Ulster Rugby has agreed to a one-year sponsorship extension with Kingspan. But, Grenfell supporters are not happy that the global insulation leader continue with this partnership.
During the Grenfell inquiry, evidence was presented that criticised Kingspan’s business practices. However, Kingspan maintained that their K15 insulation product only made up 5% of the insulation used in the construction of Grenfell Tower and that it was used without their recommendation according to The Belfast Telegraph.
The club said that “Ulster Rugby has agreed a one-year extension to Kingspan’s on-shirt sponsorship which will see Kingspan remain on the Senior Men’s jersey, and selected leisurewear, for the upcoming season. The Irish-owned business has an existing 10-year contract with the club until the end of the 2023/24 season for the naming rights of Kingspan Stadium”.
Grenfell United committee stated that the “announcement shows an absolute disrespect for all those affected by the Grenfell tragedy. We have met with Jonny Petrie (Ulster Rugby CEO) and his team multiple times during their previous sponsorship deal. We urged him and the board to cut all ties with Kingspan, including sharing with them a large file of evidence from the public inquiry”.
Other brands like Mercedes have cut ties with Kingspan for their Formula 1 team.
Not parting ways: Grenfell supporters protested outside the Kingspan Stadium in Belfast last year. And a further police investigation was carried out over graffiti referencing the Grenfell disaster on the walls of the grounds.
In a nutshell: Grenfell United will continue to protest about any major marketing activities by Kingspan until the current Grenfell police investigation is fully carried out.
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