Rugby League World Cup 2013 has announced today thay have rebranded the tournament’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.

The new ‘International Rugby League’ pages, discount which already boasts almost 100, stuff 000 followers across Twitter and Facebook, cure will continue to provide supporters of RLWC2013 with the latest international rugby news.   

The rebrand coincides with the official launch of International Rugby League’s new social media hashtag: #IntlRL 

RLWC2013 Communications Manager, Martin Johnston said: “In the lead-up to RLWC2013 we succeeded in building a thriving community of Rugby League supporters from every corner of the globe through our social media activity. 

“The aim of this rebrand is to ensure that this unprecedented interest in international Rugby League is pro-actively nurtured, and not allowed to dwindle. 

“For the next few months, we will continue to engage with supporters as we did in 2013, and we hope that users embrace the new hashtag when discussing the international game. 

“The pages will also allow us to communicate news directly, in a way which wasn’t previously possible.” 

‘International Rugby League’ will encompass the recognised governing bodies from every competing nation, and will be passed on as the official online presence of the Rugby League International Federation.”

BT, who will enter the world of sport broadcasting when it unveils it’s new channel, has revealed it has appointed Pitch PR to handle the launch.

The launch will see the telecoms brand compete against Sky in a bid for new subscribers, aftersecuring the rights to 38 Barclays Premier League matches from next season.

BT called a pitch process in November last year for an agency to help it promote BT Vision and its sports channels, which may be carried on other platforms, according to reports.

As well as the build-up and launch of the channels this summer, the London PR agency may also have the opportunity to put forward additional sponsorship and experiential ideas for the account, boosting the deal to a potential £3 million.

BT has already secured exclusive live broadcast rights to Aviva Premiership Rugby and earlier this week announced a package of rights to show live women’s tennis in a four-year deal.

BT has invested in sports content in an effort to boost its BT Vision television service, which it sells as a ‘triple-play’ bundle with its broadband and telephone services.

Sport England have revealed they will invest £2 million in the English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) over the next two years to help make sport a practical lifestyle choice for disabled people.

Despite steady growth in the number of disabled people playing sport since 2005, asthma non-disabled people are still twice as likely to take part regularly. Sport England’s funding for EFDS means the charity will be able to provide expertise and insight to even more sports’ organisations to help them motivate disabled people to take part. The charity will prioritise its work with athletics, cycling, swimming, cricket, gymnastics and badminton and is also being funded to provide bespoke support for tennis, football, table tennis, equestrian, golf and volleyball.

Sport England’s Director or Sport, Lisa O’Keefe, said: “This summer’s remarkable Paralympic Games put sport for disabled people in the spotlight as never before. EFDS has a vital role to play in helping a wide range of sports to build on this by doing more to open up opportunities and inspire disabled people to get involved. We need everyone in sport to work together to challenge the uncomfortable truth that disabled people are still far less likely to be taking part.”

Barry Horne, Chief Executive of EFDS, said: “This is fantastic news. We have worked really hard in recent years to ensure that more disabled people have greater access, more opportunities and a more meaningful experience of sport. But we are well aware that there is still a significant amount of work to do, so we are looking forward to the new opportunities, challenges and partnerships ahead.

“The EFDS team is focused now on building on the momentum of 2012 and working with sports’ organisations to support all their programmes to be more inclusive. Sport England have been and remain crucial to delivering our vision: ‘disabled people are active for life.”

At a local level, EFDS will continue to support the county sports partnerships and sports governing bodies to involve more disabled people in sport as well as continuing to work closely with the National Disability Sport Organisations, to increase impairment specific knowledge and opportunities.

After both the 2012 Games, EFDS undertook a survey, which captured public perception on the wider legacy and impact on disabled people in sport, findings showed disabled people’s desire to play more sport. It suggested that watching the Paralympics inspired eight out of ten disabled people to consider taking part in more sport or exercise.

The Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC), unhealthy who runs Australia’s National Rugby League (NRL), pharm has secured a US$1 billion, impotent five-year broadcasting deal with Channel Nine and Fox Sports.

The agreement comes after months of negotiating and is the largest in the history of the league.

The total worth of the deal is AU$1.025 billion (US$1.08 billion) and has been hailed by John Grant, ARLC chairman as “the greatest agreement in the history of the game.”

Grant added: “The whole package is a simply fantastic result for rugby league. The cash that comes from the agreement, used wisely, will provide the funding base for sustainably growing our game from the grass-roots to the elite levels.

“The agreement around scheduling answers the request from our clubs and corporate partners for certainty and the inclusion of national coverage will see our fans across Australia able to enjoy their rugby league.

“Of great importance, and a factor that played heavily into the commission’s final decision, is the release by News, Fox and Nine of their rights over future ‘first and last’ agreements. It reflects the positive spirit of the negotiation process and allows the game greater control in determining the value of its assets in the future.”

The new contract includes a cash and advertising components, with the cash worth AU$925 million (US$972 million) and the advertising packages worth AU$100 million (US$105 million).

Channel Nine will broadcast three weekly matches with Fox Sports airing five weekly games across Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Fox Sports chief executive Patrick Delany said: “This agreement secures a fabulous line-up of matches for Fox Sports subscribers. Super Saturday and Monday Night Football have become a way of life for rugby league fans and Fox Sports is determined to make that experience more exciting and more interactive than ever before.

“Rugby league is a part of Fox Sports and Foxtel’s DNA and we are delighted to be able to continue bringing the live action to households across Australia every week.”

In the run-up to London 2012 Olympics, Ambush Marketers continue to dominate. with non-affiliated marketers’ took 27 of the top 50 spots measuring effective brand activation by the Global Language Monitor’s Brand Affiliation Index (BAI).  

This despite the recent tightening of the rules by the IOC, The GLM BAI rankings are not simply a matter of pride or bragging rights but rather a battle for brand equity and the consumer’s mind and the billions of dollars committed to the IOC, which are primarily used to fund the Games. 

“The Olympic movement it is not immune to the historic shifts in communications affecting all institutions worldwide,” said Paul JJ Payack, founding president of the Global Language Monitor. “The seemingly all-pervasive media ensure that the flow of information can be stopped neither by national boundaries nor institutional gatekeepers. There is no reason to think that marketing activities are immune from such forces. In fact, marketing has been one of the foremost purveyors of new media technology.” 

For these rankings, encompassing the first quarter of 2012, GLM measured the strength of the brand affiliation for each official Olympic sponsor against those of their primary non-affiliated competitors. Though ‘ambush marketing’ is well understood to mean an organization knowingly exploiting a brand affiliation with the Games without the benefit of official sponsorship.

What are your views on ‘ambush marketing’? Discuss with us here>>

Tournament officials announced Wednesday that the Champions Tour event in Savannah, now called the Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf, has extended its contract with the Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa through 2013.

The tournament’s executive director, Joe Rotellini, also unveiled a new logo for the event at a press conference.

Celebrating 10 years in Savannah and 35 years as an event, the Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf is considered the founding tournament on the PGA TOUR’s Champions Tour for players age 50+. The 2012 event will be held April 16-22 and will feature a $2.7 million purse.

Since the tournament’s arrival in Savannah in 2003, the Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf has had a significant economic impact on the community and has generated close to $1.5 millions for charities in the region.

“To celebrate these important milestones in the same year that we debut the tournament’s new name and logo is very exciting,” said Paul Alexander, Liberty Mutual Insurance senior vice president, communications. “We appreciate the wonderful support that we’ve received over the years from the City of Savannah, our partners at the Westin Savannah Harbor Resort & Spa, and the volunteers and golf fans, who, along with the tournament’s legendary players, help make this a truly memorable event.”

Mark Spadoni, General Manager of The Westin Savannah Harbor Resort, said: “We are delighted that Liberty Mutual Insurance has committed to Savannah to stay through 2013. It is a tribute to the destination and all of the people within our community who extend warm hospitality year after year to all of their visiting guests. We are proud of the partnership that the Westin, the community, the PGA TOUR and Liberty Mutual Insurance has formed over these past 10 years and are looking forward to making this year’s 10th event in Savannah for all of their guests extra special. We are already thinking about ways to convince Liberty Mutual Insurance to stay in Savannah beyond 2013.”

Located in the heart of Savannah’s River District, the Champions Tour’s annual stop in coastal Georgia has been a favorite for both fans and players alike. The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa is Savannah’s only AAA Four-Diamond property that features beautifully appointed guest rooms, banquet facilities and public spaces. The resort’s par-72 Club at Savannah Harbor course was designed by renowned architects Bob Cupp and Sam Snead and opened in 1999.

“Having an event of this caliber in Savannah for another year is fantastic news for the community,” said Bill Hubbard, Savannah Chamber president and CEO. “In addition to having a positive economic impact on local businesses and charities, the international telecast allows us to showcase our wonderful city to potential visitors around the world. We thank Liberty Mutual Insurance, the Westin, PGA TOUR and other sponsors for their continued support of this event and the community.”

Champions Tour President Mike Stevens said, commented: “The city of Savannah has really embraced this event over the past decade, demonstrating to our players, sponsors and fans the true meaning of Southern hospitality. We are pleased to be returning to Savannah in 2013 and very proud to celebrate our 33-year long partnership with Liberty Mutual Insurance, as it is one of the longest-standing relationships in all of sports.”

“We are very excited about having the tournament in Savannah for at least the next two years and hopefully many more after that,” added the tournament’s volunteer chairman, Al Kennickell. “The Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf has been a great fit for Savannah and it is thrilling that we have some of the greatest golfers who have ever played the game playing in our event. We have also been blessed with a great group of volunteers, many who have been working our event for all ten years it has been in Savannah. Lastly we can’t forget the charity dollars that have gone to aid local organizations. Thank you to Liberty Mutual Insurance, the Westin and the PGA TOUR.”

The Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf’s unique format features a total of three team competitions during the week, starting with the Demaret Division on Monday and Tuesday, followed by the Raphael Division on Friday and Saturday. Official competition begins with the Legends Division, a 54-hole better-ball competition, on Friday, April 20. David Eger and Mark McNulty are defending champions.

Boss of Formula One’s Red Bull Racing team, Christian Horner has admitted it will be difficult to fit the recently postponed Bahrain Grand Prix into the season calendar after its cancellation last week. 

The country’s Crown Prince called off the race due to civil unrest and human rights protests taking place in the region, after Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone left the decision to him. 

The Bahrain Grand Prix was scheduled to open the 2011 season on 13th March, but the Australian Grand Prix will now take centre stage two weeks later. 

No decision has been made on a new date for Bahrain, or indeed, whether there will be a Bahrain Grand Prix or not and Horner stated: “It will certainly be a challenge to accommodate, but nothing is ever impossible. It’s a very busy calendar this year. Already now, at the end of November, we’ll have finished 19 races”. 

There was however, no problem from Horner about the decision to postpone the start of the new season with the Red Bull boss adding: “Obviously the country’s got bigger issues than a Formula 1 race at the moment. It was only right and appropriate to postpone”.

Indian Cricket authority, BCCI has rejected Sunil Gavaskar’s charge that Board has not paid a single penny to the legendary cricketer for his services. BCCI revealed that former Indian skipper had demanded Rs 20 million for his services to IPL as a Governing Council member.

“He has been sending emails regarding his payment but there was no contract,” said BCCI secretary N Srinivasan to Times Now.

However, BCCI also clarified that Gavaskar was to be paid only Rs 1 million for the past three years as per the agreement.

Meanwhile, BCCI president Shashank Manohar told reporters that Sunil Gavaskar had not sought any meeting with BCCI.

“I am ready to meet anyone, but he (Sunil Gavaskar) has not sought any meeting with me,” Shashank Manohar said.

Earlier, Omitted from the IPL Governing Council, Sunil Gavaskar has said that BCCI, the promoters of the Twenty20 League, has not paid him a single penny for his services.

In a major revamp, the BCCI left out the former Indian captain from the Twenty20 League’s Governing Council at its Annual General Meeting in September.

The Cricket Board did not give any reason for Gavaskar’s ouster, but there were reports that it could be a result of a payment dispute.

But the legendary batsman mantained that he had not been paid for the last three years which forced him to sent a “gentle reminder about the non-payment” to BCCI.

“I am yet to be paid by the BCCI for my role on the IPL Governing Council. I have not been paid at all by the BCCI, since I took on the offer,” Gavaskar told a news channel.

“I have just been told that Mr Sharad Pawar (ICC President) will organise a meeting between Shashank Manohar (BCCI chief) and me in his presence to sort out the matter and that for me is good enough,” he said.

The former India captain, however, refused to divulge what the pay packet would be, saying, “Never ask a woman her age and never ask a man what he gets.”

Gavaskar also denied that he had any links with the beleaguered Kochi IPL team and said he had still not made up his mind whether to accept the franchise’s offer to head it’s cricket operations.