Energia extends Connacht Rugby partnership for two years

Energia has extended its partnership with Connacht Rugby for a further two years, giving the energy company continued visibility as Official Energy Partner while providing the platform to expand its Rugby for All inclusion programme into the province for the first time. The renewal builds on a relationship that began in 2024 and has been accompanied by a new collaboration with Galway-based charity Ability West, aimed at increasing opportunities for children with intellectual disabilities and autism to play rugby, alongside a new Energia Culture Captains initiative pairing two participants with Connacht Rugby's players, coaches and staff for the season.

Energia is the retail energy brand of Energia Group, a Dublin-headquartered energy company operating across the island of Ireland under owner Ardian since 2026, having previously been owned by I Squared Capital. Energia Group reported revenue of €2,031 million in 2019, the most recent year for which the company has disclosed financial results.

Connacht Rugby is one of Ireland's four professional rugby provinces, based at Dexcom Stadium in Galway and competing in the United Rugby Championship as part of the IRFU's provincial structure.

The renewal illustrates how a sponsorship can be extended beyond conventional branding and commercial rights: Energia originally launched Rugby for All with Leinster Rugby in 2023, and this expansion into Connacht marks the programme's first move into a second province.

Energia sponsorship and events manager Lorna Danaher said the company's first two years with Connacht Rugby had been brilliant, and that it could not wait to deepen the partnership in the coming years through the Rugby for All platform.

Connacht Rugby sponsorship manager Martin Fallon said the expansion would create opportunities for more players with additional needs to experience the sport across the province's five counties.

Bringing Ability West into the Connacht relationship gives the programme a local delivery partner rather than a nationally imposed initiative, extending Energia's Irish rugby portfolio, which now spans eight years and includes the Energia All-Ireland League, the IRFU and Leinster Rugby, into a platform that combines commercial sponsorship with participation and inclusion for the sector.

Source: Sport for Business