Dubai Duty Free has renewed it’s sponsorship of the DP World Tour Championship, the final round of The European Tour’s Race to Dubai, which will be staged at Jumeirah Golf Estates this week.

For the third consecutive year, the award-winning retail organisation will provide full support for the $8 million tournament, just one of several high-profile sporting occasions sponsored by Dubai Duty Free.

“Showcasing the best golfers from around the world, the DP World Tour Championship and the crowning of Rory McIlroy as The Race to Dubai Champion provide another world-class occasion on Dubai Duty Free’s prestigious 2012 event calendar, which includes our very own Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships,” said Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman, Dubai Duty Free.

“By supporting so many events at the highest level and all around the globe, Dubai Duty Free is effectively promoting Dubai’s sporting, leisure and business facilities, which are second to none.”

Fans taking advantage of the free season tickets to this week’s DP World Tour Championship – which will take place from Thursday (November 22) on the Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates – will also have the chance to participate in Dubai Duty Free Finest Surprise promotion to win a BMW 750Li. The Finest Surprise tickets are priced at Dhs500 and limited to 1,000 ticket holders will be available for sale in the Championship Village.

Nick Tarratt, European Tour International Director, Dubai Office, said he was delighted to have one of Dubai’s most famous international brands offering support to the season-end finale.

“Dubai Duty Free is synonymous with many of the biggest and best sporting events on the calendar so their presence as a supporter of the DP World Tour Championship is fitting for what will be a spectacular climax to The European tour season,” he said.

“While the players are fighting it out on the Earth course, there will be a wide variety of attractions for fans in the Championship Village that will add to the overall atmosphere of the occasion and help make the week a fitting final round of The Race to Dubai.”

The DP World Tour Championship will be the 45th and final tournament of a race that has taken the players to 25 different destinations and will feature a field of star names, including all 12 of Europe’s winning Ryder Cup team.

Having already won The Race to Dubai, World Number One Rory McIlroy follows Luke Donald into the record books having clinched both the 2012 money lists in Europe and the USA. With a Major and Ryder Cup success also on his CV, it has been a magnificent year for the 23 year old from Northern Ireland and he will be looking to end the season in style by winning his first ever DP World Tour Championship title at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

Tui Brewery Ltd, order brewer of New Zealand’s favourite beer brand, order has announced a three-year sponsorship deal with New Zealand Cricket (NZC).

The new sponsorship agreement will see Tui as the official beer of New Zealand Cricket for all for international matches played by the BLACKCAPS in New Zealand for the 2012/13 to 2014/15 seasons.

The three-year partnership will see cricket fans enjoying Tui beer for the upcoming England tour of New Zealand in February and March 2013, the West Indies and Indian and tours in New Zealand in 2013/2014 and the 2014/2015 Sri Lankan tour.

Tui Brewery Marketing Manager, William Papesch, “Tui is stoked to be involved with New Zealand Cricket and sponsoring the fun around the BLACKCAPS and a full summer of great cricket.”

“With the incoming tour of the English, and the accompanying Barmy Army, Tui’s involvement is sure to add to the excitement around the game for the Kiwi fan.”

NZC CEO, David White, added: “Tui will be an excellent addition to our family of official NZC sponsors and suppliers,” said White.

“The next three years bring tours from England, West Indies, India and Sri Lanka to New Zealand offering significant leveraging opportunities for two iconic Kiwi brands the BLACKCAPS and Tui.”

“We will be working closely with Tui’s commercial team to help achieve increased exposure through their association with the BLACKCAPS.

“It was important for NZC to have a partner that leverages its association with cricket and Tui are excited about that opportunity.”

Australian Ladies Professional Golf and Cobra Puma Golf today announced the signing of a partnership which will see Puma Golf as the exclusive apparel supplier to ALPG, and Cobra Puma backing new ALPG initiatives supporting the development of aspiring female professionals.

The news comes as the ALPG Tour prepares for another solid tournament season in January / February, involving several high profile events attracting worldwide attention.

On the back of 2012 success stories surrounding players such as Stacey Keating, Lydia Ko and Lindsey Wright, the ALPG Tour is again poised to showcase not only Australasia’s best but some of the best in the world.
Cobra Puma Golf already enjoys a strong presence in women’s golf boasting a team of brand ambassadors including teenage American sensation Lexi Thompson and former European Tour number 1, Lee-Anne Pace, both of whom will be seen in action during the 2013 ALPG Tour season.

Warren Sevil, Chief Executive Officer, ALPG, welcomed the partnership which he says will allow ALPG and Cobra Puma Golf to benefit both during and outside of tournament season.

“Cobra Puma Golf upholds a fresh and cool image which is exactly the type of image our industry is targeting in order to attract more young women to the game. We are very grateful to Cobra Puma who will support us as we promote new – and soon to be announced – initiatives, aimed at increasing the profile of Ladies Professional Golf and, ultimately, strengthening the pipeline of future ALPG members. The ALPG team will also don the Puma Golf apparel and promote it with pride.” Sevil said.

Christian Pegrum, Head of Golf, Australasia, for Cobra Puma Golf, commented on the deal: “Cobra Puma Golf is delighted to partner with the ALPG and their 2013 initiatives. Their focus on growing the game and enjoying golf are in line with what we aspire to achieve at Cobra Puma Golf. We are excited for our brand to be aligned with initiatives to support the growth of Ladies Professional Golf in Australia.”

The Pac-12 Conference has renewed it’s sponsorship with Bank of the West for a further two years.

They will remain the official sponsor and the official banking partner of the Conference. The bank has been a Pac-12 sponsor since 2010.

Along with public engagement through on-site branding, experiential marketing and social media, the extended sponsorship includes new opportunity to engage with sports fans through the Conference’s recently launched Pac-12 Networks, as well as their expanding tablet and mobile access. Bank of the West also services the commercial banking needs of the Conference, which recently included financing the Pac-12’s new San Francisco corporate offices and broadcast facility.

“We’re pleased to deepen our ties with the Pac-12 Conference, an organization that upholds its strong tradition as the ‘Conference of Champions’  and reflects our own core values of excellence and performance,” said Bank of the West President and COO Maura Markus.

The Pac-12, known for its students’ academic achievements and superior athletic performance, boasts an impressive record of championships per year. Since the 1999 – 2000 season, the Pac-12 has won 119 NCAA team titles, including nine in 2011-12.  While football and basketball have the most visibility, Pac-12 athletes excel in Olympic sports such as cross country, swimming, diving, wrestling, gymnastics, golf, track and field, tennis and rowing. According to the Pac-12, if the Conference were a nation, it would have ranked fifth overall in the medal count at the London Olympics with 45 medals – 10 gold, 14 silver and 12 bronze.

“In sponsoring the Pac-12 Conference, we’re also supporting the tremendous student athletes who are dedicated to bringing their best while demonstrating good sportsmanship and maintaining their academic excellence. They embody what we’ve called the “spirit of the west” – it’s a spirit that drives us to achieve more and do more. We wish all the Pac-12 athletes the best of luck in their respective sports and wherever their future endeavors take them,” said Markus.

“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Bank of the West,” said Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott. “Bank of the West’s proud tradition for active involvement and support of their local communities is a great match with our drive to develop championship events that benefit our student-athletes and universities, as well as our Pac-12 fans.”

Beyond Bank of the West’s sponsorship of the Pac-12 Conference, the bank also sponsors collegiate athletics departments within and outside the Conference, including U.C. Berkeley, UCLA, theUniversity of Colorado, University of Oregon, the University of New Mexico, University of Nebraska, Fresno State and San Jose State.

Scott bikes have announced they will support the new Swiss Professional Continental team IAM Cycling next season. 

IAM Cycling will be based in Geneva, Switzerland, about 140km away from Scott’s European headquarters in Givisiez. The close proximity will allow for quick feedback on prototype bikes Scott plans to test with the team. IAM Cycling general manager Michel Thétaz said he hopes IAM Cycling will eventually join cycling’s elite WorldTour division.

“We are more than excited to work with IAM Cycling,” said Scott Sports vice president Pascal Ducrot. “We believe in fostering young talent and working closely with our teams on product development. With Orica-GreenEdge and this new Swiss team riding for us, we are able to achieve these goals and push ourselves further than ever before.”

IAM Cycling will race Scott’s Foil in road races and the Plasma 3 for time trials. Both bikes have been aerodynamically engineered to reduce drag.

“On the bike the elements are always against you, with the wind trying to slow you or a climb trying to break you,” Ducrot said. “For many years, time trial bikes, such as the as Plasma 3, have reaped the benefits of aerodynamics to beat the wind and now our Scott Foil maximizes the use of that technology on a road bike to get an advantage against the elements and the competition. Our aero science engineers have gone to great lengths to get the aerodynamics of the Foil perfect.”

IAM Cycling was created by the Geneva asset management company Independent Asset Management. The 2013 squad includes riders such as Thomas Löfkvist, Heinrich Haussler and Johan Tschopp.

FLW, a premier tournament-fishing organization announced today that Rayovac, a worldwide leader in battery power and innovation, will return as a sponsor in 2013 and remain the official dry cell battery of the world’s largest tournament fishing organization. 

Rayovac will continue to receive exposure across all of FLW’s platforms, including its tournaments and Expos, multiple websites, FLW Bass Fishing magazine and the “FLW” television show on NBC Sports Network. “FLW” is broadcast Sundays in high-definition (HD) to more than 559 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.

Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., will again represent Rayovac throughout the 2013 season. A former junior high basketball coach, Christie has transformed into one of the most successful anglers in the sport today by qualifying for four straight Forrest Wood Cups and accumulating nearly $650,000 in winnings in just five years as a professional with FLW.

 

Tokyo 2020 announced Japan’s largest security services group ALSOK, officially known as SOHGO Security Services, has become its eighth bid partner

ALSOK already partners with Japanese Olympians Saori Yoshida, Kaori Icho and Riki Nakaya.

ALSOK will play an active role in Tokyo 2020’s campaign over the next 10 months.{jcomments on}

English Rugby Union’s Bath Rugby have announced that they have renewed their contract with main partner Novia, the online wealth management platform.

The partnership was first announced in June 2011, and has seen the two companies develop a very successful relationship since. Novia’s logo has appeared on the playing shirts, training wear and throughout the Recreation Ground, with the East Stand being re-named the ‘Novia Stand’, all of which will remain in the new deal.

Novia’s commitment to the Club and its community projects is visible in many ways, including running a work placement scheme for the players together with the Rugby Players Association. This has given the players a taste of the corporate world, and has proven popular in helping them understand the transition they make at the end of their playing careers.

A local company, Novia’s commitment to the local community mirrors that of Bath and further exemplifies why the association works well.

The company have also been firm supporters of the Bath Rugby Foundation, raising over £35,000 in the last two years through a variety of fundraising events, including an annual cricket match.

Commenting on the news, Bath Rugby Chief Executive, Nick Blofeld, said: “We are very pleased to have extended our partnership with Novia, and are looking forward to developing the relationship further. They have been heavily involved in the Club at all levels, and this has led to some real benefits for us both, which we look forward to continuing.”

Bill Vasilieff, CEO at Novia, added: “We are thrilled to renew our partnership with Bath. It has meant that the Novia brand has become highly visible through the television and print journalism coverage and enabled our staff, guests and clients from around the country to come and enjoy the team in action and the city of Bath. We are delighted to be associated with the Club, and feel that their vision and values are ones that fit well with our own aspirations as a business.”