Ennis Rugby Football Club has been chosen winners of the Clare County award in this year’s Texaco Support for Sport initiative.
€5,000 has been presented to the Club to help fund a significant development of its facilities which includes the construction of three full-size playing pitches, new dressing rooms and a 200-space car park.
Founded in 1823, Ennis Rugby Football Club is the largest of its kind in Clare and has stood as the central hub for rugby coaching and enjoyment in the county for over a century. It currently draws membership from many towns and villages and features 17 teams, with male and female players, ranging from under 7s to adults.
Now in its fourth year, the Texaco Support for Sport initiative – organised by Valero Energy (Ireland) Limited, the company that markets fuel in Ireland under the Texaco brand – sees a fund of EUR130,000 set aside annually for allocation in equal amounts of EUR5,000 to successful applicants chosen on a county-by-county basis. Previous Clare winners were Shannon Jets Basketball Club (2021), Ennis Hockey Club (2022) and Clare Comets Basketball Club (2023).
Congratulating the winners on what he termed ‘the invaluable contribution that sports clubs make to the heart of community life in Ireland’, James Twohig, Director of Ireland Operations, Valero Energy (Ireland) Limited praised the unstinting work of club officials and volunteers, stating that “since its inception, in excess of €500,000 has been distributed to a variety of more than 100 sports clubs under the Texaco Support for Sport initiative”.
Overseeing the judging process was Texaco Support for Sport ambassador, former Irish rugby international and well-known broadcaster, Donncha O’Callaghan. Commenting, he said, “As adjudicator, the most heartening aspect of the Texaco Support for Sport initiative is the benefit it brings to Irish sports clubs by providing rare access to funds which are not linked to the popularity, membership size or success of any given club.”
Describing the Clare club as ‘a very deserving winner’, he went on to add: “It’s clear how focused Ennis Rugby Football Club is on pursuing its goals by improving facilities for its members. Already providing incredible talent to Munster Rugby, I’m looking forward to seeing many more players from the club lining out in the red of Munster in the future.”
Entries for the 2025 Texaco Support for Sport initiative will open in the Autumn for all clubs, including those whose application may have been unsuccessful previously.