SuperValu renews sponsorship of the All-Ireland Football Championship for another five years

SuperValu today revealed through research carried out by Amarách that GAA clubs have never felt more welcoming or inclusive, with 80% of members saying their club welcomes people of all backgrounds. This represents the highest levels recorded since SuperValu launched their #CommunityIncludesEveryone campaign in 2020 which has continued to drive real progress through promotion of diversity and inclusion in Gaelic Games.

The results mark a significant milestone, with 78% feeling that diversity is truly accepted within their club, and 75% agreeing that everyone has an equal opportunity to take part in Gaelic Games.

The influence of GAA clubs on the wider community is also recognised with almost two thirds of the public believing that diversity within their local GAA club will improve diversity in the wider community.

Over 70% of the public cited the importance of allies and advocates in the GAA and a further two thirds believe that campaigns like SuperValu’s #CommunityincludesEveryone are positively impacting the GAA and wider community by promoting Gaelic Games as a sport that is open to everyone.

SuperValu also announced a five-year extension of their partnership with the GAA, marking a 20-year commitment to communities across Ireland and making SuperValu the longest standing sponsor of the GAA All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.

To celebrate this milestone, SuperValu is inviting GAA clubs across Ireland to share how they bring their community together to win cash for their club, a training session with long-time ambassador David Clifford and a nutrition masterclass with performance nutritionist Daniel Davey.

Five-time All-Star and All-Ireland winning Kerry footballer David Clifford, Dublin footballer Niall Scully, All-Ireland winning Armagh footballer Jemar Hall, Galway All-Star Cillian McDaid, Cork Footballers Micheál Martin and Hannah Looney, Clare footballer Ikem Ugwueru and intercounty referee David Gough gathered in SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh to show their support for diversity and inclusion within the GAA.

Speaking at the launch, SuperValu Managing Director, Luke Hanlon, said:

“At SuperValu, we’re incredibly proud to extend our sponsorship of the All-Ireland Football Championship for another five years – a commitment that reflects our deep-rooted belief in the power of community. GAA clubs are the heartbeat of towns and villages across Ireland, built on passion, pride and community spirit. In the same way, SuperValu retailers are at the centre of communities nationwide – locally owned and operated, they too are hubs of their communities serving their customers with the same commitment and pride.

This partnership goes beyond sport, it’s about celebrating the shared values that unite us and continuing to support the people and communities that make Ireland great.

This is the fifth year of our Community Includes Everyone campaign that uses our partnership with the GAA to promote inclusivity through sport. The research highlights significant positive change over that time, and we are proud of not just the progress, but of the players, referees, volunteers, allies, our partners in the GAA and the wider GAA community who are opening doors and extending the hand of friendship to welcome people from different backgrounds into their clubs and communities.”

Attending the launch, Uachtarán CLG, Jarlath Burns, said: “We are delighted that SuperValu have renewed their partnership with the Senior Football Championship for five more years. This is a significant commitment to the GAA in which we are grateful for. The SuperValu stores augment this with support of clubs the length and breadth of Ireland. The ‘Community Includes Everyone’ campaign has highlighted the key GAA values of inclusivity and respect and it is heartening to track real progress as seen in the research”.

SuperValu has launched a national competition searching for Irelands most “Welcoming Club” in GAA communities across Ireland. Clubs are encouraged to share stories of how their club brings communities together by welcoming members from all backgrounds and abilities with four €1,000 cash prizes and a training session with David Clifford and a nutrition workshop with renowned performance nutritionist Daniel Davey.The competition is open for entries from the 30^th of April, to find out more about the competition and how to enter clubs can visit SuperValu’s social media pages.