Three Rock Rovers Hockey Club are delighted to have joined forces with Sherry FitzGerald who will support the club’s youth system for the upcoming 2016/17 as primary sponsor.

It marks the first time the Rathfarnham club has embarked on a partnership of this kind and will support the club’s efforts to develop some of the young talents, and potential Olympians, of the future.

Speaking about what the agreement means for Three Rock, youth co-ordinator Siobhan Madeley said: “this partnership is a game changer as it empowers us to be more professional in the management of the administration, freeing up valuable volunteer time.

“This time will be spent developing our programmes, engaging more with our young players and their parents to ensure that all of them feel part of our family friendly club.”

Caitriona Dalton from Sherry FitzGerald Group says the attraction of Three Rock, as one of the leading hockey clubs in terms of youth development, is a natural fit for their company.

“Sherry FitzGerald are delighted to be linking up with Three Rock Rovers hockey club. Building the highest performing teams is core to our business and, when it comes to leadership, teaming and developing winning strategies, there is a great deal to learn from team sports.

“Whilst we are a national business, we are very much at the heart of local communities. We have made a conscious investment in our support of several sports clubs at local level and we wish the Three Rock teams every success in the seasons ahead.”

Three Rock Rovers Club President John Findlater says that the partnership comes at a key time for the sport. Ireland’s men will play in the Olympic Games in August, the first time the country will be represented on the biggest stage in 108 years.

Three Rock has played a role in developing some of the current players in the international panel, as well as eight current Irish underage internationals, and is ambitious to build on this record with the help of Sherry FitzGerald.

The company officially launched their partnership at Super Youth Sunday with a blitz last weekend where many of the club’s 250 underage players took part.

Findlater said: “In just a few month’s Ireland will be competing in the Olympics. Throughout Super Youth Sunday at Grange Road, sponsored by Sherry FitzGerald, Three Rock Rovers raised awareness to the children in the area about Olympic Hockey in the expectation that this stimulates their interest in all that hockey has to offer.

“It is a big year for the sport, one in which it will get greater media attention than ever before and we hope to introduce ever more people to our sport.”

The partnership formally begins on May 1, 2016 and there will be further joint events taking place between Three Rock Rovers and Sherry FitzGerald during the next year.