Blackrock Health becomes title sponsor of Dublin hospitals rugby cup

Blackrock Health has announced a three-year title sponsorship of the Dublin Hospitals Rugby Cup, which the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland recognises as Ireland’s oldest running rugby competition, placing a private hospital group’s name on a competition that brings together medical professionals from across Dublin’s healthcare community. For the next three years the event will officially be known as the Blackrock Health Dublin Hospitals Cup. 

The partnership was announced at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, with teams including Beaumont Hospital, the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and St Vincent’s University Hospital. The trophy was crafted in 1812 by silversmith John Storr as a silver hunting cup and was acquired for the inaugural rugby tournament in 1881.

Blackrock Health is an Irish private hospital group made up of Blackrock Clinic, Galway Clinic, Hermitage Clinic and a diagnostic clinic in Limerick, employing more than 3,000 staff and working with 600 consultants across 50 specialties. It has 418 inpatient beds and cared for more than 360,000 patients last year.

The Dublin Hospitals Cup Association administers the competition, led by president Prof Colm O’Brien and treasurer Prof David Brophy.

Dr Caroline Whelan, Group CEO of Blackrock Health, said the group is delighted to become title sponsor of the competition and is looking forward to several months of rugby with its medical sporting community.

Blackrock Health said in a social media post that the cup has held a unique place in Irish sporting history since 1881, bringing together medical professionals, consultants, junior doctors and health sciences professionals, and that it is supporting a competition celebrating teamwork, community and a shared commitment to excellence.

The cup’s pedigree reaches national level: of the first 200 players capped for Ireland, 44 had trained in Dublin hospitals, according to Wikipedia.

The Medical Independent has described the competition as growing in strength as amateur city rugby has become less popular, because it gives players a highly competitive three-month window that does not interfere with their studies, according to its coverage of the competition’s history.

For the sector, the sponsorship shows a private hospital group aligning its brand with professional heritage, placing its name in front of the medical community it works alongside.

Source: Irish Medical Times / Medical Independent / Wikipedia / Health Manager