Queen’s Sport are pleased to announce a new partnership with Derry Group Ireland which will see the company sponsoring the Elite Athlete programme, the Rugby First XV and the Freshers Hurling Team. Derry Group Ireland are the leading specialist in the storage, order picking and distribution of chilled and frozen product throughout Ireland with depots in Armagh, Dublin and Cork. Their support for performance sport at Queen’s has been warmly welcomed by Aidan O’Rourke, Performance Sport Manager.

“We are delighted to have the support of such a prestigious company, and we are proud to partner with a dynamic organization, which excels in its own field. Queen’s is one of the premier sporting universities in the UK and Ireland and many of our students compete at the highest levels locally, nationally and internationally. The endorsement of Derry Group Ireland enables us to continue to support our student athletes to excel both academically and in sporting terms.”

The Elite Athlete programme at Queen’s University Belfast supports more than twenty of our most talented students each year with a full suite of coaching and performance services. Since the introduction of the programme, Queen’s students have enjoyed increasing levels of national and international success. Six Queen’s graduates took part in the Tokyo Olympics and ten in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, all of whom had been supported by Elite Athlete, Academy or Sports Bursary funding. These programmes currently support athletes such as Connor Clarke, a plus 5 handicap golfer; Caleb Bowden a member of the Great Britain Canoe Polo Team and Meabh Clenaghan, Ulster Ladies Senior rugby player.

Derry Group Ireland’s sponsorship will also support the very successful Queen’s Rugby First XV, who won promotion to the Energia All Ireland League first division last year. The Club has produced some of the country’s most well-known players and it will soon provide a new group of Under 20 Ireland internationals. In recent weeks, Scottie Wilson and Lorcan McLoughlin from Queen’s Rugby have made their Ulster Senior debuts and played in crunch games at the Kingspan Stadium.

The Queen’s Freshers Hurlers are also now supported by Derry Group Ireland. Queen’s Hurling attracts large numbers of student players, and the Club competes across Ireland. The support of Derry Group Ireland will be vital in enabling the Club to take part in these national competitions.

Fiona Derry, Director of Legal, Compliance and HR at Derry Group Ireland said:

“Derry Group Ireland is a company that performs to the highest standards so there is a natural synergy with students who wish to achieve the highest sporting and academic standards. We are pleased to be working in partnership with Queen’s Sport and their Elite Athlete Programme, Rugby and Hurling Clubs to enable these students to reach the pinnacle of their sports and achieve academic excellence.”