The new three-year sponsorship deal builds on an existing partnership between the two and will provide support to the Men’s Performance team, Women’s Development Team and the under 20 team.   

As part of the partnership, McQuillan Companies will feature as principal sponsor on all team jerseys across the men’s, women’s and under 20’s teams, as well as appearing on pitch side hoarding at the training grounds and main playing grounds for the university Rugby teams. 

Welcoming the partnership, Karl Oakes, Head of Sport and Physical Wellbeing at Queen’s University Belfast, said: 

"We are delighted to welcome McQuillan Companies as principal sponsor of rugby at Queen’s. This partnership represents a shared commitment to excellence, wellbeing and opportunity for our student-athletes. Rugby at Queen’s has a proud tradition, and with McQuillan’s support, we can continue to invest in the development of both our men’s and women’s teams, enhancing their experience on and off the pitch. We look forward to working together to inspire leadership, resilience and community engagement through sport." 

Eddie Friel, Director of Alumni Engagement and Philanthropy at Queen's, added:

"Since 2012, overall student participation in sports at Queen’s has increased by 23% and we are incredibly grateful to McQuillan's for providing their support to our talented rugby players. We have a long tradition of rugby success, hosting the second oldest rugby club on the island of Ireland and boasting ninety-one fully capped Irish Internationals and twenty-two British and Irish Lions amongst its alumni. This investment will allow our women's and men's teams to continue to succeed and produce skilled professionals we can be proud of."  

Explaining McQuillan’s commitment to supporting sport as a platform for student-athletes to excel both on and off the field Niall McQuillan, Director at McQuillan Companies, said:

"We are thrilled to become principal sponsor of rugby at Queens, and continue our work with the University to support their talented student-athletes in their pursuit of excellence both on and off the pitch.  The importance of sport within education is widely acknowledged, and as a large family business we see this continued investment in Queens as a reflection of our values and professional beliefs.  This again marks another commitment to learning excellence, helping nurture and support the next generation of professionals.  As a local employer, McQuillan’s is totally committed to doing everything we can in this space with students, academics and learning institutions.   

Sponsoring rugby for women and men until 2028 will bring an even greater richness to our commitment to fostering growth, leadership, and community engagement, in our work.  We are excited to watch the students grow and strengthen both on and off the pitch, through learning and development. As a company ambitious for innovation and sustainability, we look to the local Universities here for excellence, for future leaders, innovators and experts, so we see this as a perfect investment in the future of our economy, community and the University, with everybody coming out a winner."