Pozna? in Poland will play host to the world’s elite canoeists for the ICF Canoe Polo World Championships being held at the Malta Regatta Course from 5 – 9th of September.

Around 700 competitors from 68 nations will descend on Poznan ensuring the highest level of competition. The Malta course is considered one of the best and most beautiful in the world.

Pozna? has held previous world class rowing events, medstore including 2009 FISA World Rowing Championships, ampoule  2010 ICF World Canoe Sprint Championships, allergy  2011 ICF World Canoe Sprint Cup and 2012 ICF World Canoe Spring Cup & European Olympic Canoe Qualifier

In addition to this Pozna? was one of the host cities for the successful UEFA EURO 2012 and has hosted many other major international events.

Currently Pozna? is bidding, for a second time, for the prestigious 2018 Youth Olympic Games. Hosting major international events such as the ICF Canoe Polo World Championships helps to maintain and build Pozna?’s international reputation and increases the expertise and knowledge around hosting international world events.

Ryszard Grobleny, Mayor of Pozna? said: “We are delighted to be hosting the ICF Canoe Polo World Championships and look forward to welcoming the best teams from around the world. We are keen to showcase our city as a premier destination for world class international events. From our successful involvement with the UEFA EURO 2012 and these World Championships we are determined to continue to bid for and deliver high class events.”

Creative and communications agency M-IS Plc have annouced they have been selected by Madrid 2020 to develop the bid city’s “international campaign and events”.

The media group has worked “within the Olympic Movement for over a decade”, abortion advising both sponsors and organizing committees.

Madrid 2020 CEO Victor Sanchez said in a statement: “We are delighted to have M as part of our team.”  

“We are excited by the opportunity to develop our international communication plan together, spreading our enthusiasm and compelling story for our project across the globe reflecting the true benefits that Madrid 2020’s bid offers to the Olympic Movement, the world and the people of Madrid and Spain.”

In addition to international “strategy and planning”, M will also help organize Madrid 2020’s final presentation to IOC members to be made in Buenos Aires in September 2013.

Ending a last-ditch effort to block the San Francisco 49ers’ new stadium, a judge has ruled that Santa Clara residents cannot vote on the project a second time, paving the way for construction to begin.

Officials with the 49ers officials praised the ruling Monday and said construction could begin this spring.

The judge made the ruling Monday in response to a last-ditch attempt by a group to block the city’s stadium deal. The group, Santa Clara Plays Fair, is opposed to city officials’ approval of $850 million in bank loans to fund the $1 billion stadium. It argued that the bank loan wasn’t part of the measure that voters approved in 2010.

The group tried to put the issue back on the June ballot. The city countered that the loan was an “administrative” act that didn’t need voter approval.

Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Peter Kirwan sided with the city.

by Ismail Uddin

International Rugby Board Chairman Bernard Lapasset outlined the IRB’s strategic vision to boost participation and elite competition in Women’s Rugby to delegates attending the 5th IOC World Conference on Women and Sport in Los Angeles, USA.

Under the central theme of ‘Together Stronger: The Future of Sport’, Lapasset highlighted the strategies the IRB and its Member Unions are delivering to further the role and influence of women in Rugby worldwide as preparation for Rugby Sevens’ inclusion in the Olympic Games 2016 gathers pace.

The IOC Conference was attended by over 800 delegates from 135 countries with Rugby presenting as one of the two newest members of the Olympic Family. Both Rugby Sevens and Golf will start their involvement in the Olympic Games with equal participation of male and female athletes.

Women’s Rugby is one of the fastest-growing forms of the Game with over 200,000 registered women actively competing in Fifteens and Sevens and 800,000 women and girls participating in leisure Rugby in all its forms around the world.

Speaking under the heading ‘Getting it Right from the Start’, Lapasset, accompanied by IRB Women’s Development Manager Susan Carty, presented on the significant progress made in Women’s Rugby over the past five years, the development and implementation of the IRB Women’s Rugby Plan and harnessing the Olympic opportunity.

“The IRB is committed to the ongoing development of Women’s Rugby. These are exciting times and the sport has witnessed unprecedented growth in recent years and the IOC’s decision to include Rugby Sevens in the Olympic programme has significantly boosted participation and interest worldwide.”

“We are always striving to better our processes, structures and competitions to ensure that our female athletes have the same opportunities as men and boys. In that regard we have developed the IRB Women’s Rugby Plan which is providing the blueprint for growth, increased competition and high performance structures as we count down to Rio 2016.”

“The opportunity to be able to present at this key forum was a really strong endorsement of the IRB’s policies, programmes and commitment to furthering the Women’s Game worldwide. It was fascinating to see what other sports are doing and collectively discuss the opportunities and challenges that face all sports.”

Following extensive consultation with Member Unions last year, the IRB set out a clear vision for growing the Women’s Game in the IRB Women’s Rugby Planlaunched in December 2011. The goals set out in the Plan are to increase participation globally, deliver an excellent Women’s Rugby World Cup 2014 and to deliver a world-class event at the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016 by focussing resources on competition, high performance and participation.

by Ismail Uddin

Rugby World Cup finals weekend celebrations in Auckland are likely to provide $67.6 million for the nation’s economy according to a report by Coventry University’s Centre for the International Business of Sport (CIBS).

The MasterCard Worldwide economic impact report on the tournament states the figure is based on the total spend of foreign visitors and people visiting the city from other areas of New Zealand.

Professor Simon Chadwick, CIBS director, said: “The climax of Rugby World Cup 2011 will be a revenue spinner for a number of reasons: scheduling the bronze final playoff on Friday night, with the final on Sunday evening is likely to bring in a surge of fans from outside Auckland who are in town for a once-in-a-lifetime long weekend and to watch their team’s tilt for global domination.”

The report states that 50,000 foreign visitors are expected in Auckland this weekend for the final two games.

Around 6000 of those visitors have flown in from France to watch their national team take on New Zealand in Sunday final, which will be played at Eden Park.

The report said the wider Auckland region would be one of the big financial winners of the tournament, with facilities pushed to “capacity” and ”very high levels of corporate activity”.

”Auckland has proven the focal point for Rugby World Cup 2011, as well as being the main entry point for visitors; it will have hosted nine pool matches, two quarterfinals, both semi finals and the bronze final before the All Blacks take on France in the final on Sunday,” it said.

”Since the host nation features in the final it would be expected that large numbers of fans from throughout New Zealand, who may otherwise have watched the match in their home region, will travel to Auckland to be part of the final festivities.

”With hundreds of events in the region aside from these matches, Auckland is able to showcase itself to the world.”

The benefits will be long term, it said.

”In addition to this economic boost, the tournament has been the catalyst for major infrastructure improvements providing long-term benefits for residents and a longer-term economic legacy for New Zealand’s biggest city, through increased tourism, business and trade investment and a greater likelihood of hosting future ‘mega-events’ is also likely to be seen.”

Amir Khan, cough current IBF and WBA Light Welterweight boxing champion has appointed M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment as his personal public relations agency.

Khan needs the agency’s help in positioning him as a major sporting personality beyond the world of boxing.??M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment have been given the responsibility for increasing his profile across a wide range of media.

The agency will also provide strategic media advice to his management team with a view to further developing his commercial potential.??

Khan first made his name winning a silver medal as a Lightweight at the 2004 Athens Olympics and in 2009 he became the third-youngest Briton to win a world title at the age of 22. ??

The M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment already have a impressive portfolio which includes Coca-Cola, Reebok, Castrol and The Football Association and have worked with talent including Cristiano Ronaldo, Lewis Hamilton, Wayne Rooney and Mark Webber.

M&C Saatchi Sport and Entertainment was voted Sports Agency of the Year for three years in a row from 2008 to 2010 at the annual Sport Industry Awards.

Steve Martin, CEO of M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment, said: “We are thrilled at the prospect of working with one of British sport’s true superstars. Over the coming years, Amir has the potential to become one of the best known personalities in British sport. We will do our utmost to provide the necessary support and advice to help him to achieve this.”

Alstom, the power generation specialist, has renewed its deal as title sponsor of the French Open golf tournament for another four years.

Alstom has backed the competition since 2006, and this year’s event saw Miguel Angel Jiménez claim the title on Sunday.

The new deal was agreed between Alstom, the Francaise Federation de Golf (FFG) and Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), which organises the event.

Chief executive of the European Tour, George O’Grady, said: “This is a tribute to the partnership between the FFG, ASO and Alstom and a significant development for the oldest continental Open.

“We congratulate Patrick Kon (president director general of Alstom) for his vision and leadership in these tough economic times in supporting the FFG’s determination to develop the game in France.”

The ICC Annual Conference week began on Sunday, 27th June with the Chief Executive’s Committee (CEC) meeting at the Raffles City Convention Centre in Singapore and ends on 1 July 2010 with the inauguration of the seventh ICC President, Sharad Pawar, at the Annual Conference.

My Pawar will take over as ICC President from David Morgan, who concludes his two-year term at the end of the week. The ICC Executive Board will discuss the nomination from Cricket Australia and New Zealand Cricket of John Howard for the role of ICC Vice-President.

Meanwhile, the ICC Associate and Affliate Members will nominate their ICC Executive Board director representatives, who serve a two-year term, at their meeting on 28th June, 2010