Mar 29, 2012
The Irish Olympic Handball Association is delighted to announce that former Ireland Rugby coach, Eddie O’Sullivan has been appointed as High Performance Advisor. His role will be to provide a more professional approach to national team programs at the IOHA.
In professionalising their approach, IOHA have bolstered their high performance unit with the additional appointment of Toni Gerona Salaet (FC Barcelona) as national team coach, David Matthews (800M dual Olympian and Cork hurling fitness coach) as Fitness Coach and Stephen McIvor (former Irish rugby international) as Sports Psychologist, alongside Eddie O’Sullivan.
It heralds a first for the organization who boast numbers in excess of 5000 now playing the sport in Ireland at schools level.
Ireland is embarking on a challenging fixture list in the coming years, beginning with the European Championship in 2014. Preparations are now underway for the qualifying tournaments for the Europeans in June where Ireland will face Romania, Israel and Belgium and the inclusion of expert consultants is seen as a necessary step towards achieving success.
Eddie O’Sullivan on his role – “It is a very exciting time for Olympic Handball in Ireland. The growth of the game nationwide and the structures being put in place around the National Team gives the sport a tremendous opportunity to advance within the European rankings in the near future. I am looking forward to assisting the organisation in
accelerating that development.”
Commenting on behalf of the IOHA, Fintan Lyons, President -”We are delighted to have Eddie on board in this advisory capacity. Eddie is a talented sport’s professional with a great track record of success. We are a small sport but we hope that Eddie can impart some of his knowledge and experience to the organisation to help bring us to the next level. Together with the appointment of our national team coach, Toni Gerona, and the support staff, we aim to give the Irish national team the tools to give their very best in the international arena. We consider these appointments to our new High Performance Unit a statement of intent about the level we want to take Olympic handball to in Ireland”
Currently ranked 41 out of 50 nations in Europe, the IOHA’s new approach is certain to accelerate the nation’s progress and lays a marker of intent towards the 2016 Olympics.
Mar 28, 2012
A new €30 million fund for important sports capital projects has been launched today by Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring TD.
This is the first round of sports capital funding for four years and demonstrates the Government’s commitment to encourage more people to take part in sport.
The Sports Capital Programme is the main channel of Government support for developing sports facilities and purchasing sports equipment for sports clubs and organisations across Ireland.
The scheme will also be open to far more clubs and groups than ever before, because a strict requirement on landownership has been relaxed. In the past, all applicants had to own their land or have it on a long lease. Minister Ring has decided that these clubs will now be able to apply for grants of up to €25,000 to upgrade facilities.
“In line with the Programme for Government, this new Sports Capital scheme will have a stronger focus on projects which increase active participation in sport, particularly in disadvantaged areas. Under this scheme pitches will be drained, floodlights will be installed, sports halls will be improved and dressing rooms will be built,” Minister Ring said.
“Thanks to these grants, people will have more opportunities than ever to get active and stay active in a wide range of sports. It will also have a positive impact on job creation in construction.”
The minimum amount of matching funding which clubs and organisations will need to provide themselves in order to apply for a grant has been halved from the previous round of the programme in 2008:
- Groups in RAPID areas will only need to raise a minimum of 5% of the project cost in order to apply;
- Groups in CLÁR areas will only need to raise a minimum of 10% of the project cost in order to apply;
- Groups in non-disadvantaged areas will only need to raise a minimum of 15% of the project cost in order to apply.
Minister Ring said he is delighted to be able to able to oversee the return of the Sports Capital Programme. However, with less money available than in the past, many grants will be smaller. He also stressed that the Department will monitor spending by clubs closely in order to ensure it is utilised fully for the purpose intended.
Application forms and information about how to apply is available on the website:www.sportscapitalprogramme.ie.
The deadline for applications made online and those made in Irish (and hard copy of the signed application form and all supporting documentation) must reach the Department by 5pm on Friday 1st June 2012.
Paper based applications (and all supporting documentation) must reach the Department by 5pm on Friday 11th May 2012.
Mar 27, 2012
“Confidence and competence” key to the growth of Camogie says O’Tuathaigh
A Game of Our Own: Camogie’s Story was officially launched on Friday, March 23rd in Claregalway by Camogie Association President Joan O’Flynn.
Amongst the large attendance was special guest Gearóid Ó Tuathaigh, Professor Emeritus in History, NUI Galway and a member of the Council of State.
Speaking at the event Professor O’Tuathaigh said:
“From it’s founding in 1904 the players and administrative leaders of Camogie had consistently demonstrated that combination of confidence and competence without which, any organisation, sporting or other, can develop and prosper.
The growth and development of Camogie as Ireland’s leading female sport since the early twentieth century is a testament to strong, enlightened leadership, the ability to adapt to, and in vital areas to shape, successive waves of massive social change – in the status and public presence of women, in popular leisure and sport, in the media and technology.
A Game of Our Own: Camogie’s Story is a compendious work of reference, richly illustrated and containing many insights into important aspects of Irish social history, notably the empowerment of women, during the past century.”
President of the Camogie Association Joan O’Flynn stated:
“We are delighted that A Game of Our Own: Camogie’s Story is taking centre stage inConnacht, a province which has contributed so magnificently to the growth and development of camogie down through the decades.
It has been to the forefront, hosting the very first All Ireland Senior Camogie Final in 1932 and making a lasting impact in the intervening decades. Indeed the game is undergoing a‘re-birth’ in counties such as Mayo while start up clubs are flourishing inSligoand Leitrim. It is also worth highlighting the consistently high level of performance achieved by strong traditional camogie counties such asGalwayand Roscommon to date.”
Sinéad O’Connor, Ard Stiúrthóir of the Camogie Association; Jackie Brien, Chair of Connacht Camogie Council and Mary Moran, author of A Game of Our Own: Camogie’s Story, were also amongst the large attendance at Friday night’s event.
A Game of Our Own: Camogie’s Story was officially launched by the Camogie Association at Croke Park on December 15th 2011. A final launch of the book will take place at a Mayoral Reception in Cork City Hall on March 29th at which the Minister of State for Disability, Equality, Mental Health and Older People, Kathleen Lynch will attend.
Mar 26, 2012
Swim Ireland, the national governing body for swimming, water-polo, diving and associated aquatic sports in Ireland, is seeking to appoint a part time (25 hours per week) Women in Sport Officer. Swim Ireland, supported by the Irish Sports Council and would be pleased to receive applications for the above post.
Please refer to the job description and specification document for a comprehensive summary of the candidate requirements.
The successful candidate will report to the Swim Ireland Finance & Commercial Manager with Support from the Director of Education for delivering the following initiatives detailed in the 2012 Swim Ireland Women in Sport, Irish Sports Council grant submission. You will also be expected to support the delivery of other Swim Ireland programmes.
- Meet & Swim: The creation of sessions in facilities throughout Ireland where Irish Women can meet and swim together. The sessions would be aimed at persons who can swim a little and with expert advice and the support of others could progress significantly.
- Swim-Fit Clinics: Clinics aimed specifically at people who can swim a little and do not feel lessons are for them or those who learnt to swim a number of years ago now but have not really been swimming since. The purpose of the clinics would be to offer them advice on their technique, standard, goal-setting and opportunities in order to get them started into more regular participation in swimming.
- Swimathon Series: The creation of a Swimathon Series consisting of a number of swims, namely the 250m, 500m, 1,000m & culminating in the 1,500m in a series of pools around the country.
- Masters Swimming – The Fun Option: Seeking to work with Masters Swimming to redevelop their offering and to focus on the recreational element of their sport to support an increase in their membership.
The successful applicant will be expected to plan, implement and maintain a vibrant, relevant and informative communications and public relations strategy around the above initiatives including inter-alia a Swim Ireland Women in Sport website, social media, advertising and branding.
Applicants must demonstrate their experience and provide evidence in successful project work. They must also demonstrate strong organisational, communication, administrative skills and demonstrate ability in building partnerships/working as part of a team.
The initial contract is for 12 months part-time. We are hopeful that the position will be continued thereafter subject to receipt of relevant Sports Council funding.
The post is part-time working 25 hours per week. The successful candidate would need to be in a position to commence employment within approximately a month of receipt of the job offer.
Prospective applicants should seek further information on the post from Ed Wyeth at the contact details below.
Applications should include a detailed yet concise CV and a detailed letter of application for the post including: 1. Reasons for why you want the job and 2. Experience that you have in relation to the Job Specification. Finally please also include any other relevant information that you may have in relation to the post. Applications will not be considered unless both a letter of application and full CV are included
View the full job description here.
The closing date for applications is 11th April 2012
Applications should be marked ‘Private and Confidential’ and addressed to:
Ed Wyeth, Finance & Commercial Manager
Swim Ireland, Sports HQ, Park West, 13 Joyce Way, Dublin 12,
finance@swimireland.ie
00353 87 419 3055 (Mobile)
Swim Ireland is an equal opportunities employer
Mar 23, 2012
The International Rugby Board (IRB) has insisted that New Zealand’s staging of the 2011 Rugby World Cup exceeded expectations, after revealing encouraging initial financial results for the competition.
Tournament owners Rugby World Cup Limited (RWCL) on Thursday said New Zealand 2011 is on track to achieve a net surplus of more than £90 million, £10 million more than previous estimates, making it the second highest revenue-earning event in the history of the tournament. Gross commercial revenues of £142 million were within 3% of the total achieved for the record-breaking France 2007 event. The IRB believes the figures are a major achievement for the tournament, which took place amidst the global economic downturn in a smaller domestic marketplace and in a non-European timezone.
“These excellent results represent a strong endorsement of the Rugby World Cup brand and rugby brands generally in the global commercial marketplace,” said RWCL chairman Bernard Lapasset. “The game is currently in excellent health, we now have 5.5 million men, women and children playing in more countries than ever before and there is no doubt that the success of Rugby World Cup has been a major contributing factor to this growth.”
The 2011 World Cup was the largest event ever hosted in New Zealand. More than 1.35 million fans took their seats at 48 matches with revenue from ticket sales surpassing the NZ$268.5 million (US$218 million) target set by tournament organiser Rugby New Zealand 2011. This equated to more than 10 times the gross revenue generated by the next biggest sporting event hosted by New Zealand, the 2005 British and Irish Lions tour. In addition, more than 133,000 fans travelled to New Zealand from overseas, nearly double original forecasts. The tournament is estimated to have boosted economic activity in New Zealand by more than NZ$500 million.
“The financial results also reflect the significant commitment and support of the tournament by our Unions and are a strong endorsement of our long-term hosting strategy,” said Lapasset. “The awarding of Rugby World Cup 2015 to England and Rugby World Cup 2019 to Japan at the same time has provided certainty for our commercial partners and broadcasters and has ultimately enabled the IRB to take a 10-year strategic view to global investment to ensure that our Tier 1 base is strong while maintaining our investment in Tier 2 and 3 and developing rugby markets.”
He added: “This is particularly encouraging given that Rugby World Cup 2007 was hosted at the height of the global economic boom, while Rugby World Cup 2011 was hosted amidst an uncertain economic climate in a smaller domestic marketplace and in a non-European time zone.” The full IRB group results for 2011 will be announced in May following the completion of the reporting process to the IRB Council.
Source: http://www.sportbusiness.com/news/185279/new-zealand-s-rugby-world-cup-exceeds-financial-expectations
Mar 23, 2012
Four major sporting governing bodies have signed up to a new Government plan to develop the National Sports Campus in Blanchardstown, with work set to start this year, Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar announced today (Tuesday).
Under the new plan:
- GAA, Hockey, Rugby & Soccer have signed up to accept and develop their
own facilities on site;
- Campus infrastructure and technical services will be installed before the end of
2012;
- All-Weather Field Sports Facilities will be developed over the next two years,
and will be open to the public;
- 19 National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of Sport will join FAI on Campus within a
year;
- NSCDA will seek private funding for a National Indoor Sports Arena;
- Work is starting on a new HQ for the Irish Sports Council.
Minister Varadkar was joined by the chief executives of the Gaelic Athletic Association, the Irish Rugby Football Union, the Football Association of Ireland and the Irish Hockey Association to launch the new plan, as well as by representatives of the National Sports Campus Development Authority (NSCDA).
Minister Varadkar said: ‘This marks a new beginning for the National Sports Campus and I am delighted that these four sporting organisations have come on board under this new plan – the Development Through Partnership plan. Despite the current economic situation the Government, the NSCDA and the sporting organisations have worked together to drive this exciting project forward. I expect to see good progress being made over the next 12 months’.
“All four bodies have agreed in principle to develop their sections of the Campus. For its part, the Government has allocated funding to develop the vital access route and provide serviced infrastructure this year. The Government has also provided a limited and equal financial incentive of matching funding for each body to commence development as soon as possible.
“The Bertie Bowl is no more, but the National Sports Campus lives on. The FAI, the National Aquatic Centre and the Irish Institute of Sport are already on site. The new Irish Sport HQ will provide a home for around 19 other sporting organisations. Multi-purpose all-weather pitches and training facilities for GAA, Soccer, Rugby and Hockey will follow.”
Speaking on behalf of the NSCDA, Mr Sean Benton, the newly-appointed Chairman of the Authority, welcomed the Minister’s comments. He said that the Authority was equally confident that a vital piece of Irish national sporting infrastructure will be established at Blanchardstown.
“We are totally committed to the creation of a world-class facility which will provide our sportsmen and sportswomen with the facilities which they deserve as they continue to do us all proud. We are delighted with the Government’s renewed commitment to the project. We are also delighted with their attitude which has enabled us to bring the project forward in a new spirit of partnership, flexibility and cooperation.”
Heads of Agreement
The FAI, GAA, IRFU and IHA have signed Heads of Agreement to accept and develop the areas allocated to them on the Campus, in line with the overall Master Plan design for the 520 acre site. Significant work will take place on the Campus over the next 12 months, despite the constraints imposed by the economic situation. Equal grants of matching funding will be awarded to each body to further develop the facilities on their sites.
Essential access works
Work on the access road and serviced infrastructure will begin in September, and will be completed by the end of 2012. This will allow the FAI, GAA, IRFU and IHA access to serviced sites, enabling the development of their own facilities within the overall Campus Development Control Plan.
Irish Sport HQ
Work on refurbishing an existing building on site as a new Irish Sport HQ for around 19 National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of sport is underway and is scheduled for completion by November this year. They will join the FAI which relocated its HQ to the Campus in December 2007, and the Irish Institute of Sport which is already based in the Campus.
All weather pitches
Work will start on a series of all-weather, multi-sport pitches and a pavilion adjacent to the National Aquatic Centre. These will be available for use by the major field sports as well as the public, on sustainable commercial terms. This will also ensure there is real community gain from the project. The pitches and the pavilion will be completed over the next two years.
Philanthropy
The NSCDA will shortly launch a campaign to seek private funding for the National Indoor Training Arena on the site. Proposed facilities would include the National Indoor Athletics Track, the National Gymnastics Centre and a Multi-Sport court for the major indoor sports.
Abbotstown House
Essential work has been conducted on Abbotstown House. The building is expected to be the new HQ of the Irish Sports Council following its proposed merger with the NSCDA, within three or four years.
