Featured image credit: Virgin Media
Irish United Rugby Championship (URC) club Munster has agreed a stadium naming rights deal with telecommunications company Virgin Media.
The five-year contract will see the province’s Cork home, Musgrave Park, renamed as Virgin Media Park. As part of the agreement, Virgin Media will have total and exclusive ground naming rights, along with extensive branding at the venue.
Virgin Media will also become the telecommunications and broadband sponsor of Munster Rugby, providing full-fibre connectivity both to Virgin Media Park in Cork and Thomond Park, the team’s primary home in Limerick.
Virgin Media Park hosts selected Munster senior men’s games in the URC and senior women’s Interprovincial Championship fixtures, as well as home games for the Ireland women’s senior team, the Ireland men’s U20 team, plus multiple club and school matches, and other sports. The stadium is also a summer concert venue.
Musgrave Park has operated under its original name since November 2020 after Munster mutually agreed to end a naming rights partnership with Independent News & Media.
Independent News & Media owns the Irish Independent newspaper, which took on naming rights to the stadium as part of its deal with the club. Munster’s 10-year deal with the group began in 2015 and had been due to run until 2025.
Ian Flanagan, CEO of Munster Rugby, said: “Given how special Musgrave Park is, and the meaning it has to Munster Rugby and our community in Cork, we feel the new link between the venue and Virgin Media will work really well.
“We look forward to working with Virgin Media on maximising what we do at this iconic rugby, sports and community venue over the coming years.”
Virgin Media last year rolled out its full fibre broadband in Cork, part of the company’s ongoing €200m (£172.2m/$219.4m) fibre network upgrade for over one million homes and businesses across Ireland.
Tony Hanway, CEO of Virgin Media Ireland, said: “Musgrave Park has always been an institution for sport and indeed the general public in Cork.
“Munster Rugby and Virgin Media Ireland share the same values of community, teamwork and excellence, and we are thrilled to support the team and indeed their famed fanbase who are renowned in world sport.”
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