The 2017 Bord Gáis Energy GAA Hurling U-21 All-Ireland Championship was officially launched at an event in Bord Gáis Energy offices in Dublin today.  A new line up of ambassadors for this year’s competition was also announced.

The competition will ramp up on Wednesday 31 May with four Leinster quarter finals played across the province.  

Sponsors and longstanding supporters of the U-21 grade, Bord Gáis Energy introduced a number of fresh faces to their ambassador line up for the 2017 season.  Following in the footsteps of previous ambassadors such as Liam Rushe, Richie Hogan and Tony Kelly are Peter Casey (Limerick), Luke Meade (Cork), Patrick Curran (Waterford), Billy McCarthy (Tipperary), Aron Shanaghar (Clare), Shane Barrett (Dublin), Liam Blanchfield (Kilkenny), Aaron Maddock (Wexford), and Thomas Monaghan (Galway). Christy McNaughton was the Antrim representative at today’s launch.  

These ambassadors will join Bord Gáis Energy’s line up of #HurlingToTheCore ambassadors revealed earlier this month; Joe Canning, Conor McDonald and Munster Rugby star Simon Zebo. #HurlingToTheCore celebrates Bord Gáis Energy’s belief that hurling is more than a sport or pastime - it is deeply ingrained in Irish history and stitched into our national identity.

Ambassadors play a crucial role in bringing the U-21 Championship to life through #HurlingToTheCore on Bord Gáis Energy’s social media channels. Fans will be able to access key match statistics from each U-21 ambassador after games, along with highlights showing the best of the action across Bord Gáis Energy’s Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and YouTube throughout the Championship.

TG4 will broadcast 11 games over the course of the 2017 Championship, and fans will once again be able to nominate their Man of the Match via Twitter using the #LaochBGE hashtag during televised matches.

Speaking ahead of the launch Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael, Aogán Ó Fearghail said: “Bord Gáis Energy‘s huge commitment to hurling is very clear to see through their sponsorships across the Senior Hurling Championship, U-21 Championship and the GAA Legend’s tour series. They play an integral role in promoting the game and its players to fans all around the country.

“Once again we can expect some great games at this level and you only have to go back to last season’s Championship to see how high the standard is. There will undoubtedly be many games to keep supporters on the edge of their seats throughout the summer.”

Communications Manager at Bord Gáis Energy, Irene Gowing commented: “We base our sponsorships on what is important to our customers and hurling most certainly matters to them. In 2017, we have expanded our association with the GAA to include the Senior Hurling Championship however the U-21 grade is still as important as ever to us. Its knockout nature, along with the passion and skill of the players, makes these games so exciting to watch.

“We’re committed to continuing to give our customers exclusive experiences throughout the Bord Gáis Energy GAA Hurling U-21 All-Ireland Championship.  We focus on bringing them as close to the action as possible through our Rewards Club, whether that’s through presenting Man of the Match awards live on TG4, welcoming the players to the pitch as flag bearers, or attending special Q&A sessions with players at the All-Ireland stages of the competition.

2017 marks Bord Gáis Energy’s ninth year as sponsor of the U-21 Hurling Championship. The company were also announced as sponsors of the GAA All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship in January of this year, cementing their long association with the GAA, and particularly hurling.  Bord Gáis Energy are also sponsors of the GAA Legends Tours at Croke Park.