LDN UTD Announces Alienware/Dell Gaming As Official PC & Gaming Display Partner For 2022

LDN UTD, the tech led purpose driven esports org, today announces their partnership with Alienware/Dell Gaming. 

Alienware/Dell Gaming PCs and monitors will be on full display in LDN UTD’s Centre Of Excellence, providing quality visuals to players, staff and members of the community. The partnership will further support LDN UTD’s commitment to inclusivity and grassroots gamers, helping them to “defy boundaries” through access to cutting edge equipment which might otherwise be inaccessible for them. 

Alienware/Dell Gaming’s PCs and displays have already proven invaluable in LDN UTD’s delivery of education and career initiative UTD EDN to help young adults work in the esports sector. The first cohort of participants of the 8 week learning experience are this week commencing 70 hours of work experience in LDN UTD’s Centre Of Excellence. 

The partnership will also see Alienware/Dell Gaming feature on LDN UTD’s 2022 jersey, which will be seen by hundreds of thousands across Europe during the VCT EMEA Challengers season. You can grab a jersey for yourself over at our store, but be quick as it’s a limited run!

Additionally, the Alienware/Dell Gaming branding will be included into digital branding assets and tournaments as a part of LDN UTD’s digital economy platform.

“Alienware is a brand that is synonymous in the world of gaming, and at LDN UTD we are pleased to welcome Alienware to the LDN UTD family. We are looking forward to using their state of the art equipment to make gaming accessible to all at our purpose driven Centre Of Excellence.” Hannah Shiels, Commercial Manager. 

LET And Asian Tour Join Forces For Two New Mixed Events Sponsored By Trust Golf

The Ladies European Tour (LET) and Asian Tour today jointly announce two exciting new mixed tournaments in Thailand.

Trust Golf, part of the TCT Corporation, will host the Asian Mixed Cup and the Asian Mixed Stableford Challenge as part of the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Series. The tournaments will see the leading stars on the LET and Asian Tour compete for US $1.5 million in the space of a fortnight.

The innovative events will be played back-to-back on the Waterside Course at Siam Country Club near Pattaya – one of Asia’s finest golf clubs which has hosted numerous prestigious international championships and is the home of the Honda LPGA Thailand – on 7-10 April and on 13-16 April, 2022.

Both events will feature 60 LET players and 60 Asian Tour players, along with 24 sponsor invitations, playing for the same prize fund and trophy. Each tournament will offer a prize fund of US$750,000, along with Official World Golf Ranking points. Race to Costa del Sol and Order of Merit points will be awarded to players from both Tours respectively.

The support of Trust Golf as title sponsor is a huge boost for the ground-breaking co-sanctioned events. Dr. Prin Singhanart, founder of the Thai-based technology enterprise and the Trust Golf Tour, is passionate about innovative golf formats. With the Thailand Mixed, which will be played in late March, followed by the Asian Mixed in April, Dr Prin hopes to drive towards a World Mixed Championship one day.  

Trust Golf founder, Dr Prin Singhanart commented: “I’m always extremely keen on mixed formats as golf is the only sport allowing people of all ages and genders to play together. I would like to provide a pathway for Thai talents both male and female. If a female golfer wins outright, they will earn membership to the LET, and if a male golfer wins outright, they will earn membership to the Asian Tour. With the Trust Golf Tour affiliated membership programme, it will allow the players to be ranked on both order of merits.

“I believe that sport has always been a soft power diplomacy approach to international relations. Through the attraction of its unique culture, Thailand has such potential to boost that in sports, especially with our strength in Thai Boxing and golf. This can contribute to future trade and investment by strengthening trust and awareness of our country’s capabilities.”

Alexandra Armas, CEO of the LET, said: “We look forward to collaborating with Dr Prin and her vision to nurture the next generation of Thai talent. These new tournaments are important steps in the continued growth of the LET as we offer 33 playing opportunities to our members in 2022 and we look forward to working together with Trust Golf and the Asian Tour at Siam Country Club in April.”

Cho Minn Thant, CEO of the Asian Tour, said: “The Asian Tour is extremely excited to add a new format of play to our tournament schedule. We thank Trust Golf for making it possible for the Asian Tour to stage its first mixed events, which will resonate strongly with golf fans in the region. It is also an exciting opportunity to collaborate with the Ladies European Tour for the first time and pay our maiden visit to the highly-regarded Siam Country Club.”

Vodafone Teams Up With Emma Raducanu To Inspire The Next Generation Of Players

Vodafone has today announced a new partnership with nineteen-year-old sensation Emma Raducanu as its grassroots tennis ambassador. Emma will work with the brand to inspire the next generation of players and help grow grassroots tennis in the UK.

As part of her role, Emma will become the face of Vodafone’s grassroots tennis initiatives, with plans to use Vodafone connectivity to expand access to tennis for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. This includes the relaunched and expanded mass participation competition Play Your Way to Wimbledon, powered by Vodafone, formerly known as the Road to Wimbledon, which will be delivered in partnership by the LTA, the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, and Vodafone.

With entries now open, thousands of 14&U and 18&U players are set to take part in the initial stages held in clubs, parks and schools leading to county and regional finals in June and July. The winners of these stages will progress to the national finals, taking place on Wimbledon’s Aorangi Courts in August. They will also have the chance to immerse themselves in the true Wimbledon experience, competing in whites and touring the historic Grounds and Museum.

From 2023, the LTA and the All England Club are planning for the competition to expand further, including through the introduction of additional age groups and disability categories, which Vodafone is proud to support.

There has already been good news for grassroots tennis in the UK, with the three months after Emma’s grand slam win seeing more adults pick up a racquet regularly than for the same period in any of the past five years. Vodafone will work with Emma, the All England Club and the LTA to build on this ‘Raducanu Effect’ and help get more children and adults playing and enjoying tennis as they take part in the competition.

Off the court, Vodafone will use its network and superfast 5G to help Emma keep in touch with her family, friends and fans as she tours. As a global citizen with a diverse heritage and fanbase, Emma has relationships all across the world and Vodafone’s technology will allow her to stay in touch with family, friends and fans as she travels.

Max Taylor, Vodafone Consumer Director said:

“Emma has captivated the nation over the last eighteen months, delivering one of the most iconic British sporting moments in recent memory and inspiring a huge number of new players to pick up a racket for the first time. As the face of modern British tennis and a graduate of the LTA’s grassroots programme – which we are proud to now be supporting – Emma is the perfect person to champion the relaunch and expansion of Play Your Way to Wimbledon, powered by Vodafone and our ambition to democratise the sport and connect a new generation of fans and players.”

Emma Raducanu said:

“I’m so excited to be working with Vodafone to inspire the next generation of tennis players in the UK. The support I received at a grassroots level has been key to my development as a player, and I’m looking forward to helping make these initiatives even bigger, better and more accessible.”

Gus Henderson, Commercial Director at the All England Club, said:

“We are delighted to work with the LTA and Vodafone to build on the strong heritage of the Road to Wimbledon, relaunching and expanding it to become the UK’s biggest individual mass participation competition. We hope that Play Your Way to Wimbledon helps to encourage more children to try tennis and develop a love of the game, with the chance to play on the grass courts at Wimbledon as a compelling inspiration factor.”

Oliver Scadgell, Participation Director at the LTA said:

“By working with Vodafone and the All England Club on this competition, we’re continuing our vision to open up tennis and grow the sport at a grass roots level. The introduction of broader age groups and disability categories from 2023 is key to this objective and it’s hugely beneficial to have Emma’s support in encouraging participation.”

To mark the announcement, Vodafone used a time-slice rig and a bespoke racket threaded with electroluminescent (EL) wire to create a unique 360 degree ‘digital sculpture’ of Emma alongside grassroots player Katie Randall. Popularised by the Matrix, and still used by national and international broadcasters as the cutting-edge of 360 filming, time-slice rigs use 120 different cameras and cutting-edge software, an example of Vodafone’s commitment to using the latest technology to support the next generation of tennis players.

The 360 sculptures of Emma are available to download here, alongside further imagery here and a short launch film featuring Emma and Katie, downloadable here and on YouTube here

The announcement follows Vodafone’s recent multi-year deal with Wimbledon and the All England Club as Official Connectivity Partner of The Championships. Working alongside Wimbledon and Emma, Vodafone will use its world-leading connectivity, superfast 5G network and cutting-edge AR, VR and haptic technology to help bring the sport to more people and enhance the viewing and playing experience.

Cage Warriors Coverage Added To UFC Content On Discovery+ And Eurosport In The Netherlands And Spain, Discovery+ In Finland Secures MotoGP™ For 2022

The next generation of Cage Warriors champions will soon be crowned with every knee, kick and knock-out in the Octagon coming to discovery+ in the Netherlands and Eurosport in Spain.

Cage Warriors, one the fastest-growing competitive Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) events globally, has already staged more than 150 events in 3 continents over the past two decades and has launched the careers of global superstars including Conor McGregor, Gegard Mousasi and Joanna Jędrzejczyk. 

As part of a new partnership between Discovery Sports and Cage Warriors, in addition to live and on-demand streaming on discovery+ in the Netherlands and via the Eurosport App in Spain, viewers can also enjoy coverage on the full range of Eurosport’s channels and platforms, broadening the reach of Cage Warriors for the widest possible audience. 

The announcement further expands Discovery Sports’ MMA offering following news earlier in the year that discovery+ and Eurosport will bring every UFC fight to viewers in the Netherlands and Spain. discovery+ subscribers in the Netherlands can now not only enjoy streaming of a wide range of MMA fights, but also benefit from access to one of the largest real-life entertainment content libraries anywhere.

Packing even more punches, Eurosport.nl and Eurosport.es will also bring fans the best content and stories throughout the series, providing even more ways to engage with Cage Warriors.

Viewers will benefit from a minimum of 15 events per year including potential fights in the Netherlands and Spain. The new series of Cage Warriors kicks off in San Diego, USA on 4 March with the eagerly anticipated Cage Warriors 133, which is set to feature some of the fiercest knockout artists and submission specialists including Joseph Morales (USA) vs Sidemar Honorio (Brazil) in the main card flyweight bout. 

Gijs Poortman, Head of Discovery Sports Netherlands, said:

“With the rights to Cage Warriors, we are expanding our premium martial arts offering on discovery+. With Cage Warriors, in addition to UFC, we want to serve our MMA fans on discovery+ even more at the highest level. With, among others, Dutch MMA athletes Gerardo Fanny, Agy Sardari, Hubert Geven and Daan Duijs and favourable European broadcast times, the martial arts enthusiast is sitting first row at discovery+ – ‘The Streaming Home of Fight Sports’.”

Fernando Ruiz, Sports Editorial Senior Manager at Eurosport Spain, said:

“With this new addition, Eurosport further strengthens its extensive catalogue of international sporting events to offer fans in Spain one of the most important mixed martial arts competitions with more fans around the world after the addition of the UFC last month. In addition to continuing to enjoy some of the top boxing events on the international circuit, fans of contact sports will be able to follow the best coverage of Cage Warriors on Eurosport’s channels and digital platforms for years to come.’’

Graham Boylan, President at Cage Warriors, said:

“We are very pleased to see Discovery’s growing commitment to MMA and are excited to join Discovery the UFC in growing the sport in the Netherlands and Spain. Vamos! ”

Discovery’s sports business – under the Discovery Sports banner – produces and distributes content to 130 million unique individuals a month across more than 200 markets and 20 languages. It connects audiences with the greatest sporting events in the world. As well as bringing fans in the Netherlands and Spain the best MMA action, its global portfolio includes being the Home of the Olympics Games in Europe*; tennis’ Grand Slams; cycling’s Grand Tours and more than 300 days racing a year; the PGA TOUR year-round; the best new and existing electric racing series with ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and FIA eTouring Car World Cup; and every major winter sports World Championship and World Cup event to name a few.

discovery+ in Finland secures MotoGP™ for 2022

The 2022 MotoGP World Championship will be broadcast exclusively live on discovery+ in Finland.

Discovery Sports has reached agreement with Dorna, the international rights holder of the championship, to show all 21 races this season which starts with the Grand Prix of Qatar this weekend.

discovery+ in Finland will broadcast every event from each race weekend including free practice, qualifying and the races themselves. The agreement also means viewers will be able to watch the first MotoGP™ held in Finland live and exclusively on discovery+ and on Discovery’s free-to-air channels.

discovery+ in Finland will also air the MotoGP™ support races including MotoE, Moto2 and Moto3.

Coverage from the Grand Prix of Qatar starts with free practice on Friday (4 March), continues with qualifying on Saturday (5 March) with the main races taking places on Sunday (6 March). Coverage on discovery+ in Finland starts each day from 14:00 (local time) with Marko Terva-aho, a familiar figure for local Finnish motorsport fans, commentating on the opening weekend. 

UFC Upgrades To Feature LED Displays Around Octagon

UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, today announced a groundbreaking upgrade to one of the most well-known settings in all of sports—the world-famous Octagon.

Starting this Saturday, March 5, with UFC 272: COVINGTON vs MASVIDAL at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the Octagon will feature new state-of-the-art LED decking displays around its outer circumference, which will be used to enhance the spectacle of UFC events by incorporating thrilling lighting effects, graphics, animation, video, and more.

The pioneering lighting system, named UFC Fight Deck, has been custom built for UFC, weighs over five tons, and features eight tiles comprising over 175 sq. ft. of LED lighting around the standard 30-foot Octagon.  Each panel offers full motion HD video that supports dynamic branding and messaging capabilities that can be used to augment the UFC experience with greater fan engagement and partnership branding opportunities.

“We take pride in giving our fans the best in-arena and broadcast presentation possible, and we’re always looking for ways to upgrade the experience,” said Craig Borsari, Chief Content Officer and Executive Producer, UFC.  “This is a use of cutting-edge technology with the most famous setting in combat sports, the Octagon, and it’s going to transform how fans experience UFC events.”

“The possibilities for using this technology to integrate our partners into UFC events are limitless,” said Paul Asencio, UFC Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships.  “We’ll be able to elevate our partners’ brands before millions of UFC fans around the world during the most-visible, most-anticipated moments of our events, including in-round action, fighter introductions, and walkouts from the locker rooms to the Octagon.” 

UFC Fight Deck will also be integrated at key moments with UFC Fight Clock, UFC’s proprietary and innovative time-keeping system, to give a unified, multi-level LED look to the Octagon.  UFC Fight Clock, which was introduced last year, utilizes advanced technology, including the most flexible high-definition screens in the world, to provide fighters and fans with the most accurate time-keeping system in combat sports.  UFC Fight Deck will initially be utilized at every UFC event in the United States, including events at UFC APEX, with plans to eventually incorporate the system into international shows.

The UFC Fight Deck stricture was designed and built by premiere staging company All Access, Inc., while the LED display screens were manufactured by PixelFLEX, a leader in LED technology, which was previously involved in the design for the UFC Fight Clock.

Manchester City Announce Official Cryptocurrency Exchange Partner OKX

Manchester City have today announced a global partnership with one of the world’s largest crypto exchanges, OKX, naming it the Club’s Official Cryptocurrency Exchange Partner. 

OKX’s first venture into the world of sport and entertainment, the partnership will span Manchester City men’s and women’s teams, in addition to the Club’s esports operations.  

OKX’s fast, secure and innovative cryptocurrency exchange is trusted by more than 20 million people in more than 180 markets as a place to explore the power of crypto.   

OKX and Man City believe in inspiring continued innovation, talent development and technology advancements – a key partnership alignment between both organisations. 

The new partners will collaborate on a number of exclusive experiences for OKX’s global customer base, in addition to an in-stadium presence across the Etihad Stadium and Academy Stadium. The new partners will also look to explore future innovation projects together.   

Roel De Vries, Chief Operating Officer, City Football Group, said: “We are pleased to welcome OKX as an Official Partner of Manchester City today as they look to venture into the world of sports. The new partnership aligns our shared values of innovation, drive for success and being at the cutting edge of our respective industries. Their broad and inclusive approach to targeting diverse audiences resonates with our approach. We look forward to working together throughout the partnership.” 

“We are delighted to partner with Manchester City, one of the world’s best-loved and most successful teams. Football and crypto share something important; they are for everyone, they create inclusivity within society. For OKX, Manchester City is a Club that represents the effect football has to make a positive difference in people’s lives, to bring people together around a shared love of the beautiful game. We are entering the Premier League for the first time as City’s official crypto partner to celebrate this community spirit in the world of football because it’s something we both share,” said Jay Hao, CEO of OKX. 

MPB To Sponsor World Sports Photography Awards

MPB will become the headline partner of the 2022 World Sports Photography Awards the first major sponsor of the awards programme which is now in its third edition.

  • MPB Announced as Headline Partner for the World Sports Photography Awards in 2022
  • 2022 Campaign celebrates the best sports photography of 2021 across 26 sports categories
  • A new dedicated category and campaign added to celebrate Amateur sports photographers
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The World Sports Photography Awards, is the leading photographic competition for professional sports photographers. In its two previous editions the awards have celebrated the work of professional sports photographers around the world across multiple sporting disciplines featuring some of the world’s most famous athletes at iconic sporting events. The last edition of the awards featured a 25-year retrospective of great sports photography.

MPB is the world’s largest platform to buy, sell and trade used photography and videography kit. MPB is a destination for everyone, whether you’ve just discovered your passion for visual storytelling or you’re already a pro. MPB are loved and trusted by more than 250,000 visual storytellers around the world.

The new partnership will see a series of content developed to help photographers take better sports pictures and better understand the equipment and techniques needed. The partnership will also include the launch of a dedicated amateur sports photographer award campaign.

Last year’s winning photo – ‘Focus’ by James Gourley

Commenting on the announcement, Sophie Collins, Chief Marketing Officer, MPB said: “At MPB we are dedicated to opening up the world of visual storytelling. Sport and photography are inextricably linked. Photographers use the power of visual storytelling and the values and essence of sport to make us think differently, look again, transform and ultimately change. We look forward to sharing the amazing World Sports Photography Awards images with a wider audience and help every photographer hone their sports photography skills.”

World Sports PhotographyAwards, Co-Founder, Simon Burton added “We share a passion for sport and visual story-telling with MPB. Over the last two years we have grown and developed World SportsPhotography Awards into a prestigious and vibrant campaign with a global audience. We are very excited about the new opportunities we can now explore with MPB and look forward to sharing the very best in sports photography with more fans than ever before.”

The awards will open for entries at the end of February, with the winners being announced in June. Judges for the awards are high-profile individuals from the worlds of sport, brand, media and photography. The new amateur sports photographer awards campaign will launch after the professional awards have been announced.

MK Dons And Suzuki Extend Partnership Into A Decade

Milton Keynes Dons and Suzuki GB PLC are delighted to announce a new two-year agreement, which will see the global vehicle  manufacturer remain as the Club’s title partner until the end of  the 2023/24 season. 

This new deal, which will take the partnership to the 10-year mark, demonstrates Suzuki’s long-term commitment to the Football Club as  well as the Milton Keynes community. 

Chairman Pete Winkelman said: “We continue to be so proud of our association with Suzuki, who have been with us through thick and thin. Their backing and support through these most difficult of times is  something I will, personally, never forget. 

“The partnership not only focuses on the football and helping us provide a team that our supporters can proud of, but also the vital  work of our Sport and Education Trust and their various programmes, not least disability football. 

“I think it also demonstrates the strength of Milton Keynes, with two of the biggest names in the area working together to deliver for the  people and the community. I can only see our partnership going from strength to strength as we continue forward.” 

The Suzuki logo will remain front and centre on all MK Dons first-team and replica shirts through the next two seasons, while the partnership  continues to extend way beyond the football pitch, with Suzuki  dedicated in their support of the Milton Keynes Sport and Education  Trust.

A huge supporter of all the SET’s community initiatives, with a particular focus on disability football, Suzuki will actively encourage their  employees to involve themselves in the partnership, both in terms of attending matches at Stadium MK as well as volunteering at events,  such as the upcoming Ability Counts Day. 

Stadium MK will also provide Suzuki with the ideal facility to engage with their dealer network across the two-wheel, four-wheel, ATV and  marine divisions. 

Nobuo Suyama, Managing Director of Suzuki GB PLC, said: “Our long established sponsorship of MK Dons has again proved a successful and mutually beneficial partnership. 

“Collaborating for the next two seasons will take us to our 10th year as Title sponsor which we know provides a solid foundation on which to further our strong relationship with the club. 

“We are also proud to help maintain the support of the renowned and invaluable work that MK Dons Sport Education Trust (SET) do in the  surrounding community. 

“We are delighted to announce our further sponsorship with MK Dons; as well as reaching out to people outside our business, we also see it as  a great way of building pride and engagement with our head office staff, many of whom live in and around the city 

“Suzuki has been based in Milton Keynes for over 17 years and we are proud to be part of the area’s successful commercial sector”. 

Commercial Manager at MK Dons, Andy Wooldridge, added: “To have a  global brand like Suzuki willing to commit their support to MK Dons into a tenth year is massive for the Football Club and for Milton Keynes. 

“Our relationship with Suzuki remains so multi-faceted. Whether it is sponsoring the SET’s disability football programme or helping to support club events, they are with us every step of the way.”

He added: “At MK Dons, we take a lot of pride in working closely with  our partners to feel valued and appreciated and to ensure they reap  the benefits of associating with the Club. Our long-term partnership  with Suzuki is hopefully evidence of what an attractive proposition we  are.”

ECB Launches New Women’s & Girls’ Platform To Turbocharge The Profile Of Women’s Cricket

As the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 kicks off in New Zealand, and England Women look to defend their title, We Got Game goes live with a standalone Instagram channel and content inspired by both professional and grassroots players

We Got Game is a new platform designed to elevate the profile of women’s cricket and welcome more young women and girls into the game to drive greater gender balance. Hosted on a new Instagram channel, @wegotgameofficial aims to unite a community of like-minded young women and girls to share their passions both on and off the pitch.

Following record breaking attendances and TV viewing figures of The Hundred’s women’s competition last summer, the launch of We Got Game marks the next phase of progression for women’s cricket. It illustrates the ECB’s long-term commitment to change the way that girls see the game, supported by strategic investment and proactive interventions to make cricket more welcoming to women and girls from the grassroots to the highest level.

This is the first time the ECB has created a standalone women’s cricket channel, which will help to illustrate the societal, mental wellbeing and physical benefits of cricket to young women and girls. Currently only 10% of girls aged 14-24 are doing enough sport to benefit their health* and as they hit puberty there is a 30% drop-off in self-confidence**. Cricket is in a unique position to help address this through the supportive team environment you play in, with each member requiring different skills and abilities, and where individuality is very much needed and celebrated.

In the long-term, We Got Game is aiming to help redress the balance between the number of boys and girls playing cricket. As it stands, one in ten clubs across England and Wales have a girls’ section and girls make up 27% of sign-ups to ECB’s national participation programmes. In the first year of We Got Game, the ECB is aiming to increase girls sign ups to All Stars Cricket and Dynamos Cricket by 25% from the previous year.

“Being part of a supportive team means being completely free to express myself, it’s one of the things I love most about playing cricket,” said England Women’s player Kate Cross. “When we win, we celebrate together, when we lose, we stick together, we lift each other up. We know what we need from each other because we’re like a family. We Got Game is an extension of that, it’s our community. We want young women and girls everywhere to know that our game is a place where, whoever you are, you’ll be accepted and supported, and your confidence can grow. You can be who you are. We want everyone to feel welcome.”

Developed in direct collaboration with the England Women’s team, the launch of We Got Game kicks off a game-changing year for women’s cricket in this country, which includes the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup starting in New Zealand this week, followed this summer by the Commonwealth Games, The Hundred and home series against South Africa and India – with the latter culminating in a One Day International at Lord’s on 24 September.

Clare Connor, Managing Director of Women’s Cricket at ECB, said: “This year the opportunity for women’s cricket is greater than just winning trophies, it’s about grabbing hold of moments to raise the profile of women’s cricket, making cricket accessible, more culturally diverse and more relevant to every young woman and girl across England and Wales. That’s why the time is perfect to launch We Got Game and encourage more young women and girls to believe that cricket is a game for them.”

Transforming women’s & girls’ cricket is one of six priorities outlined in the ECB’s ‘Inspiring Generations’ strategy for 2020 – 2024, supported by £50m investment in the women’s game by 2025. The roadmap to activating this is laid out in the Transform Women’s & Girls’ Cricket Action Plan (launched 2019) and direct investment has significantly accelerated the development of the women’s game over the past few years. Evidence of success and future ambitions around four key areas of performance, participation, profile, and pathway include:

  • The launch of The Hundred accelerated the profile of the women’s game, with record-breaking attendances (267k across women’s games) and viewership for the women’s competition (1.6m people tuned in to the opening game making it the most watched women’s cricket match on the BBC ever).
  • The salary budget for The Hundred women’s competition has been doubled for year two taking it from £1m in 2021 to £2m in 2022, with a commitment to equal prize money for the men’s and women’s competitions.
  • Girls can now aspire to a career in cricket with professional domestic contracts now in place
  • Over 28,000 girls participated in the ECB’s national programmes All Stars Cricket and Dynamos Cricket (5-11 year-olds) in 2021, making up 27% of the total – an 87% increase compared with 2019.
  • 512,000 under-16s played cricket in an average week in 2020-21, 34% of which were girls, a new record in girls’ participation***.
  • Investment in facilities across the recreational game is a top priority – all funding programmes have a focus on environments that are welcoming to women and girls – with £3.5m allocated per year for five years.

The England women’s team start their ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup campaign against Australia on 5th March.

To see all the goings on, on and off the pitch and be part of the new We Got Game community, follow them on Instagram @wegotgameofficial.

ROTOR Named Official Development Partner Of World Triathlon

World Triathlon continues its mission to develop the sport around the world through a new partnership with ROTOR at the start of the 2022 season. ROTOR, the bike component specialists, work with core technologies to help improve cycling performance, and will provide World Triathlon Development with 15 complete power meters for each year of the agreement for specific use such as training camps.

As part of the agreement, ROTOR will also provide technical support for development athletes at World Triathlon Championship Series races, all with the goal of helping them improve their cycling performance.

The meters can take the key metrics of pedal smoothness, torque effectiveness, left/right balance, optimum chainring angle and torque 360 to help improve an athlete’s technique and body position.

“There is no doubt that the ability to record and analyse cycling data with specialists can unlock an athlete’s cycling potential and help them achieve their goals,” said World Triathlon President Marisol Casado.

“At a time when technological advancements and data are seeing the world’s biggest athletes and most established national federations push the envelope in terms of what and how they can be measured and improved, the new partnership with ROTOR will allow us to bring similar analysis and the subsequent performance benefits to those hailing from smaller and developing triathlon countries.”

“ROTOR is proud to begin working with World Triathlon as an Official Development Partner. Our experience in the development of high-performance technology products will serve to continue the path that, since our origins, has always linked us to professional athletes of the highest level around the world. It is also an important challenge for us to help top-level triathletes achieve their goals, especially in the run-up to the Paris 2024 Olympics”, said ROTOR Bike Components CEO, José Luis García-Alegre.