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ALDI REVEALS WINNERS OF €100,000 ALDI PLAY RUGBY STICKER COMPETITION!

Lisboduff National School in Co. Cavan wins sports facility makeover worth €50,000 and ten more primary schools across Ireland receive €5,000 each

ALDI and the IRFU are delighted to announce the winners of this year’s ALDI Play Rugby sticker competition, which ran in stores earlier this year and attracted a fantastic 5,682 entries from primary schools across Ireland. 

ALDI, as the Official Fresh Food Partner of Irish Rugby, launched the competition in January. It gave schools the chance to win a life-changing sports facility makeover worth €50,000 by simply collecting ALDI Play Rugby stickers. Shoppers received one sticker for every €25 spent and a completed poster with 300 stickers earned each school an entry into the draw. 

The lucky winner of the €50,000 prize is:

• Lisboduff National School in Cootehill, Co. Cavan 

Speaking about her school’s big win, Ciara Burns, Principal of Lisboduff National School, said: “The health and wellbeing of our students is always a priority in Lisboduff National School. This is an incredible opportunity to enhance our school’s sporting amenities and ensure that generations of pupils can get active, play sports, and stay healthy here in Lisboduff. We are grateful beyond words to ALDI for making it possible. This was a true community effort and I’d like to thank our pupils, parents, staff, Board of Management and, of course, ALDI for coming together and making this dream a reality.”

Additionally, ten other primary schools were selected as runners-up and will each receive €5,000 to put towards developing their sports facilities:

• Gaelscoil Mhic Easmainn, Ráth Ronáin, Tralee, Co. Kerry
• Scoil Naomh Bride, Blackwater, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford
• Filemore National School, Filemore, Caherciveen, Co. Kerry
• Scoil Bhríde, Kilcruttin, Tullamore, Co. Offaly
• Carlow Educate Together National School, Bestfield, Athy Road, Co. Carlow
• St. David’s National School, Pipers Hill Education Campus, Kilcullen Rd, Naas, Co. Kildare
• St. Cronans National School, Brackenstown Rd, Swords, Co. Dublin
• Scariff National School, Fossabeg, Scariff, Co. Clare
• Scoil Moling Glynn, Glynn, St Mullins, Co. Carlow
• St Lachtains National School, Freshford, Co. Kilkenny 

Paul O’Connell, ALDI Play Rugby Ambassador, commented: “As a proud supporter of ALDI Play Rugby, I am delighted to see so many primary schools across Ireland benefit from this fabulous initiative and gain access to high quality sporting facilities, equipment, and gear. With these improved facilities, young people will have the chance to discover sports and exercise as well as learn skills and healthy habits to last a lifetime. Massive congratulations to the lucky winners and a big well done to all the boys and girls who collected stickers and took part in this year’s competition.” 

ALDI Group Buying Director, John Curtin, said: “At ALDI, we are enormously proud of the continued success of ALDI Play Rugby as well as our partnership with the IRFU. We have directly invested over €600,000 in primary schools across Ireland, which illustrates our commitment to investing in local communities. Thanks to this ongoing investment, more and more children will have the chance to get active, and learn the value of taking part in sport at their new school facilities. We would like to extend our congratulations to Lisboduff National School as well as everyone else who participated in this year’s promotion.” 

ALDI Play Rugby is a national programme aimed at primary school children across Ireland. Developed by the IRFU and supported by ALDI, it is a free, supervised, and non-contact rugby programme that provides boys and girls with a fun introduction to the sport. Schools are offered access to invaluable resources including sessions with Community Rugby Officers, online coaching resources, and free coaching equipment. 

Last year, the ALDI Play Rugby programme saw more than 117,000 boys and girls across 1,000 schools nationwide get active and learn the basic skills of rugby.

Pictured at the ALDI Play Rugby National Festival at the Aviva Stadium, Dubin, where Lisboduff National School were announced as the winners of a €50,000 sports facility makeover as part of the ALDI Play Rugby competition, were Colin Breslin, Managing Director of Buying and Services ALDI Ireland, Ciara Burns, Principal of Lisboduff N.S., Paul O’Connell, ALDI Ambassador, and Robert Deacon, IRFU Committee.