McQuillan Companies becomes principal sponsor of Rugby at Queens University in new three year partnership.
6th Oct 2025
Announcing a new 3-year partnership with Queens Sport, staff from the University and students from the University Rugby teams join with Management from McQuillan Companies at the Dub training grounds.
(L-R) Niall McQuillan, Director, Ronan McQuillan, Director, Aoife Redmond, Queen’s Women’s Rugby, Eddie Friel, Director of Alumni Engagement and Philanthropy at Queen’s, Rob Henderson, Queen’s U20’s Rugby, John McQuillan, Director, Cara McClean, Queen’s Women’s Rugby, Karl Oakes, Head of Sport and Physical Wellbeing at Queen’s, and Stephen McQuillan, Director at McQuillan Companies pictured at the new partnership announcement at the Dub training grounds in Belfast.
Lisburn-based McQuillan Companies, a leading provider of Construction and Waste Management services has this week announced a new contract with Queens University Belfast as part of its ongoing commitment to developing excellence in industry, through education and sport. McQuillan’s will now become the principal sponsor in rugby for the Men’s Performance team, Women’s Development Team, and the under 20’s team in a new three-year sponsorship deal.
The support from McQuillan Companies will further enable the University rugby teams, male and female to benefit from high quality training and mentoring, whilst enabling students to access time away from studies to invest in their wellbeing.
Queen’s University rugby is well known and respected for its rich history of success and the many accomplished athletes the college has supported and nourished over the years. The partnership affirms the company commitment to supporting sport as a platform for student-athletes to excel both on and off the field.
Commenting on the new three-year partnership Niall McQuillan, Director at McQuillan Companies, said; “We are thrilled to become principal sponsor of rugby at Queens, and continue our work with the University to support their talented student-athletes in their pursuit of excellence both on and off the pitch. The importance of sport within education is widely acknowledged, and as a large family business we see this continued investment in Queens as a reflection of our values and professional beliefs. This again marks another commitment to learning excellence, helping nurture and support the next generation of professionals. As a local employer, McQuillan’s is totally committed to doing everything we can in this space with students, academics and learning institutions.
“Sponsoring rugby for women and men until 2028 will bring an even greater richness to our commitment to fostering growth, leadership, and community engagement, in our work. We are excited to watch the students grow and strengthen both on and off the pitch, through learning and development. As a company ambitious for innovation and sustainability, we look to the local Universities here for excellence, for future leaders, innovators and experts, so we see this as a perfect investment in the future of our economy, community and the University, with everybody coming out a winner.”
Welcoming the partnership, Karl Oakes, Head of Sport and Physical Wellbeing at Queen’s University Belfast, said: “We are delighted to welcome McQuillan Companies as principal sponsor of rugby at Queen’s. This partnership represents a shared commitment to excellence, wellbeing, and opportunity for our student-athletes. Rugby at Queen’s has a proud tradition, and with McQuillan’s support, we can continue to invest in the development of both our men’s and women’s teams, enhancing their experience on and off the pitch. We look forward to working together to inspire leadership, resilience, and community engagement through sport.”
“Eddie Friel, Director of Alumni Engagement and Philanthropy at Queen’s, added: “Since 2012, overall student participation in sports at Queen’s has increased by 23% and we are incredibly grateful to McQuillan’s for providing their support to our talented rugby players. We have a long tradition of rugby success, hosting the second oldest rugby club on the island of Ireland and boasting ninety-one fully capped Irish Internationals and twenty-two British and Irish Lions amongst its alumni. This investment will allow our women’s and men’s teams to continue to succeed and produce skilled professionals we can be proud of.”
The new sponsorship announcement with Queens builds on an existing partnership with both Ulster and Queens Universities, which began in 2023, reflecting the business focus and commitment to community involvement and McQuillan’s belief in the power of sports to inspire and drive positive change in society.
As part of the partnership, McQuillan Companies will feature as principal sponsor on all team jerseys across the men’s, women’s and under-20’s teams, as well as appearing on pitch side hoarding at the training grounds and main playing grounds for the university Rugby teams.
In 2023, McQuillan Companies announced a 3-year partnership with Ulster University Gaelic Academy to support students across all Gaelic Games, reflecting their ongoing commitment to nurturing sporting talent, empowering young people, and investing in the future of student athletes across Northern Ireland.
