Munster and Leinster rugby stars to wear hearts on their sleeves at two matches to raise funds the Irish Heart Foundation

Monday 26 March 2018

Members of the Munster and Leinster Rugby teams will wear their hearts on their sleeves at two upcoming games to save lives and raise awareness and funds for the Irish Heart Foundation.

Bank of Ireland will swap its logo for that of the Irish Heart Foundation on Munster and Leinster rugby team jerseys in support of the charity’s CPR 4 Schools programme which equips secondary school teachers and students with the skills to deliver lifesaving CPR. The Irish Heart Foundation, supported by Bank of Ireland, hopes to train more than 300,000 second level students in this lifesaving skill by June 2019.

The Irish Heart Foundation logo will feature on the Munster Rugby jersey for the province’s Champions Cup quarter-final against Toulon on 31st March and on the Leinster team’s jerseys for their PRO14 game in May.

It costs just €4 to train one student to save a live with CPR and spectators at both games will be encouraged to donate €4 by text.  Every €4 will be matched by Bank of Ireland up to €80,000.

Mr Gavin Kelly, Chief Executive Retail Ireland, Bank of Ireland said: “The logo swap with the Irish Heart Foundation aims to raise awareness of the CPR 4 Schools programme and the importance of this training for teachers and students. By starting CPR immediately in an incident of cardiac arrest, the victim’s chance of survival can be doubled, so training in schools is hugely important. We hope that as many spectators as possible text to donate €4 which will be matched by the bank up to €80,000 – the price of training an extra 20,000 students.”

Tim Collins, CEO of the Irish Heart Foundation, said: “We are incredibly proud that the Leinster and Munster teams will tog out with the Irish Heart Foundation logo across their jerseys and we would like to thank Bank of Ireland for providing the opportunity to take over their sponsorship for the day. Schools are an ideal setting to reach all young people and help reduce premature death and disability from heart disease and stroke which is Ireland’s number one killer. This programme teaches students to recognise cardiac arrest early, call emergency services, perform CPR and how to use an AED.”

The Irish Heart Foundation’s CPR 4 Schools team delivers expert training via education centres to teachers who are then provided with an online programme which can be taught effectively in the classroom. In addition, the Irish Heart Foundation provides schools with free kits worth €600 with training manikins to encourage hands-on practice.