Elliott Group backs Nations' Cup of Ireland in centenary year

Construction group converts a landmark arena delivery into a headline sponsorship as the RDS marks 100 years of the Aga Khan Trophy competition.

The RDS has announced Elliott Group as Official Sponsor of the Nations' Cup of Ireland at the 2026 Gallagher Dublin Horse Show, coinciding with the competition's 100th running for the Aga Khan Trophy. Terms were not disclosed.

Elliott Group is a Cavan-based contractor delivering large-scale construction projects across Ireland and the UK, including the RDS's Anglesea Stand redevelopment and new Laya Arena. It ranked among Ireland's Top 40 Building Contractors with turnover of €320 million in 2025, up from €310 million in 2024.

The RDS is a Ballsbridge, Dublin-based non-profit society operating Ireland's largest events venue, funded through membership and commercial activity including the annual Dublin Horse Show. Financial details of the society's venue income are not publicly reported.

Advisors: None mentioned.

The sponsorship converts an existing delivery relationship into a brand platform, timed deliberately around two milestones landing in the same week: the Laya Arena's official opening on 5 August and the Nations' Cup's centenary running.

The driver is structural as much as symbolic. Irish sponsorship investment is forecast to reach €247 million in 2026, up 5% on 2025, with demand for premium event platforms holding firm even as sponsors grow more selective about measurable return.

For Elliott Group, the deal extends visibility beyond project completion into a recurring national occasion with cross-border reach into the UK market it also serves. For the RDS, it secures backing from a contractor already invested in the venue's fabric, reinforcing the arena's completion narrative ahead of its public debut.

The broader signal for Irish contractors is that delivery relationships are increasingly being extended into sponsorship, giving completed capital projects continued commercial visibility rather than ending at handover. Whether other contractors follow Elliott Group's lead in treating flagship builds as long-term brand platforms will shape how construction firms compete for visibility in a sponsorship market still weighted toward traditional sport.

Source: Irish Building Magazine / Sport for Business / Construction News