Irish Hockey Association Announces Setanta Sports Trophy

IHA ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF SETANTA SPORTS TROPHY

The Irish Hockey Association today unveiled an exciting new international hockey tournament to be held in Ireland for at least the next three years. Running as a joint men’s and women’s tournament, the new invitational competition will feature top world nations competing with Ireland annually in what will be a key preparation event for nations competing in elite European and World competitions later in the year.

Setanta Sports is the title sponsor and will be providing full coverage of all matches of both the men’s and women’s events.  The sponsorship is part of a broader three-year commitment from Setanta Sports to Irish Hockey, which will see the sports television network broadcast at least 29 school, club and international hockey matches in full every year.  In addition to the Setanta Sports Trophy, the sports broadcaster will now provide coverage of the semi-finals and finals of the Men’s and ESB Women’s All-Ireland Club Championships, the ESB Kate Russell All-Ireland Schoolgirls Championship and the Leinster Schoolgirls Cup Final for a further three years.

The details of the 2007 Setanta Sports Trophy, which will follow a four-nations tournament format, were also released by the IHA today.  This competition will be held from 13th June 2007 to 17th June 2007 at the National Hockey Stadium in UCD, Dublin.

In the Women’s Setanta Sports Trophy, Ireland will compete with Olympic Champions Germany, South Africa and Scotland. In the Men’s Setanta Sports Trophy, Ireland do battle with Canada, Egypt and Wales.  Both men’s and women’s competitions will be held simultaneously, providing an exciting festival of high level competitive men’s and women’s international hockey in June.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for the Irish sporting public to see both our senior national teams in competitive action against top hockey nations in their preparations for the Eurohockey Nations Championships in Manchester in August,” said IHA Chief Executive Paul Varian today.

“Our goal in creating this high-level, prestigious annual tournament is to ensure that the Irish sporting public is exposed to top, competitive international hockey year-on-year.  In the Setanta Sports Trophy, we have achieved this and we are delighted that Setanta Sports has extended this commitment to Irish hockey and offered exciting hockey competitions to their subscribers.  We are very enthused at the prospect of an exhilarating competition this June and for years to come.”

“We are delighted to be the sponsors of this exciting new hockey competition and are looking forward to showing the games on Setanta Ireland,” said Setanta Ireland CEO Niall Cogley today. “Setanta’s commitment to this event reflects the continued growth of both hockey in Ireland and Setanta Sports. The matches add to the unrivalled sports content that Setanta is now offering its viewers.”

ESB will also sponsor the Women’s Setanta Sports Trophy, as part of its National Sponsorship of Women’s and Girl’s Hockey in Ireland.

“We are delighted that we can continue to offer increased value to ESB in their sponsorship, which reflects the excellent partnership the IHA and ESB have built over the last two years,” continued Varian. “The addition of the Setanta Sports Trophy to the suite of properties now offered to sponsors makes the National Sponsorship of Men’s and Boy’s Hockey an attractive value proposition to other potential sponsors.”

2007 Setanta Sports Trophy Details

Venue:  The National Hockey Stadium, UCD, Dublin

                        World Ranking                                      World Ranking

Men’s                                                  Women’s

Egypt                           15                     Germany                                   4

Canada                         16                     South Africa                              12

Ireland                          19                     Ireland                                      14

Wales                            25                     Scotland                                    17

Match Schedule

Wed 13th June 2007

Ireland v South Africa (w)

Ireland v Canada (m)

Thursday 14th June 2007

Germany v Scotland (w)

Egypt v Wales (m)

Friday 15th June 2007

Germany v South Africa (w)

Canada v Wales (m)

Ireland v Scotland (w)

Ireland v Egypt (m)

Saturday 16th June 2007

South Africa v Scotland (w)

Ireland v Germany (w)

Egypt v Canada (m)

Ireland v Wales (m)

Sunday 17th June 2007

Women 4th v 3rd

Women 2nd v 1st

Men 4th v 3rd

Men 2nd v 1st