘festival of football.’
“ATU Sport will serve as outstanding hosts of the concluding stages of the various competitions and it is also wonderful to mark International Women’s Day on March 8 with three Finals down for decision.
“I wish to thank Yoplait Ireland for the continued faith and investment in Ladies Gaelic Football.
“They have been wonderful and pro-active partners to date and we look forward to another exciting year of work together.”
Higher Education Committee chairperson, Daniel Caldwell, said: “I am delighted to be in Croke Park today to celebrate the continued sponsorship by Yoplait of the HEC championships.
“The partnership with Yoplait has increased the profile of Ladies Football in colleges and universities across the island and we look forward to working together for another year.
“The 2023 championships will be hosted by ATU Sport in the Connacht Centre of Excellence, Co. Mayo.
“We look forward to college rivalries being renewed and players from different parts of the country competing in their college colours often against club and county teammates.
“Those rivalries are what gives the Yoplait HEC championships a real edge and we are delighted to confirm that the O’Connor Cup semi-finals and all finals will be live streamed on the HEC and LGFA social media channels.”
Speaking on behalf of competition hosts ATU Sport, Sports Officer Nigel Jennings said: “On behalf of everyone involved in ATU Sport, I’d like to say how delighted we are to be hosting this year’s Yoplait HEC Championships.
“When we came together last year to form the Atlantic Technological University, we said we would like to put our combined energies behind a significant event – and in third-level sport, they don’t come any more significant than these Finals.
“Ladies Gaelic football continues to grow at an amazing pace and to be able to bring together the best players, and teams, in the country to showcase their talents in the incredible facility of the Connacht GAA Air Dome is an honour.
“I would encourage anyone who can join us to do so, either in person or through the live streamed matches, for what promises to be an outstanding festival of football.”
The Yoplait O’Connor, Giles and Lynch Cups will throw in on Wednesday February 8.
In the first round of the Yoplait O’Connor Cup, champions University of Limerick will host city neighbours and 2022 Yoplait Giles Cup winners Mary Immaculate College.
In the other local ‘derby’ of the round, Division 1 League champions DCU Dóchas Éireann will have home advantage for their meeting with UCD.
Elsewhere in the Yoplait O’Connor Cup, University of Galway will entertain TUD in Dangan, and Queen’s University Belfast will play UCC in Ballykelly, Kildare.
Regular fixture updates can be found on Ladies Gaelic Football Association website: https://ladiesgaelic.ie/
About the Yoplait O’Connor Cup:
The Yoplait O’Connor Cup is the Ladies Gaelic Football Association’s Higher Education Colleges flagship competition.
Approximately 64 teams are involved in the seven Yoplait HEC Championships, namely the Yoplait O’Connor, Giles, Lynch, Moynihan, Donaghy, Lagan and HEC Cups.
32 colleges are represented, with approximately 2,200 players taking part. The Finals will be held at the Connacht Centre of Excellence on March 8/10/11, 2023.
