AIB extends League sponsorship into 2005

ALLIED IRISH BANKS (AIB) is to extend its sponsorship of the All Ireland League for a further season and seems determined to continue a big involvement in rugby beyond.

The bank, which has sponsored the League for the past seven seasons, has agreed to the new deal to afford both IRFU and the clubs the time to come up with a new format for season 2005/2006, an issue already debated and now, apparently, agreed between most of the people involved.

Developments in Irish professional rugby have left a lot of people angry as the ground was literally taken from under the grassroots of the game.