Press Release: 4th March 2021

The sponsorship will allow the club to provide the players with more resources and support outside of day-to-day expenses, which opens-up a field of opportunity for Wexford Youths Women’s FC. The players currently cover all expenses themselves, including travel to and from matches even at professional level, unlike their male counterparts.

Female athletes should have an equal opportunity to excel in sport and be provided the same opportunities, and this inequality is just one of many barriers that can prevent women and girls playing and remaining in sport. For many reasons, not all women are in the position to afford to invest financially in club membership or sporting clothing and equipment. Energia is delighted to be in a position of making a real difference to the players on this team by removing these possible barriers for entry, and to help those on the team continue to thrive during a very difficult time for women in sport.

Sponsorship deals are vital to the future and sustainability of women’s sport and have a key role in helping to continue to overcome barriers. Sponsorships can help showcase women’s talent, allowing them to be recognised for what they are, elite athletes.

Kylie Murphy, Captain of Wexford Youths WFC said: “We are incredibly grateful to Energia for giving us the support that we need to compete at an elite level. This sponsorship means a lot to us and will make a huge difference to the club and to each player individually. Determination, disappointment, excitement, adversity, winning, losing, these are all a part of the game whether you are a man or a woman. Thankfully, with larger companies like Energia getting behind female athletes, they are facilitating a positive cultural change around women’s and girls’ involvement in sport and are helping us overcome some of the barriers we face, which is very exciting.”

Alan Browne, Chairperson of Wexford Youths WFC said: “We are delighted Energia have confirmed a new three-year sponsorship. Energia’s support will bring Wexford Youths to an elite level and the assurance of a three-year contract will allow the club to focus more on future opportunities and truly ascend the game. Over the years, some exceptionally talented women haven’t been able to pay their annual membership fee, which is very tough. On the back of Energia’s support we have begun looking at a football academy for women, which is huge. Sponsoring women's sport involves much more than a financial investment because it demonstrates an investment in equality and meaningful change within the sporting industry.”  

Marketing Acquisitions and Sponsorship Manager at Energia, Amy O’Shaughnessy said: Energia is proud to continue our support of Wexford Youths Women. We are thrilled to confirm our new three-year sponsorship and we hope this helps to give women in football more opportunity to be taken as seriously as their male counterparts. Women’s sport is thriving and the successes of women’s teams and athletes in tournaments is at an all-time high. It’s important that women, like Wexford Youths WFC, get the support they need to compete at their best. We are excited to see what the next three years will bring for the team.”

Wexford Youths will take on Peamount United at home on Saturday 27^th of March, the women’s first fixture of 2021.

Energia has sponsored the Wexford Youths Women FC through a kit sponsorship agreement since 2014.

For further information visit www.energia.ie or follow Energia on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.