GAA stars score with energy drink campaign

TEN GAA players are to front a marketing campaign for a new sports energy drink which will be launched this week by Cantrell & Cochrane.

The deal, which has been organised by the GPA, will result in each of the players receiving 2,250 for the use of their image rights. The players’ images will be utilised on billboards along with promotion displays at points of sale nationwide.

Kilkenny’s DJ Carey, Dublin’s Jason Sherlock and Tipperary’s Eoin Kelly are three of the players believed to be involved in the new endorsement deal.

GPA chief executive Dessie Farrell admitted to being delighted with the deal and believes that it marks a further indication of the opportunities available to GAA players.

“Ten players are being used up front in billboards, posters and point of sale material,” said Mr Farrell. “There will be other players involved in other promotional activity around the product. It’s not just a straightforward endorsement deal, it will be much bigger and more comprehensive than that.”

Ironically, the agreement comes in the wake of criticism from Drury Sports, who claimed that the player’s body is a failure at earning financial rewards for GAA stars. Drury Sports were the company who organised the controversial Paddy Power hurley sponsorship for Wexford and Cork players in last weekend’s All-Ireland hurling semi-final.

Meanwhile, record figures are attending the Bank of Ireland SFC, according to the sponsors. A total of 1,053,393 have attended the championship matches to date, an increase of 50,000 on the same stage last year.

The estimated attendance at the qualifiers have also increased, with almost 87,000 more watching the back door games live this year than the 166,311 who attended last year’s games.