The Rugby Football Union (RFU) have appointed Ian Ritchie to become their Chief Executive Officer in a move to bring the organisation out of its scandal-ridden predicament.

Ritchie, who currently holds a similar role at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club will take the reins from the acting CEO Stephen Brown.

Previous chief executive John Steele stepped down in June after coming under pressure over his handling of the RFU’s search for an elite performance director.

Martyn Thomas had also served as acting CEO until leaving the organisation at the end of November.

The RFU said in a statement that a start date for Ritchie, who has also served on the board of the Football League as an independent director, had yet to be confirmed.

“Ian Ritchie was chosen as having an outstanding mix of business experience, leadership skills and the innate understanding of the sporting world,” the RFU explained.

The appointment comes as the board look to rebuild their reputation after their handling of England’s 2011 World Cup campaign was roundly criticised in the press and by fans.

England had a dissapointing World Cup topped off by scandals on and off the field.

For more than three decades Mark Blundell has honed his expertise in the upper echelons of elite global sport, therapy firstly as an athlete, apoplectic then TV pundit and in more recent years, medic a successful talent manager.

iSportconnect are delighted to announce that Mark will be joining the company as an advisory board member, alongside former director of marketing at Manchester United Steven Falk, and former CEO of Wembley Stadium Michael Cunnah.

Having started his sporting career at just 14, Mark competed at the very top of world motorsport, including Formula One, IndyCar, Le Mans and World Rally for nearly 20 years.

In his role as an advisory board member, Mark will aid the iSportconnect team with the company’s business strategy in the motorsport industry for the website and events.

In addition, Mr Blundell will help spread the word and ethos of iSportconnect throughout his wide range of contacts in the industry. Mark will also join the company’s strong team of expert columnists, bringing the members his views and opinions on hot topic debates in motorsport, throughout the Formula One season.

Mark’s first column comes after the opening weekend of the Formula One season, giving a review on the events during the Melbourne Grand Prix after what he claims was “a very long winter for F1 fans, drivers and teams alike”.

With the benefit of his vast experience and insight into the sport, Blundell speaks of how the new regulations brought in ahead of the 2011 season, the most significant of which include the appointment of Pirelli as the Championship’s new single tyre supplier, aerodynamic revisions designed to boost overtaking, and the return of a 107% qualifying rule. He speaks of how these changes have already come into play and how they may impact upon the rest of the calendar in what he believes will be “another fantastic year of F1!”

iSportconnect CEO Sree Varma stated: “We are delighted to welcome such a well respected and informed industry professional such as Mark onto our advisory board. iSportconnect is dedicated to providing its members with the need to know opinions of the sports business industry’s top-level professionals and Mark coming on board will certainly help us to achieve this.”

From 2001 through to 2008, Mark was integral to ITV as part of the 3-time BAFTA award-winning team, providing F1 analysis alongside Jim Rosenthal and Steve Rider.

In 2005, he and his close friend, Martin Brundle, founded 2mb Sports Management.

Mark Blundell added: “…I am very excited to be a member of the Advisory board for iSportconnect, it’s a dynamic platform and has huge potential and already is cutting its own path in the sports/business world as a great networking and information gateway…I hope to be able to contribute alongside the other members and the management team.

Editors Note:

2mb Sports Management is a boutique talent management company, committed to identifying and developing young sports talent and to helping established sports stars define and manage their brands. http://www.2mbsm.com/

In January 2009, Mark took sole ownership of 2mb Sports Management, and also has moved into the world of Football with 2mb International Soccer Management and is now committed full-time to using his experience, knowledge and connections to provide personalised commercial services and management support.

To follow Mark on Twitter, visit – http://twitter.com/markblundellF1

Major League Soccer (MLS) team, allergist D.C. United have announced they have extended their broadcast agreement with Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic with a new three-year deal.

As part of the long-term agreement, advice Comcast SportsNet will continue to serve as the official sports network of D.C. United and televise a minimum of 16 live games each season through 2015. The network will present pre- and post-game shows, D.C. United Central and D.C. United Postgame Live, surrounding select games, as well as other team-related programming. Comcast SportsNet will also continue to deliver comprehensive coverage of United on its news and digital media platforms.

“Through this new contract, Comcast SportsNet continues to provide resources and effort necessary to best bring D.C. United matches into the homes of soccer fans throughout the region,” said D.C. United Chief Marketing Officer Doug Hicks.  “Through game broadcasts, ancillary programming and news coverage, we appreciate the commitment shown by our partners and look forward to sharing a bright future with them.”

“United is a dynamic brand that delivers a tremendous amount of exciting content to our network’s lineup,” said Comcast SportsNet President Rebecca Schulte. “We are proud to continue in our longtime position as the official sports network of United and provide their passionate fans with the most comprehensive Black-and-Red coverage.”

United and Comcast SportsNet, whose partnership began in 1996, also announced the Black-and-Red’s regional television schedule.

Comcast SportsNet broadcasts will be led by play-by-play announcer Dave Johnson and analyst John Harkes. The first game to air on Comcast SportsNet this year will be a rematch of the 2012 Eastern Conference finals against the Houston Dynamo on May 8 at 7:00 p.m. at RFK Stadium.

The French Euro 2012 football team will not be given their bonuses owed to them for reaching the quarter-finals of the competition, the French football federation confirmed on Tuesday.

Each member of the French team, which lost 2-0 in the quarters to eventual winners Spain, was eligible for a bonus of 100,000 euros ($125,563).

But in light of the in-fighting and ill-discipline that dogged the country’s Euro campaign, federation president Noel Le Graet said: “The whole of the bonuses of the France team at Euro 2012 are frozen.

“It’s blocked money, which may be redistributed or maybe not.”

Le Graet, up for re-election in December, added that four players from the squad would appear at a disciplinary committee “as soon as possible after their holidays” to explain their behaviour at the tournament hosted by Poland and Ukraine.

“Four players will go before the disciplinary committee: (Hatem) Ben Arfa, (Yann) Mvila, (Samir) Nasri and (Jeremy) Menez,” Le Graet said after a meeting of the executive committee, a body he said was unable to impose sanctions.

“The players must be punished, sanctioned, but I don’t want to make victims out of them.

“Financial sanctions are detailed in our statutes, and (possible) suspensions for the upcoming cases will be examined most fairly.”

Nasri verbally abused an AFP journalist after the loss to Spain and was seen as a disruptive influence throughout, while Ben Arfa had a dressing room row with Laurent Blanc, who stood down as coach after the tournament.

Menez railed at a referee, and gestured at captain Hugo Lloris during the Spain game, telling him to shut up, while M’Vila did not shake hands with Blanc or his replacement when he was substituted by Olivier Giroud.

All the incidents led many pundits to draw similarities to the France squad that disgraced itself at the 2010 WorldCup.

Michael Schumacher, seven-time Formula One world champion, has put his hat in the ring to become the next president of Bundesliga football club Cologne.

German news agency dapd has reported Schumacher is one of about 20 names put forward for the position by an adviser to the club. However, Schumacher’s spokeswoman Sabine Kehm says “we don’t want to comment on these mind games.”

Cologne is looking for a successor to Wolfgang Overath, who stepped down on Nov. 13 after seven years in the job.

Schumacher has strong affiliations with Lukas Podolski, who plays for Cologne.

Laurent-Eric Le Lay, Chairman and CEO of Eurosport, has taken part in an exclusive Featured Profile interview with iSportconnect amid this week’s major identity change at the company.

Eurosport unveiled yesterday, Tuesday April 5, a new brand identity across its global multimedia platform, spanning its operations in Europe, the MENA and Asia-Pacific, marking the end of an 18-month branding review with new on-air graphics, a new musical identity and a “soft” evolution of its iconic logo.

The brand review — the biggest in the group’s history — represents a major step-change for Eurosport, and is designed to create an improved and visually engaging environment to showcase Eurosport’s brand values of emotion, live action and diversity of sports.

Laurent-Eric took time out of his busy schedule to discuss this, and all things Eurosport with News Editor Martin Laurence.

Having began as a single TV channel, Mr Le Lay credits Eurosports rise to becoming Europe’s leading sports multi-media platform the group’s developmental strategy, driven by “innovation and new technology”. He added: “We have been able to anticipate these changes faster than national broadcasters and make the right development decisions to evolve from a channel to the leading pan-European multimedia platform.”

When asked of the incentive behind the new identity change Laurent-Eric said: “We believed the time was right to modernise and energise our brand to reflect our position as the leading provider of live sports in Europe. Eurosport covers the widest variety of sports of any media in Europe, over 150 different disciplines across our platforms, and we have integrated this diversity into our branding to underline that we are the brand for all sports.”

Le-Lay stressed the importance of the group’s extensive LIVE sports coverage, adding: “Live coverage is our DNA,” he said. “Live sport creates emotions and that’s what keeps our fans coming back to Eurosport,” something which he reveals is clearly reflected in the brand’s new identity.

With Eurosport based on a fine balance between the world’s most popular sports and those which are emerging, the group’s Chairman emphasised that it is the broadcaster’s role to “give visibility to new sports, if we stopped doing this, the development of new sports would be greatly hindered.” However, he confirmed that the company kept a close eye on the ratings of such events, stating: “We have staff at every level of the sports broadcast business so we are perfectly placed to ‘take the pulse’ of an event and monitor its popularity.”

Laurent-Eric had the final word on his association with iSportconnect and the incentives it brings, stating: “iSportconnect has created a place for the industry to meet, discuss and exchange, which corresponds completely to the connected world we live in today.”

To read the full interview click here – http://isportconnect.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6280&catid=52&Itemid=221

ESPN and the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) have extended their agreement six years, clinic through the 2022 season.

John Skipper, viagra 100mg President of ESPN, Inc. announced the deal with Co-Chairman of the Disney Media Networks, and Laurel J. Richie, WNBA President.

The new agreement, which will lengthen ESPN’s relationship with the WNBA to 26 years, dating back to the WNBA’s inaugural season in 1997, allows for games to be presented on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and WatchESPN.

Up to 30 games will be aired yearly on ESPN networks, including exclusive coverage of the WNBA Conference Finals, WNBA Finals, WNBA Draft and WNBA All-Star Game.

ESPN will continue to enhance its production and commitment to the sport through access to WNBA teams, players and coaches, including in-depth interviews and in-game elements such as microphones on players, coaches and referees.

espnW.com will further the network’s dedication with exclusive on-line content. The all-encompassing site will engage fans with storytelling and distinctive elements, continuing the momentum as the home of women’s sports.

“We are thrilled to extend our agreement with the WNBA, a dynamic relationship that will extend over two decades,” said Skipper. “This strengthens ESPN’s commitment to the league and helps solidify us as the home of women’s sports content.”

Richie said, “Our enhanced television agreement reflects ESPN’s extraordinary commitment to women’s sports and to the WNBA. The extension has been a catalyst for the WNBA and ESPN to bring forward fresh thinking ideas to better showcase our players, our game and our league.”

Manchester United have announced plans to sell shares in the US on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

The Premier League giants filed registration papers with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Tuesday.

If the proposed restructuring goes through, bronchi the club would become a subsidiary of a new holding company called Manchester United Ltd., symptoms which would be based in the Cayman Islands.

The number of available shares and the price per share were not listed on the filing. Investors will be able to purchase Class A shares, but the Glazer family will maintain control of the club through its ownership of Class B shares. Those have 10 times the voting power as the shares United hopes to sell on the NYSE.

United said it hoped to raise up to $100 million (£64 million) in the initial public offering (IPO). It intends to use the money to help pay down some of its considerable debt. The Glazer family purchased the club in 2005 for $1.47 billion (£936 million), but the leveraged takeover saddled the club with debt.

As of March 31, United has $663 million (£423 million) in outstanding obligations. Forbes Magazine values United at $2.24 billion (£1.43 billion). It has been ranked as the most valuable soccer club in the world for the last eight years. If the IPO is approved, United will become the first sports team to sell stock on the NYSE since the Cleveland Indians de-listed in 1998.

Wrexham AFC appointed Dave Roberts as their new CEO yesterday evening, December 13th.

Roberts has extensive business experience across the private sector (including the position of finance director at a multi-million pound private equity-backed group in the North West of England) and originally trained as a chartered accountant. The 46 year-old is also a lifelong fan of Wrexham AFC and has contributed to the running of the club on a voluntary basis for some time.

The club’s main board director Mark Williams has explained his reasons for the appointment.

“David has been involved with the club for over 30 years and will be a familiar face to many fans. He has a real passion for the club and his business skills will play an important part in driving the club through a challenging time”.

Today, Roberts outlined his vision for Wrexham AFC, saying he is determined to make the Blue Square Premier League side both “successful and sustainable”.

He explained the motivation behind his decision to take up the post and sought to reassure fans of his understanding of the club.

“Having been involved in a large, multi-million pound business I have been fortunate enough to step back from that [financial challenge] for the past couple of years, but now I feel the time is right to take up a new challenge”.

“I am under no illusions about the size of the task ahead, but with the support of the Trust, the Wrexham AFC board, the fans and Glyndwr University, our landlords at the Racecourse, I am sure we can establish a successful and sustainable football club of which the town of Wrexham and North Wales can be proud”.