Plans to extend current deal

Hurling Championship sponsorshipThe GAA appear set to renew the Guinness sponsorship of the hurling championship for a further two years, despite some suggestions in recent days a new agreement had been reached with a non-alcohol-related company. The current 10-year sponsorship run expires at the end of the 2004 championship but plans for an extension to the deal are close to being finalised.

The 2004 championship will be officially launched in Croke Park next Thursday week, May 13th. It is understood part of that launch will be the announcement of a further two-year deal with Guinness, bringing to an end the speculation the GAA was about to adopt an entirely new policy regarding alcohol sponsorship.

An extension of the deal will require the approval of the GAA's management committee, which is expected to be given this weekend.

Part of the process will involve assessing the recommendations of the National Alcohol and Substance Abuse task force set up to examine the merits of the association's alcohol sponsorship.

That task force was chaired by former Galway All-Ireland hurling captain Joe Connolly, and set up at the request of GAA president Seán Kelly. When questioned on their likely findings recently, Kelly said the latitude for suggestion was uninhibited, and included the freedom to consider the All-Ireland hurling sponsorship by Guinness.

There have been several calls in recent months from high-profile figures in and out of sport to end all alcohol-related sponsorship of major sporting events - including strong reservations from the Minister for Health, Micheál Martin.

Yet the Guinness sponsorship has also received its fair share of support, primarily in the sensible and sensitive way the advertising campaigns are run.

In the meantime, though, moves to tackle the culture of drink in sport are continuing, the most recent being in Tipperary, where the county board launched an ambitious campaign targeted at secondary schools in the county and involving the support of several intercounty players.