Hockey Ireland and Queen B Athletics are delighted to announce after an extremely successful first year as partners, that they are extending their current partnership with the Irish Women’s Hockey Team for another four years. The renewed sponsorship includes “Green Army” limited edition Queen B “Daisy” leggings for the current squad, along with the now iconic Official “Green Army” Sports Bra.
The initial partnership was struck up at a 20×20 event, when a conversation between the two parties lead to the simple but powerful question being asked, “Why doesn’t an Official Sports Bra Sponsor exist?”
Hockey Ireland and Queen B made waves last year when they announced their partnership a few weeks ahead of the Irish Women’s Olympic Qualifier success in Donnybrook last year. The team went on to make history becoming the first Irish Women’s Hockey team to qualify for an Olympic Games. However, they had also made history a few weeks beforehand, becoming the first national team to have an Official Sports Bra Supplier; an official supplier for what is considered an essential piece of kit to all active females, whether it is at elite international level or someone taking their first steps on a Couch to 5k programme.
“Sports bras are not underwear, they are kit. I think this partnership is part of a bigger picture. It’s part of a movement that recognises the importance of truly functional kit for women. Women deserve all of their kit to be considered essential. Hockey Ireland share this belief and together we can use our platforms to promote the Green Army, women in sport, an increase in participation and spectatorship.” said co-founder Brid Ryan.
With this in mind, we’ve created the first of its kind, a Supporters Sports Bra. Similar to the squad’s official sports bra, we’ve created a Supporters Sports Bra and will be making it available for fans to purchase on Wednesday September 30th from www.queenbathletics.com. While the squads Sports Bras are plain navy with little green accents, Ireland is stitched on the front, with the Hockey Ireland and Queen B logos on each side, and “Green Army” is present on the back, the Supporters Sports Bra has emerald green straps and features the Hockey Ireland logo on the front. The all-important “Green Army” is stitched into the back to seal the deal on the first ever OFFICIAL Supporters Sports Bra.
“Since we announced the partnership last year, we’ve definitely seen an increased interest in teams approaching us for customised sports bras. It’s such an important aspect of your kit and we make sure it’s designed and fitted perfectly for your team,” continued Brid.
The announcement ties in well with the current chapter of the 20×20 campaign, #ThinkItAskIt. “Why doesn’t an Official Sports Bra Sponsor exist?” Now there it does. What next? The Supporters Sports Bra. The Green Army is recruiting. And We Want YOU! #NoPlaceForAPrincess