Robert Finnegan, chief executive of the newly-merged Three-O2 mobile phone business, was at the Bord Gáis theatre for a staff meeting last Thursday with Ireland's most famous footballer and favourite rugby player in tow.

Three sponsors the Ireland football team, while O2 has the rugby sponsorship. Finnegan was joined on stage by both the Ireland football assistant manager Roy Keane and Brian O'Driscoll, the patron saint of rugby types, to represent the two strands of the merged entity's sponsorship prowess. The MC for the event was former RTÉ newsreader Anne Doyle.

Finnegan has said he wants to keep all of the merged company's sponsorships, although the rugby deal is due to expire shortly after the 2015 World Cup.

He will no doubt have been peeved that EU approval for the €850 million takeover of O2 by Three came too late this year to change the logo for the rugby Six Nations tournament.

It will be interesting to see whether Finnegan makes a play for a renewal of the rugby deal. Or will it be kicked to touch?