Claims that this year’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand could be heading for a significant financial shortfall have been rubbished by event chief Martin Snedden.

Snedden, the CEO of Rugby NZ 2011 Ltd., stated that an investigation by the New Zealand Herald was “disingenuous and misleading” after it reported that the Rugby World Cup would cost NZ$1.2bn (US$962m) and generate just NZ$700m ($561m) in direct economic returns.

He stated that the Herald’s figures had “inexplicably” ignored almost NZ$270m ($216.5m) in revenue from ticket sales and incorrectly included stadium construction costs and upgrades to port and airport infrastructure.

Snedden added: “There are no ‘white elephants’. In most instances, Rugby World Cup 2011 has simply acted as a catalyst to accelerate improvements that would have occurred anyway, albeit possibly a little bit later. Future events such as the FIFA U-20 World Cup and Cricket World Cup 2015 will enjoy these benefits with no additional capital outlay.

“Then there is the potential for ongoing post-event economic benefits to New Zealand’s tourism and business sectors if leveraging initiatives during the tournament bear fruit down the track. Studies on other major events, including the Sydney Olympics (in 2000) show these can be considerable.”

In other news, Rugby World Cup Limited (RWCL) has granted MediaWorks Radio broadcast rights to Rugby World Cup 2011 in New Zealand.

Under the deal MediaWorks Radio will provide listeners with match updates, expert opinion and analysis across its stable of stations broadcast to an audience in excess of 1.4 million.

The deal also enables a wide range of promotional opportunities for Rugby World Cup 2011 commercial partners to leverage their association with the Tournament throughout New Zealand.

RWCL Managing Director Mike Miller said: “We are delighted that MediaWorks Radio has joined the extensive family of Rugby World Cup 2011 broadcasters.

“Wall to wall coverage across New Zealand will give fans an unprecedented opportunity to engage with a Tournament that is firmly established as one of the world’s premier sporting events.”

MediaWorks Radio General Manager of Talk Jana Rangooni added: “We’re excited to be able to provide coverage of Rugby World Cup 2011 across RadioLIVE and LIVESport with Martin Devlin leading our coverage alongside an exceptional line up of dedicated sports journalists.”

The Rio 2016 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Rio 2016) has today confirmed that all necessary permits have now been issued in order to allow construction work to begin on the golf course for the 2016 Olympic Games as scheduled.

Work on the Gil Hanse-designed course in the Brazilian city has been delayed by a dispute over ownership of the site.

And while clearing work started a month ago, there it was only last weekend that approval was given to begin the actual construction of the 18-hole layout.

The head of Rio organising committee, site Carlos Nuzman, confirmed last month that the course would be ready for a test event in 2015.

Rio 2016 President Carlos Nuzman said: “We are very pleased to take another important step forward in the golf course project.  We will continue to work very closely with course designer Gil Hanse and the International Golf Federation to ensure we deliver an excellent course for the world’s finest golfers to enjoy at the 2016 Games.”

The sport of golf will re-enter the Olympic Games in 2016 after a 112 year absence. Following the Games the course will create an important legacy for the sport by becoming the first publicly accessible golf course in Rio de Janeiro.

Bloomberg L.P., symptoms American multinational mass media corporation, ailment and IMG, drugs the global leader in sports, fashion and media, today announced a landmark partnership designed to greatly expand and accelerate the growth of Bloomberg’s vertical division, Bloomberg Sports.

The new venture will retain the name Bloomberg Sports, and will be funded through a partnership created by both entities.

“We are very excited to partner with IMG, one of the most respected global leaders in sports and entertainment, to expand a business that was the brainchild of two entrepreneurial employees and incubated through Bloomberg in just two years”

The new venture will still be majority owned by Bloomberg and will be located in offices in New York and London. IMG will have a strong minority equity position and will provide enhanced marketing, sales and production assistance for both the existing Bloomberg Sports analytics products, as well as a new series of projects that will be rolled out this summer. They will include new ventures in international professional soccer as well as greatly enhanced fantasy analytic products for NFL football. This will be in addition to the work the company is already doing in Major League Baseball both on the consumer and professional level. Other products and services are currently in development with additional professional and consumer sports brands which will be announced at a later date.

“We are very excited to partner with IMG, one of the most respected global leaders in sports and entertainment, to expand a business that was the brainchild of two entrepreneurial employees and incubated through Bloomberg in just two years,” said Dan Doctoroff, CEO Bloomberg L.P. “That team, led by Bill Squadron, has created a great foundation, and we are now positioned for growth into other sports both domestically and globally, with the assistance of IMG’s expertise.”

“There are few, if any global business brands more respected than Bloomberg, and we are proud to be able to align with them on this new venture, which we think will take the core business that they have built in analytics and expand it exponentially on a global basis,” said Michael Dolan, Chief Executive Officer, IMG Sports and Entertainment. “The ability to effectively use data to analyze and enhance the experience in sport for fans and for professionals has never been more important than it is today, and there is no company that has proven they can do it better, more efficiently and effectively than Bloomberg Sports.”

Maloof Skateboarding have announced a three-year extension to bring the Maloof Money Cup World Skateboarding Championships back to Kimberley, South Africa.

The deal with the Northern Cape Provincial Government comes on the heels of a very successful 2011 event that drew thousands of skateboarding enthusiasts from around the world to Kimberley and the world-class skate park built specially for the contest. The new skate park, Maloof Cup Plaza, continues to provide economic benefits and promote the township as the new skateboarding destination for the entire region. The multi-year agreement brings Maloof Money Cup contests back to Kimberley each year until 2015.

 

“The Northern Cape government has been unbelievable with their support and passion for skateboarding. We are honored to have them as a partner through 2015,” said Joe Maloof, founder of Maloof Skateboarding. “This is an exciting day for the Maloof family. The future of skateboarding is global and since the South Africa contest, we’ve been overwhelmed at the acceptance of our brand on the international level. We’re focused on expanding Maloof Money Cup worldwide. We’re in negotiations with several countries, including Brazil and Mexico and are working diligently to bring contests to those communities. Skateboarding is growing so fast around the world. It’s exciting for us to bring international visibility to skateboarding and the brands that have supported our event.”

 

The custom skate park built for the first-ever Maloof Money Cup World Championships in South Africa, held last September, continues to be a magnet for skateboarders across the country. The skate park design pays tribute to Kimberley’s heritage, incorporating the famous Kimberley diamond into the design, as well as large areas of green space. The skate park is situated near “The Big Hole,” a former diamond mine that was once the world’s largest and considered the largest hand-dug excavation on earth when it was finally closed in 1914.

 

Local Kimberley skater Warrick Delport said, “As a skateboarder from Kimberley, South Africa, I believe that I speak on behalf of our country, when I say that the Maloof Money Cup World Championship Skateboarding competition has dawned a new light on our land. The way that skateboarding has been viewed and the way that skateboarders view the sport has now been permanently altered to encourage skateboarding in communities, as a form of discipline, sport and an alternative to negative aspects, such as drugs, crime and violence. The magnitude of the Maloof Money Cup has raised the bar for skill level, commitment and growth in skateboarding in South Africa. The Maloof Skate Plaza in Kimberley is now known as the “battleground” for all skateboarders to improve or showcase their skill and experience as well as a skateboarding destination for any skateboarder/enthusiast in South Africa. The Maloof family, along with all the helping hands, have managed to change the influence and standard of skateboarding in South Africa, by giving the people something to enjoy, love and cherish.”

 

In addition to the new skate park, the largest Maloof Cup park to date, the contest halfpipe was also left as a permanent structure. The championship-style halfpipe is the only one on the African continent. With a commitment to leaving a lasting legacy in each community that host its contests, the Maloof Money Cup World Championships were preceded by nine-months of skate demos, clinics and pro tours. More than 10,000 pairs of shoes and 5,000 skateboards were distributed to underprivileged and at-risk youth at events across the country that encouraged skateboarding as a healthy, positive activity.

 

“By highlighting skateboarding on a global basis, we showed South Africa and the world what a positive impact skateboarding can have among today’s youth,” said Gavin Maloof. “The Maloof Cup Plaza in Kimberley is an amazing thing to see. It’s become a worldwide tourist attraction and skate destination. Since 2008, our family has contributed more funds towards building skate parks, and leaving them to the communities that desperately need them, than any other entity and we look forward to continuing to do so in the future. The Maloof Cup is not just a three-day, world-class skateboarding contest, it’s a series of year-round events, and it’s a real investment in these communities. I was told that the media attention we brought to Kimberley was the highest in their history, and they had the World Cup in 2010. That’s a tribute to how powerful skateboarding is and the positive message it spreads within communities. It’s amazing what can happen when cities and governments get together with common interests. We’re excited for what the future holds.”

NFL’s Minnesota Vikings are looking into another site to build a new stadium.

The new plan would put the stadium just east of where the Metrodome now stands on what is currently a parking lot.

Earlier plans to build on the Metrodome site would require the Vikings to move elsewhere for as long as three years, likely to TCF Bank Stadium on the University of Minnesota campus.

Ted Mondale, chairman of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, said the plan, which is still being shaped could see a new stadium as much as three-fourths done before the Metrodome would have to be demolished. Mondale said in that scenario the Vikings could stay in the Metrodome through 2015, with a new stadium complete by 2016.

Lester Bagley, the Vikings’ vice president for stadium development and public affairs, said the goal is to cut down on the time the team plays at TCF Bank Stadium. Playing at the university stadium would also require about $50 million to make the facility NFL-ready.

“It’s the dome site proposal but shifting it,” Bagley said. “The idea is to eliminate the three seasons we’re playing at the university.”

Bagley said the Vikings, city and state officials are looking to prepare a funding package for this newest proposal in the next week to 10 days. Bagley said the team isn’t convinced the new plan is affordable.

The Vikings have said their preferred site is the St. Paul suburb of Arden Hills, but the site’s been ruled out by Gov. Mark Dayton without any clear source of local government revenue. Another site near a historic church on the western edge of downtown Minneapolis has also been rejected.

Stadium bill sponsor Rep. Morrie Lanning, R-Moorhead, said a new proposal would have to be ready in the next couple of weeks for lawmakers to consider it this session.

The ISL files naming high-ranking FIFA officials who allegedly took bribes could be released at the end of January according to FIFA President Sepp Blatter.

Late last year FIFA was ordered by a Swiss court to release documents that could pave the way to finally naming those who are claimed to have taken millions of dollars in kickbacks from World Cup broadcast deals.

Football’s world governing body had previously said that it had been forced to delay publication of the eagerly awaited documentation relating to the collapse of its former marketing partner in 2001, with debts of $300 million (£188 million), because of legal objections.

Blatter himself has been accused of deliberately dragging his feet for fear of incriminating colleagues named in the dossier, understood to include Ricardo Teixeira, President of the Brazilian Football Federation (CBF) and controversial head of Brazil 2014; former FIFA President João Havelange; Nicolás Leoz, boss of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL); and Confederation of African Football (CAF) chief Issa Hayatou.

But Blatter insists he is as frustrated as anyone that FIFA has still not been able to release the infamous files.

“I’ve been trying to release this exasperating ISL dossier for a long time,” he said.

“I’d be ready to do that today if only the court would allow it. If there are no new legal objections, it could happen at the end of January.”

Blatter admitted he knows much of what the files contain.

“I’m roughly aware of the contents, but I don’t know any of the legal details,” he said.

“But this is a fact: I’ve not received any payments of any sort, as confirmed by the court back in 2010.”

With FIFA continually under the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, Blatter said it was time to accentuate the positive, a tough ask given the constant drip-drip of corruption allegations emanating from Zurich.

“Unfortunately, in these turbulent times, it’s often the case that people forget the positive things about FIFA,” Blatter said.

“The game can build bridges, and bring people together, especially in countries affected by war. Football has been played continuously during the five-year occupation of Iraq. Football is played in Afghanistan and in Pakistan of course.

“They’re building up a women’s league in Palestine. Even during the revolution in Libya, the national team qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations.”

But he admitted there were still huge problems – not least when it comes to match fixing.

“Football has become a huge commercial machine,” Blatter said.

“And where there’s money involved, you’ll also find gamblers. Bringing these gamblers, these rogue players, under control isn’t easy.For that, we need honest, exemplary players who act as role models.

“That’s why, during the [recent] gala in Zurich, we called Italian player Simone Farina to the stage and honoured him for his courage in attempting to prevent a match fixing incident, and to uncover the mastermind behind it.

“The Gubbio defender had the courage to refuse €200,000 ($260,400) to throw a second division match, and to report the incident.

“If we had more Farinas, FIFA wouldn’t have to liaise with Interpol.”

Blatter insisted once again that FIFA’s four reform Task Forces, together with the new Governance Committee chaired by Swiss anti-corruption expert Professor Mark Pieth, would act independently.

A number of reforms, he says, will be tabled for initial agreement by the FIFA Congress in Budapest in May, to be completed a year later.

English-based sports equipment company Hi-Tec Sports has signed the world number one men’s squash player, Nick Matthew, to a long-term endorsement deal.

The 30-year-old will wear Hi-Tec’s latest product, the Hi-Tec S702, in all competitions and serve as a global endorsee for the Essex-based company’s range of performance squash footwear.

Matthew and Hi-Tec will also work together to develop a signature shoe.

Matthew said: “I have used Hi-Tec squash shoes since 1999 when i first turned professional and I am thrilled to be joining the world’s number one squash footwear brand. Hi-Tec is recognised for producing great squash shoes and the new Hi-Tec S702 is no exception and I’m looking forward to even more success with Hi-Tec over the next three years and hopefully beyond.”

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Simon Bonham, Hi-Tec global marketing director, said: “Hi-Tec is extremely proud to add yet another world champion and world number one to our stable of players which already includes the incredible talented Amr Shabana.

“Our rich history in the sport of squash is matched by our relentless desire and unrivalled passion to ensure we make the very best shoes for all players whether it be Nick or the squash mad amateur. We look forward to having a very close working relationship with Nick is his role as Hi-Tec’s global ambassador, player and product developer.”

The International Rugby Board (IRB) has confirmed that all but one of the Pacific Nations Cup 2011 matches will be moved from Japan to Fiji following the devastating earthquake and Tsunami that hit the north-east coast of the nation last month.

The decision was taken jointly with the Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU) and follows a detailed review of the logistical, cough administrative and operational requirements for hosting four international teams and six Test matches. The relocation will now enable the JRFU to fully focus on its core business and Rugby World Cup 2011 preparations as Japan starts the extensive rebuilding process.

The opening match between Japan and Samoa on July 2 will remain in Tokyo with the five remaining matches relocated to Lautoka and Suva for the tournament, free order which runs until July 13.

IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset said: “This has been a hard decision for everyone involved, given that the Japan Rugby Football Union has shown great enthusiasm for hosting the IRB Pacific Nations Cup this year, but all stakeholders agreed that it is in the best interests of the Union, the nation and the tournament.

“The thoughts of the global Rugby family continue to be with the people of Japan and everyone affected by the earthquake and Tsunami as they focus on the rebuilding process across the country. We will continue to give the Japan Rugby Football Union our support and assistance.”

IRB Regional General Manager for Oceania and Tournament Director William Glenwright added: “An international event of this magnitude, which was broadcast in over 150 countries in 2010, requires a considerable amount of detailed logistical and operational planning and preparation.

“The Japan Rugby Football Union, like everyone in Japan, has been acutely affected by the earthquake and Tsunami and their focus, quite rightly, is on continuing to give the Japanese Rugby community the best support they can as well as preparing for their participation at Rugby World Cup 2011 in less than five months time.”

“The Japan Rugby Football Union has been incredibly supportive throughout this difficult process and the IRB is committed to ensuring that they remain central to a tournament that they have worked so hard on hosting. It is therefore fitting that Samoa, who experienced the devastating impact of a Tsunami in 2009, will play their match against Japan in Tokyo as scheduled in a show of solidarity and support.”

While disappointed that the event has moved, the Japan Rugby Football Union recognised that the decision to relocate was the appropriate action to take and are committed to continuing to play their part to ensure that the tournament is a success, with Chairman Tatsuzo Yabe saying: “The relocation of matches was a difficult decision to take for the Japan Rugby Football Union and the IRB. It was a great disappointment, given our commitment to delivering an outstanding tournament, but it was the logical decision.

“However, we are pleased that we will be playing Samoa in Tokyo as scheduled and will use the match as a sign of support for the Japan Rugby community, while showing our ability to deliver a superb Test match.”

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Fiji Rugby Union for stepping up to host at short notice and we give our full support and blessing to the Union.”