An outright ban on sponsorship of sports in Ireland by drinks companies now looks inevitable, the Sunday Independent has learnt.
The revelation comes on the day that Kilkenny and Tipperary meet in the All-Ireland hurling final with Guinness one of three companies that sponsor the event.
The Government's new drugs and alcohol strategy is unlikely to impose an immediate ban, but instead may allow sporting organisations -- including the GAA, IRFU and the FAI -- time to phase out sponsorship by drinks manufacturers over a two to three-year period.
Drinks companies' sponsorship of sporting events is already banned in some countries. In France, the Heineken Cup, European rugby's premier club competition, is known as the 'H Cup' because of restrictions on alcohol advertising.
Source: Jerome Reilly, The Sunday Independent, 05/09/2010
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