Martyn Thomas has stood down from his position as chairman of the Rugby Football Union (RFU).

The announcement came as the RFU’s disciplinary officer published a report into the ousting of former chief executive John Steele in June.

It is understood Judge Jeff Blackett’s conclusion called for Thomas’s resignation along with nine non-executives on the management board. He will remain acting chief executive until a permanent appointment is made.

The rest of the management board have survived after a vote of no confidence was reported to have been defeated by a majority verdict.

In an RFU statement, Thomas said: “This was a difficult day for the Union but at the end of the day this does now mean we can finally move on.

“The most important thing was that we maintained stability for staff and our other partners and in the coming weeks I will be ensuring that we navigate to calmer waters and that we can get on with our core purpose of rugby.”

The RFU council discussed the 52-page report’s findings in a four-hour meeting on Sunday.

The full report will not be made public, but an executive summary will be put together by the panel in “a timely fashion”.

Thomas, who was made RFU chairman in April 2005, will remain chairman of Rugby World Cup 2015 – which is being staged in England and Wales – and will stay as an RFU representative on the International Rugby Board.

His decision to stand down leaves the RFU without a permanent chairman or permanent chief executive.

England’s top flight rugby union league, Premiership Rugby, has sealed a licensing agreement with digital rights management agency MyVideoRights.

The agency has been awarded the distribution rights for Premiership Rugby’s content as well as the opportunity to generate advertiser-funded revenues from social media platforms including YouTube, DailyMotion and Metacafe.

The agreement has also seen Premiership Rugby licence to MyVideoRights the “Aviva Behind the Badge” weekly online show as well as weekly highlights and archive footage.

Premiership Rugby commercial director Jon Varney stated: “Many of our fans are logging onto a wide range of social media sites, such as YouTube, to watch rugby, so we’re pleased to enter into this innovative partnership with MyVideoRights to provide consumers with our legitimate, high quality coverage.”

MyVideoRights CEO Ashley MacKenzie added: “Social media platforms are delivering the vast majority of video views today and are increasingly responsible for generating video viewing on owned and operated websites. It makes clear commercial sense for rights holders to put their content where the audience and fans are.”

The European Union of Gymnastics (UEG) has re-elected Georges Guelzec as their President it was announced at the annual congress in Portorož, Slovenia.

The 67-year-old Frenchman received 40 of the 41 ballot votes after standing unopposed for the position, which he has held since 2009 when he succeeded Greece’s Dimitrios Dimitropoulos.

Guelzec said:”I have observed with great satisfaction the spirit of solidarity and unanimity prevailing within the UEG,”

“Everyone supports the projects we develop. We deliberately decided to anticipate the challenges ahead in a proactive policy.

“One of them will be the first European Games in Baku in 2015, in which gymnastics will participate with all its diversity, with all its Olympic and non-Olympic disciplines.”

Also Azerbaijan’s Fahrid Gayibov was elected vice-president of the body joining Ruedi Hediger of Switzerland and Malin Eggertz Forsmark of Sweden who were re-elected.

The 2013 Rowing World Cup is coming back to the UK and will be hosted at Olympic and Paralympic venue Eton Dorney.

The venue saw Team GB win 11 medals in rowing and canoe sprint in this summer’s Olympic Games and previously staged the World Cup in 2005.

Eton will now host the event for only the second time in history, brand viagra online on 21 and 23 June next year.

British Rowing chairman Di Ellis says she hopes the event will see the return of the ‘Dorney Roar’, medicine with packed crowds cheering on the GB Olympians.

Ellis said: “Hosting a World Cup in 2013 at Eton Dorney will give rowing the perfect opportunity to rekindle the magical atmosphere we enjoyed at the Olympic Games.

“It will provide a landmark event as a legacy for the sport where we can watch many of our 2012 medallists in action, clinic celebrating their achievements, but also take a first look at those who may make a name for themselves in Rio.”

Crowds at Eton Dorney this summer witnessed Team GB collect four gold, two silver and three bronze medals in rowing as well as one gold and bronze in canoe sprint.

The venue is now preparing for the Paralympic Games, with the first rowing event on the 31 August.

UK Sport and Olympics Minister, Hugh Robertson: “Rowing was one of the standout successes of the London 2012 Olympics.

“Hosting a 2013 Samsung World Rowing Cup regatta will enable the sport to keep up this momentum and give our top rowers another chance to shine in front of a home crowd.

“This event will help bring thousands of new fans and participants to the sport.”

FISA, the world governing body for rowing has also confirmed that British Rowing will have the option of hosting a World Cup event again in 2015.

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Die Fußball-Europameisterschaft 2012 in Polen und der Ukraine war die erste mit maßgeblicher Internet-Nutzung. Dies geht aus einer aktuellen Repräsentativbefragung von ARD und ZDF hervor, vcialis 40mg die telefonisch bei 1.000 Erwachsenen ab 14 Jahren zwischen Dienstag und Donnerstagabend (26. bis 28. Juni 2012) vom IFAK-Institut durchgeführt wurde. Danach haben bislang vier Millionen Menschen auf den Internetseiten von ARD und ZDF Spiele oder deren Zusammenfassungen abgerufen. Dieser Publikumskreis hat dabei im Durchschnitt vier Spiele verfolgt.

Die Umfrage thematisierte auch die Qualität der EM-Berichterstattung von ARD und ZDF. Das Publikum zeigte sich ausweislich der ersten Auswertungen damit sehr zufrieden: 69 Prozent der EM-Zuschauer bewerteten die Berichterstattung beider Sender mit den Noten “sehr gut” oder “gut”. Dieses Meinungsbild wird von allen Bevölkerungsgruppen geteilt: Zwischen Männern (67%) und Frauen (72%) bzw. jungen (69%) und älteren (70%) Zuschauern ermittelte das IFAK-Institut nur geringe Bewertungsunterschiede.

Im Detail zeigten sich die Befragten vor allem von den Live-Übertragungen überzeugt, view die 91 Prozent als “gut und professionell gemacht” bewerteten. Ähnlich einmütig fällt auch das Urteil über die Kompetenz der Kommentatoren aus, den 87 Prozent attestierten, dass sie “was von der Sache verstehen”. Die Qualität der Rahmenberichterstattung wurde ebenfalls hoch eingestuft: 77 Prozent bezeichneten die Vor- und Nachberichte als “kurzweilig und informativ” und für 83 Prozent waren die Spielanalysen “aufschlussreich”.

Insgesamt sieht die Bevölkerung die EM-Berichterstattung bei ARD und ZDF gut aufgehoben, und wünscht sich, dass die beiden öffentlich-rechtlichen Programme auch zukünftig von der EM berichten. Jedenfalls gaben 94 Prozent der Befragten ein solches Votum ab. Nur drei Prozent fanden, dass diese Aufgabe besser den Privatsendern überlassen werden sollte.

The official track supplier for The Olympic Games have opened a new branch of their business in Brazil. This is in line to support sales ahead of large international competitions to be held in the Lragest south American Country.

Brazil will hold the 2014 FIFA World Cup as well as The Rio Olympics two years later.

The global leader in the sport flooring market have provided the track at the last nine Olympics as well as the upcoming London Games.

Mondo Brazil has its headquarters in Nova Lima, not far from Belo Horizonte, while Raffaele Peano is President of the new subsidiary, the company’s first in South America.

“The opening of Mondo Brazil in advance of these major international competitions is important for ensuring the highest level of product delivery, service and support, but it also will enhance Mondo’s position in the global market,” said Stroppiana.

“South America has a rich sporting tradition and Mondo Brazil will enable us to expand our international presence through the sales to indoor and outdoor sports facilities in the prosperous South American market.