DCU to host the 2019 Union Cup

The Union Cup, Europe’s biggest LGBT+ inclusive rugby tournament will be held this June 8-9th, at DCU with an expected 45 teams from 15 countries to participate.

Union Cup Dublin will host a dedicated women’s tournament for the first time, alongside the men’s.

Nigel Owens, MBE, current world record holder for most test matches refereed, will be officiating the final in June.

Standing shoulder to shoulder with Nigel in support of inclusive rugby, will be Irish women’s international Lindsay Peat (DCU alumna) and Minister Katherine Zappone.

Joining the tournament line-up as official partners are Bank of Ireland, Guinness and Vodafone, who proudly champion diversity and inclusion both on and off the pitch.

Host team, Emerald Warriors, and tournament supporters, the IRFU, are inviting everyone in Ireland, not just the rugby community, to #TryWithPride to enjoy the family-friendly festival, as international teams battle it out on the pitch.

Also, in celebration of her work and dedication to equality, LGBT+ rights and inclusion, host team, Emerald Warriors, has written Dr. Ann Louise Gilligan into sporting history with a legacy for future tournaments. The Women's Union Cup will be dedicated to the memory of Dr Gilligan with Union Cup Chairman Richie Fagan highlighting the contribution of Dr Gilligan to the LGBT+ community.

Union Cup Chairman, Richie Fagan, said:

“We are passionately promoting diversity and inclusion in sport. We believe that rugby is a game for all.

There’s never been a more exciting time in Ireland to host an inclusive, high-level rugby tournament, with a dash of glitter.

We are excited to showcase pride in rugby, as Ireland has never seen before.”

The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Dr Katherine Zappone said:

“Sport is the lifeblood of Ireland. For players and followers alike it sparks excitement, passion and joy. No-one should be excluded from this. Sport and Rugby are for everyone.

By hosting the Union Cup the Emerald Warriors are leading the way and I am thrilled to see the entire Irish ruby community row in behind them. The inclusion of a dedicated women’s tournament is a very welcome development and the Union Cup is to be congratulated for striving to be even more inclusive. I look forward to two-days of passion and fun this June and wish all who are travelling to Dublin a céad míle fáilte”

Rory Sheridan, Head of Partnerships, Guinness, said:

“As a long standing supporter of rugby, Guinness is proud to announce its partnership with Union Cup Dublin.

Rugby has an extraordinary capacity to unite, and this tournament celebrates the unique camaraderie and friendship at the heart of the sport.

We are particularly excited that Union Cup Dublin will spotlight inclusivity in the women's game by hosting the first dedicated women’s tournament, alongside the men’s."

Gemma Bell, Sponsorship Manager at Bank of Ireland commented:

“Bank of Ireland is proud to be an official partner of this year’s Union Cup tournament. As an organisation, our purpose is to enable our customers, colleagues and communities to thrive and in order to do this - it is important to reflect the diversity of our customer base. Bank of Ireland is at the heart of rugby across the island of Ireland and we are looking forward to welcoming over 50 teams from across Europe to DCU for the Union Cup in June.”

Speaking at the event James Magill, HR Director at Vodafone, said; “Partnering with the Union Cup allows us to combine two elements of our business that we are immensely proud of; our partnership with Irish Rugby and The Vodafone Ireland LGBT+ Friends Network.

This Network is a grassroots, employee-led initiative that aims to inspire, empower and support our LGBT+ colleagues to ensure that everyone at Vodafone Ireland can be at their best both inside and outside of work. We feel that this ethos is absolutely reflected in the ethos of the Union Cup. Equally, since we began as Ireland rugby’s lead partner in 2016 we have always focused on the power of the support from the 6 million people on the island of Ireland through #TeamOfUs. The #TeamOfUs support very much extends to the Union Cup and it is something we are proud to be a part of,” he concluded.

David Keane, Irish Rugby, Participation Rugby Operations Manager:

Rugby prides itself on being an inclusive sport and we are delighted to assist the Emerald Warriors in hosting the Union Cup. We will support the tournament across all of our digital platforms while assisting with the delivery of a great weekend of rugby. We believe this is an opportunity for everyone in Irish rugby to celebrate diversity and inclusion and underline rugby’s commitment to a sport for all.”

Why is Union Cup important?

- 17% LGBT+ are members of a sports club or team*

- 55% of LGBT men, 56% women not active enough to maintain good health (compared to 33% / 45% general population)*

- 84% of gay men, 82% gay women reported experiencing homophobic insults while participating in sports* *Sport, physical activity and LGBT report 2016 - Sport England

Tickets available from www.unioncupdublin.ie; €10 Adult, €5 Child (under 2 go free), all profits go to Belong To LGBT youth services.

About Union Cup

Union Cup is a biennial LGBT+ inclusive rugby tournament. The aim is to make sporting accessible for LGBT individuals to promote health and wellbeing through physical activity. The inaugural Union Cup was hosted in 2005 in Montepellier and was a tournament between seven teams. It has since grown to include over an anticipated 45 teams in 2019. Host team, Emerald Warriors, won the bid to host the tournament in 2017. Pictured (l-r) Former Ireland and Leinster Rugby player, Gordon D'Arcy, Minister Katherine Zappone, Lindsay Peat, Nigel Owens.