Leinster Rugby Charity Partner

We are delighted to announce that DEBRA Ireland have been chosen as charity partner to Leinster Rugby along with Aware.  For the first time ever, the charity partnership will run for two seasons up until the end of the 2017/18 season.

To celebrate the partnership it was also announced that Joe Walsh Tours, official travel partner of Leinster Rugby, would be offering both charities 14 seats on the first Guinness PRO12 away trip of the year to Glasgow, giving the lucky 28 passengers a unique insight into the Leinster Rugby environment as they travel to and from the game with the team.

22 August 2016; Emma Fogarty, front row centre, a patient's ambassador from Debra Ireland, and Judith Gilsenan, Head of Fundraising and Marketing Debra Ireland, top row third from left, and Susan Woodcock, top row third from right, from Debra Ireland, join Leinster Rugby players, clockwise from top row left, Jamison Gibson Park, Noel Reid, Dominic Ryan, head coach Leo Cullen, Isa Nacewa, James Tracy, Tom Daly, Isa Nacewa, Hayden Triggs, Adam Byrne, and Peter Dooley, in attendance at Leinster Rugby HQ, UCD for the announcement of Aware and Debra Ireland as the Leinster charity partners for the next two seasons. Aware is a national organisation working since 1985 to provide support, education and information around depression and bipolar disorder. DEBRA Ireland was established to provide support services to patients and families living with the debilitating skin condition epidermolysis bullosa. The partnership will kick off on the 10th September with a trip for 28 lucky recipients – 14 from each charity - to the first away game in the Guinness PRO12 in Glasgow courtesy of Joe Walsh Tours, official travel partner of Leinster Rugby. For further information please check out leinsterrugby.ie/charitypartners and www.aware.ie and www.debraireland.org Photo by Cody Glenn/Sportsfile

Judith Gilsenan, Head of Fundraising said: “DEBRA Ireland is delighted to be selected as one of Leinster Rugby’s official charity partners and are really looking forward to working with both the Leinster Team and Clubs over the next two seasons.

“We have no doubt that this partnership will do so much for our families living with the devastating skin disease EB (epidermolysis bullosa). The awareness that this partnership will generate will ensure that those living with EB will be given a powerful voice because of the Blue Army!

At the announcement, special guests from Aware and DEBRA Ireland met Leinster Rugby players and coaches and they also got a unique behind the scenes tour of the Leinster Rugby facilities.

22 August 2016; Emma Fogarty, a patient's ambassador from Debra Ireland, joins Leinster Rugby players, from left, James Tracy, Hayden Triggs, head coach Leo Cullen, Isa Nacewa, and Noel Reid in attendance at Leinster Rugby HQ, UCD for the announcement of Aware and Debra Ireland as the Leinster charity partners for the next two seasons. Aware is a national organisation working since 1985 to provide support, education and information around depression and bipolar disorder. DEBRA Ireland was established to provide support services to patients and families living with the debilitating skin condition epidermolysis bullosa. The partnership will kick off on the 10th September with a trip for 28 lucky recipients – 14 from each charity - to the first away game in the Guinness PRO12 in Glasgow courtesy of Joe Walsh Tours, official travel partner of Leinster Rugby. For further information please check out leinsterrugby.ie/charitypartners and www.aware.ie and www.debraireland.org Photo by Cody Glenn/Sportsfile

Leinster Rugby Head Coach Leo Cullen welcomed both charities to Leinster Rugby and looked forward to the partnership ahead:

“I would like to congratulate both Aware and DEBRA Ireland on their selection and wish them well over the coming two seasons. I think it’s great that they get to kick off the relationship with us as we travel over to Glasgow in a few weeks in the Guinness PRO12 and I would like to thank Joe Walsh Tours for the kind offer.

“This is very much a collaborative process with our playing group having input in to the selection process so we feel very much part of the partnership and I hope that it can help both Aware and DEBRA achieve greater awareness for those in Ireland suffering with mental health issues and of course with EB.”

In addition to having Aware and DEBRA Ireland on board for the season ahead, Leinster Rugby outlined further plans to engage with other charities.

Leinster Rugby media manager and chair of the CSR Committee, Marcus Ó Buachalla, said: “We were again overwhelmed with the amount of applications with over 70 charities putting their names forward. As a result we have again decided to continue with our online application system whereby charities that are not official partners of Leinster Rugby can still apply for once off contributions.

“With that framework in place we would hope to reach out to other charities on a monthly basis. Last season we reached out to 42 charities outside of our two partners, Cardiac Risk in the Young and The Alzheimer Society of Ireland, and we look forward to doing the same this season.”

Further information on the charity partners, in addition to how your charity can apply for support from Leinster Rugby can be found at leinsterrugby.ie/charitypartners.