Former President of the Referee Association and former Chairman of Connacht Schools Noel Carpenter passed away this morning.

Noel who played his club rugby at UCG and Galwegians represented Connacht between 1960 and 1965. Indeed he played in the last Connacht team to win in Ravenhill when they defeated Ulster by 6 points to 3 points in November 1960.

Noel took up refereeing on finishing his playing career and was President of the Association of Referees Connacht Branch 1988/89 and 1989/90

Connacht Rugby would like to pass on its sympathies to the Noel’s wife Áine and the rest of the Carpenter family.

Connacht Rugby claim prestigious award

Connacht Rugby took a top prize in the Galway Chamber President's Dinner & Business Awards 2011 last Saturday. The Award for Arts, Sports & Culture was bestowed on the club in recognition of it’s contribution to the local economy in Galway over the last number of years.

Commercial Manager Fiona Keys was presented with the award on behalf of Connacht Rugby at the exclusive awards ceremony in the Clayton Hotel, Ballybrit on Sturday night.
The Galway Chamber recognised the importance of Connacht Rugby to the local economy acknowledging the fact that in the past year the club employed over 70 people and contributed nearly €3 million to the economy in wages. With 16 teams visiting Galway last year over 650 beds were filled by travelling squads while their supporters booked between 1,000 and 2,000 hotel rooms. For Connacht’s lucrative Inter-Provincial clashes the city saw an increase of over 4,000 day-trippers with visiting fans spending in the region of €1.35 million on food and beverages whilst the headline figure showed that Connacht Rugby contributed approximately €6 million to the Galway economy.

With Connacht competing in the Heineken Cup for the 1st time this year there will be an extra boost in visitors to the Province. Connacht welcome French rugby powerhouses Toulouse on the 19th of November and with the Sportsground already sold out and many more travelling to Galway to sample the atmosphere the city is set for a tourism bonanza. December and January sees visits from Aviva Premiership giants Harlequins and Gloucester as Europe’s elite cup competition continues in the West.

Speaking about the award Connacht Rugby CEO Gerry Kelly said:

“We’re delighted to be presented with this award. It recognises the hard work that has been done both on and off the pitch at Connacht Rugby and we look forward to continuing to drive the economy in the region for many years to come.”
“This recognition also acknowledges the work of our commercial and marketing team led by Fiona Keys”
“The Galway Chamber work very hard with the local business to maintain the city as a vibrant hub of tourism and culture and we are very pleased to play an active role in helping to achieve this.”
“I’d like to pay special tribute to the businesses across the Province who have supported us over the years. This vital support, be they sponsors, suppliers or loyal fans enables us to continue to represent the Province across Europe.”

AER ARANN AND CONNACHT RISE UP AND FRONT UP TOGETHER FOR ANOTHER 3 SEASONS

Aer Arann has once again teamed up with Connacht Rugby to remain as the Official Airline of the Connacht Rugby team until 2014 as part of a renewed sponsorship agreement.

Aer Arann will continue to invest significantly in Connacht Rugby over the next three years, including the provision of complimentary scheduled and charter flights to rugby destinations throughout Ireland, the UK and France.

Commenting on the official announcement Aer Arann Corporate Affairs Director Andrew Kelly said, “We’ve enjoyed a fantastic relationship with the Connacht Rugby team and fans over the last 6 years and we’re delighted to stay on board again as the official airline of Connacht for the next three seasons”

“We look forward to continuing to welcome both the Connacht players and fans on board our flights in the future”, he continued.

Tim Allnutt, Team Manager, Connacht Rugby said, “Aer Arann has been flying the Connacht Rugby team to rugby destinations for six years and the current agreement really demonstrates their continued commitment to Connacht Rugby. We are delighted that Aer Arann continues to be on the Connacht jersey and we look forward to continuing to work successfully with them over the next 3 years.”

Aer Arann and members of the Connacht Rugby squad recently teamed up to promote both brands in a dedicated TV advert which will run on Setanta throughout the Rugby World Cup.

Pictured at the announcement of the official sponsorship agreement recently were: (from L to R) Connacht Rugby’s Eoin Griffin, Frank Murphy, Aer Arann Regional cabin crew Karen McCarthy, Connacht’s Niall O’Connor and George Naoupu

With a large crowd expected in the Sportsground for Connacht's first home game of the season today, parking in the ground is extremely limeited. As a result there will be no public parking available in the College Road carpark. There is however parking available in Moneenaghiesha Community College, a four minute walk from the ground.