The Olympic Stadium could host matches at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, according to tournament organisers.

Organisers would like to build on the success of the London Games as they prepare for England’s next major sporting event, which will take place in three years’ time.

“You would be mad not to include it as part of your thinking,” said Ross Young, Chief Operating Officer of England’s organising committee.

If a tenant for the stadium is found before the list of 10 to 12 Rugby World Cup stadiums are chosen at the start of next year, the iconic arena could feature in 2015.

Football stadiums like Old Trafford, Anfield and Wembley are expected to host matches, alongside Twickenham and Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.

Leicester Tigers’ home, Welford Road, and Gloucester Rugby’s Kingsholm are the only club rugby venues that have expressed an interest in staging games.

“To get as near as we can to the three million ticket sales, we have to engage with football clubs because they are the only ones who are going to give us the capacity to drive those numbers,” Young said.{jcomments on}

Insurance intermediary The Green Insurance Company has pledged to plant trees in exchange for boundaries after linking up with the Hampshire Royals cricket team for the 2012 Twenty20 season.

The eco-conscious insurance firm, stomach in conjunction with its parent company Ageas – partners of the club’s stadium – is supporting the Royals during home fixtures at The Ageas Bowl, order and will plant 10 trees for every boundary (four or six) the team scores throughout the Friends Life t20 Competition.

The aim is to capture the carbon dioxide emissions arising from  putting on t20 matches at The Ageas Bowl – a figure estimated to be roughly 250 tonnes. In order to capture this amount of carbon, 1,000 trees will have to be planted, so the club are hoping their team will hit 100 boundaries during home matches across the five matches.

June Lynch, Managing Director of The Green Insurance Company said: “It is a pleasure to team up with our colleagues at Ageas to work with a club which has fantastic traditions and a track record of high achievement – hopefully this year that will continue. The Green Insurance Company prides itself on supporting like-minded and environmentally aware organisations and individuals – we’ll certainly be rooting for the Royals.

“We wish the Hampshire Royals every success for the season ahead, and hope to see the players and supporters celebrating plenty of boundaries throughout the summer.”

Zac Toumazi, Group Commercial Director at The Ageas Bowl said: “We are really pleased to partner with The Green Insurance Company on this initiative. Our objective is to make The Ageas Bowl as environmentally efficient and carbon neutral as possible. The “Trees for Boundaries” campaign will help us meet that aim, engaging our cricket team in the process. We look forward to developing our ongoing relationship with The Green Insurance Company and Ageas, while seeing lots of trees being planted.”

According to reports revealed by Sky News, which is 39 per cent owned by News Corp, the company, owned by Rupert Murdoch, is in the early stages of talks to acquire control of Formula One motor racing.

It has been suggested that Murdoch is in discussions with Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim and a major car manufacturer about forming a consortium to take over F1 and any deal would be the first time that the media giants have taken over a whole sport and any bid is likely to face huge regulatory hurdles.

However, the company has not yet approached CVC, the private equity firm which has a majority shareholding, and Formula One chief executive Bernie Ecclestone has dismissed the reports, telling the Daily Telegraph: “It’s rubbish. The sport is not for sale”. He effectively is able to veto any bid.

Sky has never had the rights to the sport, currently held by the BBC currently until the end of 2014 on a £40m-a-year deal (US$65.5m).

Car manufacturers could oppose a Rupert Murdoch-driven takeover of F1 because current deals maximise their media exposure and a News Corp spokesman declined to comment on the report.

It is believed any bid is unlikely to be made before the end of the Concorde Agreement which states the terms the teams compete on next year.

A source told The Guardian: “News Corp going into this transaction now is premature. They are thinking about F1 and options they could take but that is all it is at this stage.

‘They will do nothing until after the next Concorde meeting, there is no way to possibly value or plan until after that.”

CVC bought F1 holding company SLEC in 2006 with Ecclestone remaining hands-on control of the business although a number of smaller companies also have shareholdings in the sport.

Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim – the world’s richest man – already has a relationship with the sport via the Telmex-backed Sauber team through his eldest son Carlos Slim Domit and a spokesman for Slim’s group of companies also declined to comment.

President of the FIA, motorsport’s world governing body, Jean Todt has outlined he will look to renegotiate the commercial agreement with Formula One – a deal that was brokered by his predecessor, Max Mosley.

Former Ferrari CEO Todt is seeking to make changes to an agreement signed back in 2001. Under Mosley’s stewardship the FIA had approved a 100-year deal with Bernie Ecclestone’s SLEC Holdings concerning the broadcasting and commercial rights to F1.

However, Todt has now stated that the current contract does not reflect F1’s place in today’s world, telling the Financial Times: “I will make sure that everybody realises that since the (100-year) agreement has been signed and now times have changed, technology has changed. Fifteen years ago you didn’t have all the sophisticated electronics you can enjoy today when you watch the TV. All that has a cost. Definitely we need to take that in consideration because I must make sure that the funding for the FIA is correct. Our costs are greater than they were 10 years ago. Evolution has a price.”

Meanwhile, Todt has refused to be drawn into a war of words with Ecclestone. The F1 supremo recently labelled the Frenchman as a “poor man’s Max”, in reference to his predecessor, while he also reportedly described the FIA as a “joke”.

However Todt stated: “It is important not to overreact. I feel with confrontation, unless it is necessary to achieve a result, you lose time. I prefer to achieve results with harmony rather than confrontation.”

A new joint venture has been established in an attempt to boost the profile of cricket in the U.S. Podar Holdings International Pte Limited of Singapore and Top Bloom Corporation Limited, have joined with Australian sports marketing firm Insite to become foundation partners of the United States of America Cricket Association (USACA) and the Cricket body of New Zealand (NZC).

The companies have joined forces to launch a new venture called Cricket Holdings America (CHA) LLC. The CHA will hold a majority of the commercial rights to cricket in the US.

Commenting on the new venture, USACA President Gladstone Dainty said: “This agreement provides USACA with the ability to grow the game from grassroots to the elite level. It has opened doors for private investment into cricket in America, one of the more exciting new market opportunities for the ICC. Importantly, it will provide a sustainable revenue stream for the development of the game and secondly, we shall be supported by the knowledge and expertise that comes from a full member country like New Zealand.”

He added: “It is also worth noting that the US broadcast market has huge potential. It has historically been the second highest rights payer behind India. By growing cricket in our country we are not only benefitting Cricket Holdings America LLC but all ICC Member nations.”

The ICC has hopes that the new initiative will provide cricket the best opportunity to thrive in the United States.

ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat advised: “The ICC has long considered the United States as a strategically key market for the growth of the game. We are extremely supportive of the new partnership and their efforts to grow cricket within the United States. We wish them all the best.”

Global retail broker FxPro has agreed a deal to become the main sponsor of Premier League side Fulham, replacing electronics company LG.

FxPro will begin its sponsorship of the team from this July, and this will see the FxPro brand appear on the front of the side’s first team shirts until the summer of 2013.

The deal is the biggest in the club’s history, after they recorded their highest ever finish in the league and reached the final of the Europa League final last season.

As part of the deal, FxPro will also be supporting several Fulham Foundation initiatives, including funding for Fulham Deaf FC.

Chief Executive at Fulham, Alistair Mackintosh, said: “I am delighted to welcome FxPro to Fulham during a period of such success and optimism on and off the pitch. It is always a cause for celebration when you have an opportunity to work with a brand that shares your commitment and vision for success.”

Director for FxPro, Denis Sukhotin, added: “FxPro is delighted to team up with Fulham Football Club for the next three years. FxPro is committed to raising the profile of Fulham FC and supporting the Club as it seeks to replicate last season’s success in the domestic and European competitions during the period of our association.”

FxPro also recently announced they were to become Aston Villa’s main sponsor for next season as well.

CSM Sport & Entertainment has hired Rob Smith as CSM Australia Managing Director strenthening their psition in the Asia-Pacific region.

The CSM group of companies operating in Australia includes sports marketing consultancy Fast Track, adiposity commercial rights sales and talent management agency Essentially, branding specialists ICON, global hospitality experts iLUKA, and motorsport marketing giant JMI.

The news highlights CSM’s aggressive growth strategy for the APAC region following this month’s opening of the Singapore office and the relocation of Jonathan Castleman, CSM Group Managing Director Middle East and APAC, to Singapore.

Smith joins CSM from GroupM agency SponsorCom and brings with him a wealth of experience from across the sports, media and entertainment spectrum.

“I am rapt to be joining CSM at such a pivotal moment for the business in Australia.  The opportunities for each of the CSM businesses are many and exciting” said Smith.

“The potential for Essentially in commercial rights sales as well as athlete management was a significant factor in my decision to join the group.  Furthermore, the work Fast Track did with HSBC on last year’s Lions tour raised the bar for sponsorship activation, illustrating the benefits that can be derived from a partnership between brand, sport and agency.  There is lots of potential in this market for brands and businesses to drive significant value from aligning with events, teams, sports and talent from across the sport, media and entertainment spectrum – with our fantastic team and broad product and service offering, CSM is well placed to help them do that” said Smith.

Smith will drive the strategic growth of CSM across Australia, reporting into Jonathan Castleman.

“Australia is a hugely important sports market globally.  Rob’s appointment to oversee the group reflects our commitment to and belief in the potential that it offers.  We have big plans for Australia and the region and this is just the start of the journey” said Castleman.

Seb Coe, Chairman of CSM also commented “Australia is one of the biggest sporting nations in the world and I am delighted that CSM has appointed Rob to take us to the next level in such an important and growing market.  Australia has an undisputedly strong domestic sporting culture and with major global events such as the AFC Asian Cup and ICC Cricket World Cup coming to the region in 2015, it plays a key role in CSM’s global future.”

CSM is headquartered in Surry Hills, Sydney, alongside Chime Communications’ lead advertising agency VCCP.  CSM also has offices in Melbourne and Adelaide.

The Washington Capitals and the Washington Wizards, sale both owned and operated by Monumental Sports & Entertainment, have joined social media platform, Snapchat.

Snapchat is a photo messaging application that allows a brand or user to send a photo or video message to followers.

The Capitals and Wizards use the Snapchat Stories function to give fans behind-the-scenes access of the team, including exclusive images of practice, players and game days. Snapchat Stories content is available for 24 hours.

“We are always looking for new ways to connect with our fans by sharing content, and Snapchat believes we are consistently more active than other teams on the app,” said Mike Hutchinson, Monumental Sports & Entertainment’s senior director of digital media. “Whether it’s showing a Caps player preparing his equipment for the game or sharing scenes from a Wizards practice, Snapchat allows us to give the fan base inside access to the teams.”

France have have been awarded the 2016 European Badminton Championships and the 2017 European Junior Championships.

Following triumphs hosting the 2010 World Championships in Paris and Yonex French Open Super Series, viagra 40mg  the French Badminton Federation (FFBaD) seemed like perfect candidates for the tournaments. 

Since 2012 France have also hosted an International Circuit tournament in Orleans and have successfully hosted the 2013 European Club Championships in Beauvais, adiposity outside Paris. 

The French Badminton Federation will now open an internal bidding procedure to host the two events. A decision is expected at the end of 2013.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for us”, medstore explains Richard Remaud, President of FFBaD. “After hosting the 2010 World Championships in Paris, it’s another chance to develop badminton in France.”

The 2016 European Champions will take place in week 17 and will offer the last world ranking points for the 2016 Olympic Games qualification in Rio. The 2017 European Junior Championships will take place from 7 to 16 April 2017.

The FFBaD is one of Europe’s fastest growing Member Associations having 180.000 registered players today.