Olympic Boxing Champion Anthony Joshua MBE will now be managed by The Sports Partnership after agreeing a deal..

World Number 1 in the AIBA rankings at 91+kg and with a career record of 40 wins from 43 bouts, 23 year-old Anthony is one of the most sought-after signings in the business.

On taking up the sport in 2007, Anthony quickly rose through the ranks. He became Senior ABAE Champion at 91+kg in May 2010 and was added to GB Boxing’s Development Squad.  In November that year he became Champion of Great Britain, defeating Amin Isa.

Anthony said: “Ever since the Olympics I’ve been looking at my options and having the right management team behind me is a key part of that. I’m confident I’ve found that in James and his team at The Sports Partnership and can’t wait to get started.” 

James Williamson at The Sports Partnership added: “Anthony is clearly a star of the future and it’s incredibly exciting to be working with him at such an early stage. The interest in him is testament to what he’s already achieved at such a young age and most people will agree when I say it’s only the beginning.”

Rugby World Cup organisers for the 2015 tournament have announced a decision on whether the Olympic Stadium in London is to be one of the venues will be delayed an extra month.

England Rugby 2015 had expected to agree a final list of venues with the International Rugby Board on Friday but have secured an extension.

The uncertainty over who will be permanent tenants has prevented tournament organisers from making a decision but they are keen to include the stadium if possible.

A RWC statement said: “Both parties agreed that appropriate time should be given to allow every possible opportunity to include the Olympic Stadium, one of the world’s most recognisable venues.

“The additional time will enable England Rugby 2015 to finalise negotiations and scheduling with other venues.”

England Rugby 2015 chief executive Debbie Jevans said: “We are determined to select the best venues and deliver the optimum schedule for the Rugby World Cup, and are delighted to have received such strong support from the RWC Limited board for our proposals.

“Our plans are on track and we are confident that we will finalise the schedule and the venues in the next few weeks.”

Superleague team Bradford Bulls have added to their growing portfolio by launching a Recruitment Agency.

Bradford Bulls Recruitment has been set up to provide permanent and temporary workers throughout industry both in Bradford and the wider West Yorkshire area.

Omar Khan, anesthetist the Bulls Chairman said: “It has been set up to provide another revenue stream for the club. We saw an opportunity within the industry to provide this service, which will work in the Commercial, Logistics and Building Services sectors. It will provide temporary and permanent contracted staff to businesses in Bradford and across West Yorkshire.”

Ryan Whitcut, Bradford Bulls General Manager added: “We are confident this new venture will add to what we are already achieving at the Provident Stadium. We are continuing to look at ways to generate income streams for the club and this is another arm to our already expanding business.”

Troon, the leader in upscale golf course management, development and marketing has announced it has been selected by the Pascua Yaqui Tribe to manage Sewailo Golf Club at Casino Del Sol Resort near Tucson, Ariz.

The golf course, named “Sewailo,” meaning “flower world” in the Yaqui language, is scheduled to open in 2013. The championship-style course, designed by Ty Butler and Notah Begay III, will resemble a desert oasis with impressive water features incorporated into the surrounding landscape. The entire property, including the luxurious, 215-room Casino Del Sol Resort, takes full advantage of the natural setting and surrounding mountain views.

“Sewailo Golf Club is a wonderful addition to our portfolio,” stated John Easterbrook, executive vice president of operations, Troon. “We are pleased to have been selected by the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and are confident that our experience operating resort and casino courses will contribute positively to the overall facility’s success.”

Sewailo Golf Club joins Whirlwind Golf Club at Wild Horse Pass, Southern Dunes Golf Club and Talking Stick Golf Club, also located in Arizona, as well as Yocha-De-He Golf Club at Cache Creek Casino Resort in California,Sequoyah National in North Carolina and Lake of Isles in Connecticut to become one of seven Troon Golf properties owned by a Native American Tribe. These unique destinations have received a myriad of awards for setting the standard in combining luxurious accommodations, casino gaming, and championship golf. Accolades include top rankings on both Golf Digest’s and Golfweek’s lists of the best casino courses in the United States. Sewailo Golf Club is sure to experience the same success.

“Our tribe welcomes Troon to the Sewailo Golf Club project as a valued partner,” said Peter S. Yucupicio, chairman, Pascua Yaqui Tribal Council. “Championship-style golf combined with the spectacular amenities at Casino Del Sol Resort brings us closer to realizing our vision of creating a world-class destination in southern Arizona and Troon will ensure this venture is a success.”

Other amenities at Casino Del Sol Resort include rejuvenating services at Hiapsi Spa and Fitness Center; exceptional dinning at PY Steakhouse and An Del Sol Asian Sushi Bar; expansive pool area featuring the Oasis Pool Bar; brand new High Limit Lounge; and more than 65,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor function space ideal for weddings, receptions, and special events.

NBA’s Orlando Magic have unveiled a new, bold marketing campaign, “WE WILL.” 

This rebranded campaign ‘turns the page’ on the next chapter in Orlando Magic history.  As the team and the Magic brand continue to grow, this evolution speaks to the Magic’s continued desire to put a championship product on and off the court. 

“WE WILL” promises the Magic will do whatever it takes to put a winner on the floor and create a product Magic fans and partners can be proud of on all fronts.  The shift from “Be Magic” to “WE WILL” was made to update the Magic’s message and reaffirm the franchise’s desire to be great.  Hallmarks of the campaign are in the Magic’s mantra of hard work, competing every night, leading and inspiring as the Magic strive for excellence via integrity, strength, resilience and togetherness.

“The Orlando Magic is an organization whose mission is for excellence both on and off the court.  “WE WILL” really reflects our team, coaches, staff and our mission,” said Magic CEO Alex Martins.  “This new campaign signifies the beginning of a new era of excellence for the Orlando Magic and our fans.  We are excited about the direction we are headed as we build on the legend and success already created and look forward to what the future holds.” 

“For us, this campaign was relevant with or without the roster changes.  We feel strongly that it’s a great statement and a strong message that we wanted to provide to our employees, our fans and all of our partners,” said Magic Vice President of Brand Management Roman Vega. “It’s designed to shatter any questions about us not wavering in our mission to compete for a championship and that everything we do is designed to put us in the best possible position to accomplish this.”

A team of 25 Magic staff members, including Martins, worked with local advertising firm, Great Big Circle, to create the new slogan which was designed to promise fans and partners that the Magic will rebuild.  The Magic officially unveiled the new marketing campaign to Orlando and the Central Florida market on September 24.  The team will utilize television, print, radio and billboard advertising as well as non-traditional avenues such as online, social media and in-areas.  “WE WILL” will also be seen on game tickets, pocket schedules and in digital formats.

“We want the fans, season ticket holders and clients to establish that interpersonal connection with us as an organization,” added Vega, “and the values that we carry as an organization.”

Orlando’s NBA franchise since 1989, the Magic’s mission is to be world champions on and off the court, delivering legendary moments every step of the way. On the court, Orlando has won five division championships (1995, 1996, 2008, 2009, 2010), had seven 50-plus win seasons, and won the Eastern Conference title in 1995 and 2009.

Since the DeVos Family purchased the team in 1991-92, the Orlando Magic are tied for first in the NBA’s Eastern Conference with a winning percentage of .544. The Orlando Magic have finished with a .500 record or better in 16 of the last 20 seasons (since 1992-93), tied for fifth-best in the NBA.  Orlando has also reached the playoffs 14 times in the last 19 seasons (since 1993-94), also tied for fifth-best in the NBA.

Off the court, on an annual basis, the Orlando Magic gives more than $2 million to the local community by way of sponsorships of events, donated tickets, autographed merchandise, scholarships and grants. Orlando Magic community relations programs impact an estimated 75,000 kids each year, while a Magic staff-wide initiative provides more than 6,000 volunteer hours annually. In addition, over the last 22 years more than $17 million has been distributed to local non-profit community organizations via the Orlando Magic Youth Fund (OMYF-MFF), a McCormick Foundation Fund since 1994, which serves at-risk youth.

Mercedes-Benz have opted to change their name to ‘Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team’ for the 2012 season, the car maker announced on Monday.

AMG has been the performance brand of Mercedes-Benz for more than 40 years.

The Brackley-based team also said its new car, the F1 W03, will not make its official track debut untill the second winter test of 2012, which takes place from 21 February at Barcelona.

Team principal Ross Brawn said: “We are very proud to reveal our new team name today. It adds another strong performance element to our team’s identity and, by virtue of being shared between Brackley and Brixworth, will forge even stronger links within our team.

“At the factory, we have been focused for some time on the challenge of 2012, and our very clear ambition to move forward up the grid next year. As always, the winter development and manufacturing processes are a trade-off between time for finding performance in the factory, and time for delivering that performance during pre-season testing.

Mercedes-Benz motorsport boss Norbert Haug added: “Our new team name fuses the proud traditions of AMG and the Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows at the pinnacle of motorsport.

“These three letters are synonymous with high technology, sporting performance and excitement and this step is a further strong sign of the strategic commitment Mercedes-Benz has made to Formula 1. Sixteen of the 24 drivers on the grid at the season’s final Grand Prix in Brazil have, or have had, a connection to Mercedes-Benz.

“In addition to the role of a works team, our commitment to Formula 1 comprises the customer engine programme and supply of the official Safety and Medical Cars.”

New IPL franchise Kochi Tuskers Kerala have been thrown out of the IPL by the Board of Cricket for Control in India (BCCI) for breaching its terms of conditions the new board president N Srinivasan has said after the annual general meeting in Mumbai.

“Because of the irremediable breach committed by the Kochi franchise, the BCCI has decided to encash the bank guarantee in their possession and also terminate the franchise,” Srinivasan said. When asked if the franchise had any chance of return, Srinivasan responded: “No, we have terminated the franchise because the breach is not capable of being remedied.”

The BCCI also appointed Rajiv Shukla as the new IPL chairman, succeeding Chirayu Amin, and said that the league’s governing council would take a decision on whether to have a another auction for a new franchise.

With Kochi’s termination, the ten-team competition will be reduced to nine. The consortium that owns Kochi is reported to have defaulted on an annual payment of Rs 156 crores ($32.6mn) as a bank guarantee.

In April 2010, the BCCI’s working committee had rejected demands from Kochi and the Pune Warriors for a reduction in their franchisee fees. The two new franchises, which made their debuts in 2011, had sought a 25% waiver on the grounds that the BCCI had stated in the bidding document that each team would play 18 league matches in a season. The schedule was later reduced to 14 matches per team.

The two teams already paid 75% of this year’s installment and wanted the balance waived. They argued the reduction in matches was a breach of the terms of the Invitation to Tender the board had issued before the two new teams were bought. Since they had based their bid on the number of matches to be played, a reduction in matches should therefore be accompanied by a reduction in the franchise fee. However, the BCCI voted to turn down the request at its meeting in Mumbai in April.

In March 2010, the Sahara group bid $370 million to became owners of the Pune franchise while a consortium of five companies called Rendezvous Sports World offered US$333.33 million for Kochi.

Former member of Facebook Inc’s management team, Chamath Palihapitiya, has joined the ownership group of the National Basketball Association’s Golden State Warriors

Oakland, California-based team announced Palihapitiya’s investment yesterday in a news release.

In four years at Facebook, the 34-year-old Palihapitiya worked in many roles, including vice president of user growth, mobile and international.

The Warriors were sold in July 2010 for a league-record $450 million by Christopher Cohan to a group led by Joe Lacob, managing partner at the San Francisco Bay Area-based venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and Peter Guber, chairman of Mandalay Entertainment Group.

The Warriors have made the postseason once since 1994. Golden State had a poor season last year only managing 12th among the Western Conference’s 15 teams last season with a 36-46 record.

According to the Associated Press, federally mediated negotiations toward a new National Football League (NFL) labour deal lasted “about eight hours” in Washington, DC on Sunday, 20 February.

The meeting for discussions was the third consecutive day the sides met to try to find common ground before the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) expires on March 4.

The NFL and Players’ Union (NFLPA) have met for “a total of more than 20 hours since Friday” in front of Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service Dir George Cohen.

Cohen requested that neither side comment publicly on these negotiations. A ruling that has thus far been adhered to and therefore it is not clear what, if any, progress is being made.