Golf Australia has revealed that Get Wines Direct has joined the organisation’s suite of corporate sponsors.

The three year agreement, cheap launched during the 2013 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open in Canberra, and sees the family-owned Melbourne based retailer sign on as a partner of Golf Australia.

Managing Director and Get Wines Direct founder Tony Sells said he saw strong connections between golf and the pursuit of excellence in business.

“At Get Wines Direct, capsule our mission is to continue delivering unsurpassed quality of product and service. Working with Golf Australia and the Women’s Australian Open is the epitome of that pursuit of excellence, so it’s our absolute honour to be supporting such a fine event and the organisation,” Sells said.

“For us, golf represents some of the best qualities in fairness, honesty and integrity which are values we are happy to align ourselves with. It’s also a sport where people are passionate about what they do and we feel the same in our business.”

Golf Australia CEO Stephen Pitt said the organisation looked forward to working with Get Wines Direct.

“We’re pleased to be working with Tony and his team at Get Wines Direct on the exciting years ahead for golf in Australia and in particular their support for the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open,” Pitt said.

Get Wines Direct has over 35 years experience in the Australian Wine Industry, developing contacts in every major wine region in Australia, while showcasing some fantastic locally produced big brand and boutique wines.

Tokyo-based ISPS (International Sports Promotion Society) is set to continue its sponsorship of the prestigious PGA Seniors Championship – one of the leading tournaments on the European Senior Tour schedule.

The ISPS HANDA PGA Seniors Championship has an increased prize fund of £260, link 000 and will be staged between 6-9 June 2013, at De Vere Mottram Hall.

“ISPS HANDA is pleased to again be sponsoring such a prestigious tournament as the PGA Seniors Championship and we look forward to seeing it staged at a new venue at De Vere Mottram Hall,” said Dr Handa.

“’We are also delighted to continue the unique ISPS HANDA PGA Academy Programme in partnership with the PGA which has already made great strides in giving blind and disabled golfers greater access to specialised coaching from PGA professionals.

“ISPS HANDA’s support for golf is founded on our belief in the power of sport. Sport has a unique ability to create hope, to breakdown educational and cultural barriers and to inspire people in a way that very little else does. It brings people together and unites communities around the world. This is why we are extremely proud of the growing success of the ISPS HANDA PGA Academy Programme.”

Daniel Hodson, Director of Golf for De Vere, is looking forward to working with ISPS HANDA for a second year as the tournament moves to the Cheshire venue of Mottram Hall, which has recently benefited from a £6million pound refurbishment.

The action, which will feature a number of legends of the game, will be staged on Mottram Hall’s 7,006-yard par 72 championship course, designed by Dave Thomas.

The championship, which was first competed for in 1957 and is the only 72-hole event on the European Senior Tour outside of the majors, will also see the continuation of the ground-breaking ISPS HANDA PGA Academy Programme to train PGA professionals to coach blind and disabled golfers, which was an overwhelming success in 2012.

ISPS HANDA, founded by Japanese philanthropist Dr Haruhisa Handa in 2006, supports a significant number of golf tournaments and initiatives across the globe as a platform to enhance the playing opportunities for blind and disabled golfers, with the wider aim of it being included in the Paralympic Games.

Charles Green, CEO of Glasgow Rangers has revealed the Scottish club have agreed a deal to sell the naming rights to their Ibrox stadium with sports retailer Sports Direct.

A deal is expected to be finalised in time for the beginning of next season with Green claiming there has been good feedback from the club’s supporters about the possibility of a deal. 

“We have now decided that Sports Direct will be the partner,” Green said on STV. “We are now into the stage where we are doing some layouts, some pictorials of how it might look and we’ll stick those on the website shortly so the fans can see what’s being proposed. 

“We have had good engagement from the fans on this. I think it was always an issue for fans but I think the fans accept now that this is something that we have to do. Almost all of the big stadia have been named now.” 

Sports Direct, the UK’s biggest sports retailing group, recently became the club’s official merchandising supplier. The company’s owner Mike Ashley is already a large shareholder in the Scottish Third Division side.

The National Rifle Association (NRA) will sponsor the Sprint Cup race next month at Texas Motor Speedway, doctor the track announced Monday.

The NRA 500 will be held on Saturday night on April 13.

This won’t be the first time that the NRA will sponsor a NASCAR race. Last year, drugs the NRA sponsored the Nationwide Series race at Atlanta, which, like Texas, is owned by Speedway Motorsports Inc.

TMS needed a sponsor for the race after Samsung decided not to renew its deal.

When the NRA announced the sponsorship of the Atlanta race, NASCAR spokesman David Higdon said the sanctioning body had no qualms with the sponsorship by the controversial political advocacy group for gun owners.

NASCAR issued a statement Monday afternoon saying it had no issues with that deal.

“Race entitlement partnerships are agreements directly between the track and the sponsor,” the NASCAR statement said. “NASCAR reserves the right to approve or disapprove those sponsorships. The race sponsor for Texas Motor Speedway’s April event falls within the guidelines for approval for that event.”

The NRA will have to abide by the sanctioning body’s guidelines that it uses to approve paint schemes as far as taste and messaging.

Guns are already prominent at Texas Motor Speedway, where the winners don cowboy hats and fire six-shooters in victory lane after the race.

Race sponsorships for major Cup events typically cost $1 million or more.

The deal is a one-year deal with a renewal option, TMS President Eddie Gossage said when making the announcement.

In a taped message, NRA Chief Executive Officer Wayne LaPierre talked about the relationship between the NRA and TMS parent company Speedway Motorsports Inc.

“The NRA 500 is the latest announcement in a long history of a growing partnership between the NRA, Speedway Motorsports and the NASCAR community,” LaPierre said.

“NRA members and NASCAR fans love their country and everything that is good and right about our country.”

Warwickshire County Cricket Club has confirmed USN as its first official Sports Nutrition & Supplements Partner for the 2013 season.

Based in Bromsgrove, buy USN is one of the leading providers of bodybuilding, weight loss, high protein and endurance supplements, and will supply its range of products to the Bears throughout their upcoming defence of the LV= County Championship.

Chris Armstrong, Fitness and Conditioning Coach at Warwickshire CCC, said: “Sports nutrition is a constantly evolving industry in elite sport, where we’re always looking at new products and player diets that can give us a competitive advantage over our rivals.

“USN is one of the market leading firms in sports nutrition, and by signing our first official partnership we can ensure that members of the Warwickshire squad will always have access to the best sports products and supplements available. We look forward to working with them.”

The official partnership with Warwickshire CCC secures USN branding on the non-leading arm of the Bears’ new Friends Life t20 shirt as well as hospitality packages for matches at Edgbaston.

Karl Bickley, Events Manager and Athlete Liaison at USN, said: “USN already has agreements in place with Sale Sharks and Birmingham City FC, so the opportunity to extend our ambassadorship into cricket with the LV= County Champions is the perfect fit.

“The Warwickshire coaching team’s ethos of leaving no stone unturned in their preparation has made them a dominant force in English cricket, and we’re sure that they’ll see great benefits and enjoy using our product range in the 2013 season.”

Time Warner Cable announced today a multi-year sponsorship agreement with the University of Kentucky’s athletic program involving their Men’s Basketball and Football teams.

Under the agreement, apoplectic Time Warner Cable will serve as an Official Sponsor of University of Kentucky Athletics across its core video, high speed data, Wi-Fi and home phone products and services, holding strong in-game presence with courtside signage as well as video and LED Ribbon Board.

Time Warner Cable customers in Kentucky will have a chance to enjoy unique customer appreciation experiences such as the opportunity to attend Coach Stoops’ or Coach Calipari’s call-in shows, special Time Warner Cable VIP events at the stadium, and other great experiences.

“We’re excited to partner with one of the most respected and sought after college athletic programs in the country. Our partnership comes at the heels of the Wildcats 2012 National Championship and it is sure to bring our customers in Kentucky unique opportunities to stay close to the teams and enjoy the action on the field and on the court,” said Jeffrey A. Hirsch, EVP, Chief Marketing Officer, Residential Services of Time Warner Cable. “The University of Kentucky’s athletic program is well positioned to deliver exciting moments for our college sports fans.”

IMG College, the multi-media rights partner of University of Kentucky, brokered the sponsorship, including the creative use of the school’s intellectual property and the unique experiences which will be provided.

The partnership will encompass promotional efforts across all media platforms including Radio spots during each football and basketball game broadcast and TV spots during select basketball game broadcasts; print ads in the football and men’s basketball yearbook and playbook; and digital presence on the University of Kentucky Athletics website.

StubHub, drugs the world’s largest ticket marketplace, rx entered into an agreement with AEG in which the San Francisco-based company will become the new naming rights partner of The Home Depot Center in Carson, California.

Effective June 1, 2013, the 125-acre multi-sport facility will become ‘StubHub Center,’ which represents the first-ever naming rights partnership for the ticketing company and leading consumer brand.

Just as StubHub has utilized technological innovation to revolutionize the ticketing industry, StubHub will do the same in transforming the live event experience at StubHub Center, with a focus on providing several ‘fan-friendly’ activation components at the facility. In addition, the long term multi-year agreement will provide StubHub on-site assets including prominent, permanent signage of two giant digital freeway marquee signs as well as throughout the entire 125-acre facility, on-site interactive fan experience activities, integration into the official venue website and LA Galaxy team marketing assets. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

“As leaders in the ticketing industry, providing the highest levels of customer satisfaction and as an increasingly popular consumer brand, this partnership is groundbreaking for our company. We look forward to the relationship with millions of fans at StubHub Center,” said Danielle Maged, Global Head of Partnerships and Business Development at StubHub. “At StubHub, we have an unyielding focus on the fan experience and with our partners at AEG, we intend for StubHub Center to be the embodiment of that focus as we work to create one of the most fan friendly stadiums in the world.”

StubHub’s partnership with a major sports facility represents the first-ever ticketing company to add its name to a public venue. The industry’s leading online ticket marketplace started in 2000, and through global partnerships with more than 100 sports properties and brands, including AEG, ESPN, Barclays Premier League Football teams, as well as numerous teams in MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL and now MLS, StubHub has quickly become one of the country’s leading entertainment brands. It has also partnered with primary ticketing companies AXS, Paciolan and Tickets.com. Its singular focus on fans and customer service has accelerated its adoption as a trusted brand about which consumers feel passionate.

“We are pleased to have this opportunity to expand our global partnership with StubHub,” said Shervin Mirhashemi, President, AEG Global Partnerships. “We have always had great respect and admiration for StubHub and their industry leading sponsorship activation in recent years and, it’s because of their tremendous success throughout North America and their dedication to creating great customer service experiences for guests that truly makes this such an important deal for AEG and the millions of fans that will be exposed to this partnership in the coming years.”

“We welcome this new and exciting partnership with StubHub, an organization that, like us, emphasizes the highest level of customer services and fan experiences,” said Katie Pandolfo, General Manager of the AEG Facilities’ managed venue that will transition to StubHub Center this June. “We look forward to working with StubHub to design new programs and activation elements that will provide an even higher level of fan engagement and experience.”

World Snooker has announced Dafabet as title sponsor of the Players Tour Championship Grand Finals in Ireland. 

The Dafabet Players Tour Championship Grand Finals will run from March 12 to 17 at the Bailey Allen Hall in Galway. 

Star players including Judd Trump, Mark Selby, John Higgins, Ding Junhui, Neil Robertson and home favourite Ken Doherty will be competing for the £100,000 top prize. 

The Grand Finals are the culmination of the PTC series, which has comprised 13 events across the globe this season. 

World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said: “We’re very pleased to welcome Dafabet as they are sponsoring a snooker event for the first time and we hope it will be the beginning of a long association. The exposure they will receive through television coverage of this event across the world will be vast. 

“The players have been to China, Poland, Germany, Belgium, Bulgaria and the UK for the PTC series and now the leading 32 players are through to Galway to do battle for the trophy. It’s going to be a sensational six days of top class snooker.”