Dublin Airport becomes sponsor of Ireland Women's Rugby

Dublin Airport has become an official sponsor of the Ireland Women's Rugby Team under a new partnership between operator daa and the IRFU, giving the squad a high-footfall promotional platform through an airport handling more than 36 million passengers a year. The agreement combines practical travel support for the team as it competes internationally with a promotional programme including player appearances at Dublin Airport, digital and social content, competitions and other fan-facing initiatives over the coming months.

daa is the semi-state operator of Dublin and Cork airports, reporting group turnover of €1.18 billion and post-tax profit of €230 million in 2025, a year in which Dublin Airport alone served 36.4 million passengers. The company paid a dividend of €66 million to the State for 2025.

IRFU is the governing body for rugby union on the island of Ireland, overseeing the men's and women's national teams as well as domestic provincial and club competitions.

The partnership adds a further named sponsor to the Ireland Women's programme, following Vodafone's move to Main Sponsor and front-of-shirt status earlier this year, positioning the team's growing commercial appeal across multiple categories rather than a single title partner.

daa deputy chief executive Nick Cole said women's rugby continues to go from strength to strength, and that the airport was incredibly proud to play a part in that journey, pointing to Dublin Airport's history at moments including Jack Charlton's 1990 homecoming, Katie Taylor's 2012 Olympic return and the reception for Ireland's 2024 Olympic team.

IRFU Commercial and Marketing Committee chair Billy Murphy said Dublin Airport's relationship with international travel made it a natural fit for the national team, giving the squad the opportunity to connect with an even wider audience given the volume of passengers travelling through the airport annually.

For the sector, the deal illustrates how sponsors increasingly value physical, high-footfall infrastructure as a media and engagement platform in its own right, using terminal spaces and passenger reach to extend athlete visibility well beyond match day rather than relying on stadium or broadcast exposure alone.

Source: Sport for Business