Jonny Petrie: Review of Kingspan association will follow Grenfell Inquiry report, says Ulster Rugby CEO
- Published
Ulster will face Glasgow at Breffni Park in Cavan on 7 October
Ulster Rugby CEO Jonny Petrie says his organisation will review their association with Kingspan after the publication of the final findings of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.
Kingspan is Ulster Rugby's principal sponsor and the outcome of the inquiry is expected to be released in 2024.
"We're still pending the outcome of the Grenfell Inquiry," said Petrie.
"We will continue that relationship as we have done up until that point and take a view from there."
Seventy two people people died in the Grenfell Tower fire in west London in 2017 and Kingspan has come in for criticism, with the Grenfell Inquiry hearing evidence criticising the company's business practices.
Kingspan says its K15 insulation made up only 5% of the insulation in the block and was used without its recommendation.
It points out that the exterior cladding, which it did not manufacture, was deemed by the inquiry to be the "principal reason" for how quickly the fire spread.
Grenfell United, who represent survivors and bereaved families of those who lost their lives in the fire, are understood to have written to Ulster Rugby asking the club to reconsider its Kingspan deal.
"We've done a major review around what's been happening around the Grenfell Inquiry, which is still ongoing," the Ulster CEO told BBC Sport NI.
"We've engaged all the stakeholders around that, including meeting with the residents, and representatives of Grenfell United as part of that on an independent basis.
"We've had two commercial partnerships with Kingspan, on the front of shirt and the stadium naming rights. All we've done at this point is to make the front of shirt and stadium naming rights co-terminus at the end of next year.
"It was quite a big body of work and we got to the position where we were comfortable to continue the sponsorship as it is and we'll continue the conversation come the outcome of the inquiries."
'A really nice opportunity'
Meanwhile on the pitch, Ulster will continue their preparations for the start of the United Rugby Championship season on 21 October by playing Glasgow in a friendly at Kingspan Breffni, home of Cavan GAA, on Saturday.
The occasion is a highly symbolic one with the province as Ulster play a match at a GAA ground for the first time.
"It's a really big thing for us to do," added Petrie. "Originally it was borne our of necessity with the pitch [Ulster are replacing their grass pitch with an artificial 3G surface] being not quite ready.
"In the end it has provided a really nice opportunity for us to get ourselves out of Belfast and into the three [southern] counties, to demonstrate we are here to represent the broader Ulster province.
Ulster will face Glasgow at Breffni Park in Cavan on 7 October
"It's really exciting and we're really looking forward to it. Both Ulster GAA and Cavan GAA have been brilliant to work with in helping us put the game on and excited to play Glasgow there.
"We've got a great relationship with Ulster GAA, as we have with the Irish FA on the football side of things, and any opportunities we have to work together and collaborate are great.
"We do a lot at participation level in promoting kids getting involved in sport, wherever that may be, so further demonstrations of how we want to work together, are good for all sports. That's part of the conversation going into this weekend too.
"I think there's always the accusation, and it's hard to get past that, that we're quite Belfast and Northern Ireland-centric and when we have the opportunity to go somewhere else in the three counties, and demonstrate that we genuinely are a nine counties club, it serves a purpose on all sorts of levels."
'Quite nervy at some stages'
Petrie added that the laying of the artificial surface at Kingspan Stadium is ahead of schedule and will be ready for the start of the URC season.
"We're really pleased with how that's been going and we are ahead of schedule with that. We're at the final stages," he confirmed.
"It was quite nervy at some stages when we were working through things with Belfast City Council in the early part of the summer but we got there in the end.
"The installation itself has been largely hassle free and the guys have done a great job with it."