Legacy Communications team pledges its support for equality for female inter-county players
The Gaelic Players Association is delighted to welcome one of Ireland’s biggest sponsorship, brand and communications firms, Legacy Communications, on board as a preferred sponsorship agency for the players’ body. Legacy has pledged its support to ensure female inter-county players are compensated at the same level as their male counterparts for promotional activity on behalf of brands and sponsors, where the same work is carried out.
Legacy now join two other major agencies in making the following commitment: “We, the undersigned, will work with the GPA to strive for equal treatment for male and female inter-county players in our industry and will, at all times, use the best of our endeavors to ensure that is recognised in the work we do on behalf of our clients. This includes how players are compensated for their work on promotional activity, sponsorship activation and product endorsements. In signing this pledge, we hope that our influence within the sporting industry can further bolster the movement towards equality for female athletes, a movement we whole heartedly endorse and in which we have long sought to take a leading role.”
As part of this arrangement the GPA has now designated Legacy as a preferred sports and sponsorship agency and will endorse them to existing and new commercial partners.
Since its inception Legacy has had strong links to Gaelic games and has worked with some of the biggest sponsors in hurling, camogie and football. Legacy was originally founded by Dublin football legend Bernard Brogan and his cousin James Brogan and has a highly skilled and talented team handpicked from the best of Marketing; PR; SEO; Content Marketing; Sponsorship and Digital PR talent in Ireland.
Welcoming today’s announcement on behalf of inter-county players, GPA Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager Gemma Begley said; “Everyone in the sports industry needs to visibly and practically get behind the push towards equality if it is to become a reality across the board. It is fantastic to see Legacy throw its considerable weight behind this pledge. We have been aware for a long time of the work they do to champion female athletes so its is great to have Legacy Communications on board alongside Teneo and Wilson Hartnell from an inter-county player’s perspective. I do want to reiterate that this is not a closed shop by any matter of means. Should other agencies want to get involved they should not hesitate to contact us.”
Shireen McDonagh, Head of Brand & Sponsorship at Legacy Communications said “Legacy has always been an advocate for and driver of equality both on and off the field, working with our clients to ensure equal rights, diversity and fairness in the work that we produce. In addition to our Sponsorship team, this pledge has backing of the full Legacy team, from senior leadership to administrative level, including SEO, Digital, Brand and Communications teams, so as to ensure all teams within the agency adhere to standards set out by the GPA pledge. We’re delighted to support the GPA in this initiative and pledge, that goes a step further pushing for equality for female inter-county players.
This marks another step on the journey towards equality for female inter-county players. Already equitable public funding has been secured through government grants, while the GPA has also reshaped its board of directors to have a 50:50 gender split and the executive officers on its National Executive Committee (NEC) are also divided equally. Former Tyrone footballer Gemma Begley was appointed as Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manger within the association to oversee work in this area while the members of a new Equality sub-committee of the GPA’s NEC will be announced in the near future.
