Three to sponsor IRFU

justsomebloke · 24-06-2013 11:05am #1

well O2 Ireland have been bought out by Three. So by default Three are now our new overloards and I for one welcome them.

(so don't go buying any new Ireland gear for the moment)

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience · 24-06-2013 11:06am

backgreen · 24-06-2013 11:09am

a lot of overlapping..O2 sponsor shannon and 3 UL Bohs

.ak · 24-06-2013 11:13am

Well it's a step in the right direction. Just can't wait til we're sponsored by 4 tbh.

.ak · 24-06-2013 11:17am

Anyway.. Telefonica have sold it to Three, but I'm not sure if they're dropping the brand? Three will probably use the foot print but to drop the brand would probably damage the footprint itself.

Ah actually apparently they are phasing out the brand, but it'll take over 2 years.

ScissorPaperRock · 24-06-2013 11:19am

Not a fan of that cartoony '3' on any jerseys I've seen it on. Hope they come up with something else for the national rugby kit.

errlloyd · 24-06-2013 11:25am

This is a horribly elitist thing to say, but I want a different sponsor to the soccer team.

.ak · 24-06-2013 11:27am

ScissorPaperRoc wrote: »

Not a fan of that cartoony '3' on any jerseys I've seen it on. Hope they come up with something else for the national rugby kit.

They won't change their branding, for anything.

We won't see it for another 2 years anyway, and the sponsorship deal may change.

justsomebloke · 24-06-2013 11:30am

.ak wrote: »

but I'm not sure if they're dropping the brand?

From what I have read they will be dropping the brand.

Larbre34 · 24-06-2013 11:30am

ScissorPaperRoc wrote: »

Not a fan of that cartoony '3' on any jerseys I've seen it on. Hope they come up with something else for the national rugby kit.

Lol, no point trying to argue against snobbery in Rugby anymore. I suppose the Coca-Cola brand would be too messy for you as well?

I thought at first AIG's new brand was a special just for NZ rugby to get used to carrying a logo once again but I see its a full market launch. Its looks cr*p

Anyway, it could be worse, could be N.A.M.A. on the shirt......

.ak · 24-06-2013 11:31am

justsomebloke wrote: »

From what I have read they will be dropping the brand.

Yeah RTE reporting they're phasing out the brand over 2 years.

justsomebloke · 24-06-2013 11:36am

Larbre34 wrote: »

Anyway, it could be worse, could be N.A.M.A. on the shirt......

what, when the lads have to go through the last quarter of the game topless due to the shirts being repossessed.

Might help bring in a new hen party demographic to our supporter base

irishbucsfan · 24-06-2013 11:38am

The brand is definitely going. You'll probably see it gone in the UK, but there's more money involved there and different companies so that deal is going to take much longer I guess.

.ak · 24-06-2013 11:40am

They're only buying the Irish branch of Telefonica I think?

jamiedav2011 · 24-06-2013 11:41am

O2 sponsorship stretches to 2016 past WC, so will be interesting to see what happens then.

Wonder has it happened before that a brand sponsors both national football and rugby teams?

irishbucsfan · 24-06-2013 11:41am

.ak wrote: »

They're only buying the Irish branch of Telefonica I think?

3 are, yeah

ScissorPaperRock · 24-06-2013 11:41am

Larbre34 wrote: »

Lol, no point trying to argue against snobbery in Rugby anymore. I suppose the Coca-Cola brand would be too messy for you as well?

Anyway, it could be worse, could be N.A.M.A. on the shirt......

What are you talking about??? Both Three and O2/Telefonica are massive corporate entities, and neither are Irish. I personally wouldn't like the Coca Cola brand on the strip either. I would like something simpler.

You have a great imagination though, to the extent that I don't even know what you're getting at. So... well done.

who_me · 24-06-2013 12:01pm

.ak wrote: »

Well it's a step in the right direction. Just can't wait til we're sponsored by 4 tbh.

+1 !

who_me · 24-06-2013 12:03pm

.ak wrote: »

Yeah RTE reporting they're phasing out the brand over 2 years.

What's the O2 going to be called? The 3?

Commercial naming rights gone mad.... </angry rant mode>

LeeroyJones · 24-06-2013 12:13pm

I just wish that whoever takes over from Puma tries to buy out exclusive shirt rights.

One can dream!

Larbre34 · 24-06-2013 12:22pm

ScissorPaperRoc wrote: »

What are you talking about??? Both O2 and Telefonica are massive corporate entities, and neither are Irish. I personally wouldn't like the Coca Cola brand on the strip either. I would like something simpler.

You have a great imagination though, to the extent that I don't even know what you're getting at. So... well done.

What I'm getting at is that the '3' logo isnt good enough for your precious rugby shirt, you're being a snob.

rrpc · 24-06-2013 12:23pm

Three network seems to be down at the moment, is this a coincidence?

Risteard · 24-06-2013 12:24pm

Larbre34 wrote: »

What I'm getting at is that the '3' logo isnt good enough for your precious rugby shirt, you're being a snob.

I took it that he doesn't like the look of the logo on the jersey. I don't either. Nothing to do with being a 'snob.' I just don't think it looks nice.

Lapin · 24-06-2013 12:24pm

3's network went down today.

Hope its not an omen for the International team.

.ak · 24-06-2013 12:25pm

Couldn't care less what the sponsorship looks like on a jersey, so long as it's black and/or white.

Larbre34 · 24-06-2013 12:28pm

who_me wrote: »

What's the O2 going to be called? The 3?

Commercial naming rights gone mad.... </angry rant mode>

O2+3 + O5?

You could see this coming down the tracks for the last few years, venues with naming rights on them changing hands and causing confusion, the Aussies are the worst for it (Lions test venues in Sydney and Melbourne have had 3 and 4 separate names respectively)

I hate it too and would always refer to Lansdowne Road, The Point, The Grand Canal Theatre etc etc. I was most impressed when the Munster faithful stamped out any notion of naming rights on Thomond Park, and the lack of it hasnt hurt them at all.

.ak · 24-06-2013 12:29pm

Larbre34 wrote: »

O2+3 + O5?

You could see this coming down the tracks for the last few years, venues with naming rights on them changing hands and causing confusion, the Aussies are the worst for it (Lions test venues in Sydney and Melbourne have had 3 and 4 separate names respectively)

I hate it too and would always refer to Lansdowne Road, The Point, The Grand Canal Theatre etc etc. I was most impressed when the Munster faithful stamped out any notion of naming rights on Thomond Park, and the lack of it hasnt hurt them at all.

Ehm.... Hate to break it to ya, but Munster are in serious financial issues over Thomond.

eclipsechaser · 24-06-2013 12:30pm

.ak wrote: »

Couldn't care less what the sponsorship looks like on a jersey, so long as it's black and/or white.

... and doesn't say "O2 Money" across the belly...

Risteard · 24-06-2013 12:30pm

Larbre34 wrote: »

O2+3 + O5?

You could see this coming down the tracks for the last few years, venues with naming rights on them changing hands and causing confusion, the Aussies are the worst for it (Lions test venues in Sydney and Melbourne have had 3 and 4 separate names respectively)

I hate it too and would always refer to Lansdowne Road, The Point, The Grand Canal Theatre etc etc. I was most impressed when the Munster faithful stamped out any notion of naming rights on Thomond Park, and the lack of it hasnt hurt them at all.

Debatable given Munster's current financial position.

Larbre34 · 24-06-2013 12:32pm

Risteard wrote: »

I took it that he doesn't like the look of the logo on the jersey. I don't either. Nothing to do with being a 'snob.' I just don't think it looks nice.

To suggest something nicer is needed for the national rugby kit is snobbish, it implies its good enough for other codes.

Risteard · 24-06-2013 12:34pm

Larbre34 wrote: »

To suggest something nicer is needed for the national rugby kit is snobbish, it implies its good enough for other codes.

No it's simply saying that you don't like the look of the logo. Has nothing to do with other codes or even the company itself.

I don't think it looks nice on the soccer jersey either, but I don't follow soccer so wouldn't see it as much.

Larbre34 · 24-06-2013 12:34pm

.ak wrote: »

Ehm.... Hate to break it to ya, but Munster are in serious financial issues over Thomond.[/QUOTE

Yes but the naming rights as proposed at the time wouldnt have solved where they are now, plenty of other factors. Difficult as things are at least they didnt sell their souls

.ak · 24-06-2013 12:37pm

Larbre34 wrote: »

.ak wrote: »

Ehm.... Hate to break it to ya, but Munster are in serious financial issues over Thomond.

Yes but the naming rights as proposed at the time wouldnt have solved where they are now, plenty of other factors. Difficult as things are at least they didnt sell their souls

I dunno, I don't think there's such a thing as taking the moral high ground regarding sponsorship.

People can give out all they want about Aviva, for example, but at the end of the day if they want to pump a load of money into the sport we love then fair fecks to them, let them call it Aviva's Amazing Candy Coated Circus for all I care.

Risteard · 24-06-2013 12:38pm

Would have definitely eased it though. At the time of building the new Thomond Park, Munster were one of, if not the most marketable rugby club in Europe and as such would have commanded a high price for the naming rights.

Locking a company into a long term contract would have been a big boost to the coffers. Even selling naming rights for both stands would have helped, it's not like there's an emotional attachment to the names East and West stand.

Ms Happy · 24-06-2013 12:56pm

So will The O2 (The Point) become "The 3"

ScissorPaperRock · 24-06-2013 1:06pm

Larbre34 wrote: »

What I'm getting at is that the '3' logo isnt good enough for your precious rugby shirt, you're being a snob.

Larbre34 wrote: »

To suggest something nicer is needed for the national rugby kit is snobbish, it implies its good enough for other codes.

You're ridiculous. You're not even making any sense.

a) I didn't say 'good enough'. I said it looks 'cartoony'. How that translates into being snobby, I don't know. Do snobs hate cartoons?

b) You just sound weirdly insecure. I didn't even mention other codes. I was looking at some of these images https://www.google.ie/search?q=ul+bohs&safe=off&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=ejXIUfPZEcnC7Abo_YGwAQ&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1373&bih=718.

If it makes you feel any better I don't think the Three logo looks nice on the national football kit either. Given that this is the rugby forum, and that the football team is not being discussed here, I didn't really think that was relevant.

awec · 24-06-2013 1:59pm

The 3 logo on the football kits is stinkin' looking. No thank you.

B0X · 24-06-2013 7:11pm

awec wrote: »

The 3 logo on the football kits is stinkin' looking. No thank you.

Yeah, not a fan of how it will look.

Lelantos · 24-06-2013 7:15pm

B0X wrote: »

Yeah, not a fan of how it will look.

Surely a team of Mike Ross' will strike fear into the heart of even the All Blacks!

mfceiling · 24-06-2013 7:15pm

B0X wrote: »

Yeah, not a fan of how it will look.

At least Mike Ross will look good...

Hagz · 24-06-2013 7:16pm

Christ.

.ak · 24-06-2013 7:20pm

Really took me a minute to realize there was any difference tbh. It's just another white blip in a different shape now.

conf101 · 24-06-2013 8:39pm

I'm not mad on it but I honestly don't think it looks any worse than O2 on the jerseys

ScissorPaperRock · 24-06-2013 9:30pm

It's not as bad as I imagined it would look actually

wicklowwonder · 25-06-2013 6:28am

By the way guys the sponsorship change will be one of the first things to happen when 3 take over O2. They ate phasing out the O2 brand over two years from now. They can't do anything for 6 months but once that time is up and competition authority gives the go agead they won't be investing in O2 brand building as it would be pointless so the sponsorships will change immediately.

My only worry would be 3 are now the biggest player in Irish sport sponsorship, what happens of they decide to do a Vodafone and scale back on sport sponsorship? Irish sport could be goosed, you could have international soccer and rugby, UL Bohs, Shannon, Waterford GAA, Waterford Soccer team all looking for sponsorship add this to alcohol sponsorship frowned upon and there may not be enough money to cover all if they where to come free at once.

garv123 · 25-06-2013 8:36am

The white specs all over the jersey between the sponsor, crest and puma logo makes the pic above makes it look crappy.

Looks good on some jerseys

Dravokivich · 25-06-2013 12:52pm

B0X wrote: »

Yeah, not a fan of how it will look.

They aren't going to retro fit it onto a current jersey though are they?

ColmH81 · 26-06-2013 10:29pm

Between 3 phasing out the O2 brand(which they will do as soon as they're legally allowed) and Puma doing a hop skip and jump out of Ireland, it'll be interesting to see what they come up with after the 6N...

irishbucsfan · 27-06-2013 12:47am

ColmH81 wrote: »

Between 3 phasing out the O2 brand(which they will do as soon as they're legally allowed) and Puma doing a hop skip and jump out of Ireland, it'll be interesting to see what they come up with after the 6N...

When Joe wins us a grand slam people will be queuing up with their bank details for us

Robbo · 27-06-2013 12:54am

ColmH81 wrote: »

Between 3 phasing out the O2 brand(which they will do as soon as they're legally allowed) and Puma doing a hop skip and jump out of Ireland, it'll be interesting to see what they come up with after the 6N...

I believe there's quite a few debenture tickets for Lansdowne, dating back to continuations of the 1983 drive to build the East Stand, which ran out at the end of this years 6N and have not been renewed. Interesting times ahead for the finance heads in the IRFU.

tolosenc · 27-06-2013 12:54am

irishbucsfan wrote: »

When Joe wins us a grand slam people will be queuing up with their bank details for us

I think we should wait until we have the back-to-back-to-back grand slams and the world cup before signing an undervalued deal. Green crew tshirts from Penneys until then.

Three to sponsor IRFU

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