Charlotte Edwards, discount the England Womens cricket captain, symptoms | has signed a new sponsorship deal with Serious Cricket, cough an equipment and coaching supplier.

Serious Cricket is run by former England women’s team manager Neil Rider, who managed the team from 2003-2007.

The sponsorship agreement is another step towards the professionalisation of women’s cricket, with Edwards being one of the first women’s players to agree a personal financial sponsorship deal. When Edwards first played for England 15 years ago, she had to fund her own England suit, but support for women’s cricket has improved massively in recent years.

Serious Cricket has a long history with Edwards; she previously managed the Serious Sport clothing range, which includes clothing for cricket, golf, football and a range of sports teamwear.

Edwards will benefit from significant financial sponsorship to help her with training and travel costs, along with a sponsored car and clothing from the Serious Sport range.

Commenting on the ground-breaking deal, Edwards said: “I am delighted to be working with Serious Cricket as a brand ambassador. The support for women’s cricket has increased greatly during my career, and to now be agreeing a two-year personal sponsorship deal is a huge step.

“For me it’s fitting that it’s with Serious Cricket, a company that I have seen build up from scratch and that I really believe in.”

Neil Rider, Managing Director from Serious Cricket said: “Working with Charlotte during my time as part of the England backroom staff I saw the financial challenges of being a top international cricketer. When I set up Serious Cricket, I wanted to support Charlotte, not only as one of the top cricketers internationally, but also a fantastic role model for young girls.

“Serious Cricket is a company that really believes in offering the best to cricketers, whether they’re at the grassroots level or at the top of their game like Charlotte.”

Edwards will depart for New Zealand on 5th February for five international Twenty20s and three One Day Internationals.

The Hertz Corporation have announced that Hertz New Zealand has signed a two-year agreement to become the naming rights sponsor of the prestigious New Zealand International Sevens Tournament, effective immediately.

The inaugural Hertz Sevens rugby event, which is already sold out, will be held at in Wellington, New Zealand at the Westpac Stadium on the weekend of 3-4 February 2012. It is part of the annual HSBC Sevens World Series, which has become so popular that rugby sevens has now been accepted as an official Olympic sport, and will debut at the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Michel Taride, President of Hertz International and Executive Vice President, Hertz Corporation, said: “New Zealand International Sevens is a major annual event on the national sports calendar, featuring teams from 16 countries, attracting 35,000 fans to games and generating a massive television viewing audience in New Zealand and internationally.  We’re delighted that Hertz New Zealand has secured the naming rights for the New Zealand International Sevens Tournament in 2012 and 2013, not only because of the event’s popularity in New Zealand but also because rugby sevens worldwide is about to be elevated to the status of an Olympic sport.

“For Hertz this sponsorship opportunity is ideal to increase awareness of our brand and introduce New Zealanders to Horatio, our new global goodwill ambassador.”

Hertz Sevens General Manager, Steve Walters, added:  “Hertz is a global brand and rugby sevens is too. Our tournament is one of nine stages of the HSBC Sevens World Series which continues to grow both in competitiveness and popularity. We are excited to have Hertz on board with us and we look forward to working together to continue the success of rugby sevens both in New Zealand and internationally.”

AMA Pro Racing and Harley-Davidson Insurance announced today an extension of their existing partnership, price ed which names Harley-Davidson Insurance as the Official Insurance of AMA Pro Flat Track and title sponsor of the AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship and the premier AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Expert division.

As part of the sponsorship agreement and in support of the star athletes of the Grand National Championship, herbal Harley-Davidson Insurance will once again offer up $100, stuff 000 in rider bonus awards.

David Atlas, Chief Operating Officer of AMA Pro Racing, said: “Harley-Davidson Insurance has been an exceptional partner and we are proud to have such a strong association with one of the most admired names in motorcycling. The long history that the Harley-Davidson Motor Company has with AMA Pro Flat Track is recognized and respected by all of our fans and riders. The generous Harley-Davidson Insurance Bonus Awards ensure that the AMA Pro Flat Track grids will continue to be filled with some of the finest motorcycle-racing talent on the planet.”

The partnership between the two companies allows each brand to capitalize on the long and storied history between the Harley-Davidson Motor Company and the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship. When the series debuted in 1954, Harley-Davidson riders set the bar by winning 13 out of the year’s 18 races, and since then the highly-respected brand has gone on to claim countless wins and manufacturer championships. The charismatic athletes and high-intensity action of AMA Pro Flat Track has long attracted a dedicated and brand-loyal fan base, which provides a perfect platform for at-track and in-market activation opportunities.

As part of the new agreement, the Harley-Davidson Insurance brand will be prominently displayed at each AMA Pro Flat Track round, and the company will have access to display space in the paddock and special incentives for H.O.G. members and authorized Harley dealers. The agreement also allows for the use of series marks for Harley-Davidson Insurance products, promotional and advertising materials including items such as brochures, print advertising, direct mail, press releases and online marketing initiatives.

“The AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship has been a staple in the motorcycle community for more than 50 years, so this partnership is a great fit for us,” said Eduardo Bravo, Vice President of Marketing at Harley-Davidson Financial Services. “We’re looking forward to another great year of racing with the fantastic fans and riders who represent the sport so well.”

Liverpool Football Club has spread its roots in Asia after agreeing to partner with car-battery manufacturer 3K Battery based in Thailand.

The partnership will see the club work alongside 3K Battery to raise its profile and engage with Liverpool supporters in Thailand.

Ian Ayre, doctor managing director of Liverpool FC, pill said: “We are continuing to team up with successful companies around the world which once again shows the value of the Club’s brand globally.

“3K Battery is a forward-thinking company and, medicine as with all our partnerships, we have taken time to form a relationship with 3K Battery so we can support mutual goals more effectively and provide significant brand visibility.”

Weerawat Kohpaiboon, senior vice president of 3K Products, added: “We are very excited to officially engage in a partnership deal with one of the most admired English Football Club, Liverpool FC, who has a long history and massive fan base around the world, especially in Southeast Asia.

“We strongly believe that the partnership with Liverpool FC will enable us to create a successful and valuable campaign for Thai football fans and consumers for both 3K Battery and Liverpool FC in Thailand.”

Duncan-Williams Inc. and NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies have agreed a partnership with the brokerage and investment banking firm being named the title sponsor of the Memphis Grizzlies Charitable Foundation’s Grizzlies TEAM UP youth mentoring initiative.

Duncan-Williams is one of several local companies to align with the Grizzlies Foundation in the last 12 months to engage local employees to participate in mentoring programs, but the company has taken it a step further with the title sponsorship.

Other local companies to collaborate with the Grizzlies Foundation include: Smith & Nephew Orthopaedics, Accredo, Pinnacle Airlines Corp., Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare and Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz PC law firm Ashley Furniture HomeStore is presenting sponsor for a “Mentor of the Game” recognition, which will be held during eight games in the 2011-2012 season.

The Grizzlies will also host Mentoring Night during tonight’s home game against the San Antonio Spurs. More than 400 mentors and children will attend, and Duncan-Williams will be honored with an on-court presentation during the game.

“This is a significant milestone for the Grizzlies TEAM UP mentoring initiative, and we’re grateful to have a passionate, committed partner in youth mentoring like Duncan-Williams,” Jenny Koltnow, executive director of the Grizzlies Foundation, said in a statement. “This support will enable us to strengthen and expand outreach and more importantly, place volunteer mentors in the lives of many more kids. With their employee volunteerism and financial investment in mentoring, Duncan-Williams has become a model for the Memphis business community.”

Duncan Williams, president of the Memphis-based brokerage firm, said: “As corporate and private citizens of Memphis, we understand the role that we play in fostering a better community,” Williams said in a statement. “In discussing how we could make a significant difference in the community, we realized that working with our city’s youth through mentoring initiatives would make a positive impact today and for years to come.”

Patch, AOL’s platform of over 850 hyperlocal news, information and engagement sites, has agreed a partnership with the New Jersey Nets to give an assist to fans by bringing exclusive offers tied to the team’s 35th and final season in New Jersey.

One element of the deal is “Celebrate New Jersey County Nights,” which includes opportunities to attend five NETS home games between February 1 and March 14 in which Patch readers from the more than 70 sites in New Jersey will be eligible for lower-level tickets priced at $15 for each game and $10 each for 100-level seats. Fans can also enjoy Patch-tailored on-court promotions. Readers can get tickets by visiting their local New Jersey Patch and searching for “NETS Tickets.”

“We’re delighted to be able to align with the NETS to celebrate New Jersey, the state where we launched our very first sites,” said Patch president Warren Webster. “Honoring our many local heroes and offering benefits like discounted tickets fits squarely within Patch’s mission of serving local communities.”

Chris Brahe, Senior Vice President of Partnership Sales & Marketing for NETS Basketball, said: “We’re thrilled to celebrate our final season in New Jersey with this exciting alliance with Patch. Patch is an outstanding news source for so many towns in New Jersey, and continues to develop an important presence in our future home of Brooklyn.”

A special bonus for fans attending any of the “Celebrate New Jersey County Nights” is the opportunity to visit the Patch booth located on the Prudential Center concourse to enter for the chance to win a basketball autographed by a NETS player plus four Nets tickets to a future game. One winner will be selected by random drawing on each “County Night.”

Patch’s alliance with the NETS will run throughout the regular NBA season and deliver multi-tiered advertising and promotional elements including exclusive content for Patch websites.

Yamaha’s MotoGP team has announced it has signed a sponsorship deal with Japanese oil giants JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation ahead of the 2012 MotoGP World Championship season.

JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation, the company behind the Eneos brand of products and service stations, come on board as an ‘official’ sponsor in place of Petronas, who announced towards the end of 2011 that it was ending its association with the manufacturer.

The deal coincides with the opening pre-season MotoGP test at Sepang, which commences tomorrow [Tuesday], where Yamaha riders Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies will take to the track aboard the 1000cc Yamaha YZF-M1.

Though the deal doesn’t represent title backing for Yamaha, it is nonetheless a welcome boost for the former champions, following the loss of FIAT as its primary sponsor at the end of 2010.

It remains to be seen whether Yamaha will honour the deal with an updated livery for 2012, reflecting Eneos’ corporate hues of red, orange and white.

A spokesperson for Yamaha said: “The partnership with JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation commences on January 31st in conjunction with the first official test session of 2012 at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia. The test marks the start of the Team’s campaign to reclaim the MotoGP World Championship title.”

Furniture Row Racing most competitive season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has seen rewards off the track after securing deals with CSX Transportation, Chevrolet and Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers.

CSX Transportation, the largest railroad in the East and third largest in the United States, joins Chevrolet and Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers in the associate sponsorship role with all three companies complementing the team’s primary sponsors – Furniture Row and Denver Mattress.

“Having a new associate sponsorship arrangement with CSX Transportation along with a renewed agreement with Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers and an ongoing relationship with Chevrolet brings a new level of enthusiasm to our race team,” Joe Garone, general manager of Furniture Row Racing, said.

“The three corporations are leaders in their industry and we are both humbled and proud that they have chosen Furniture Row Racing as a means to enhance their company’s branding and educational initiatives.”

Building upon several years of its innovative safety communications campaign, CSX will utilize the Furniture Row Racing sponsorship as part of the “Play it Safe” campaign to urge pedestrians and motorists to exercise caution around railroad tracks.

“We are pleased to join with Furniture Row Racing and driver Regan Smith to deliver our important safety message that railroad crossings and tracks can be dangerous if you don’t obey the law,” Cliff Stayton, Director-Community Affairs and Safety for CSX Transportation, said. “We are working together to make sure that everyone knows how to play it safe around railroad tracks.”

Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers has partnered with Furniture Row Racing’s Farm American program, an initiative to bring awareness to the importance of keeping America’s food supply produced in the United States.

“After telling the Farm American story for a year with Furniture Row Racing we are pleased that the message is getting stronger with more people and companies joining the team,” Albert Bancroft, marketing and communications manager for Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers, said. “We are a strong supporter and look forward to being involved another year as we all continue to positively promote American agriculture.”

The Denver-based Furniture Row Racing single-car team and its driver Regan Smith enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2011. Smith and Furniture Row Racing captured their first career NASCAR victory in May, winning the famed Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

Smith drove his No. 78 Chevrolet to one victory, two top-fives and five top-10s last season. He scored top-10s in NASCAR’s four biggest races – Daytona 500 (seventh), Southern 500 (first), Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (eighth) and the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (third).

Canon U.S.A., cheap Inc., medstore a leader in digital imaging solutions, ailment today announced the Company has extended sponsorship deals with the New York Yankees through 2014, and Madison Square Garden.

Additionally, Canon U.S.A. will sponsor the New Era Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium through 2013.

As part of the three-year renewed sponsorship with the Yankees, Canon will remain the “Official Digital Camera, Copier, SLR Camera and Printer of the New York Yankees.” The sponsorship will continue to include exposure on rotating signage behind home plate during each game, as well as an outfield wall sign located in left field.

The New Era Pinstripe Bowl, which started in 2010, marked the return of the college football bowl season to the Bronx for the first time since 1962. The annual match up features a school from the Big East and Big 12 conferences. Yankee Stadium hosted the 2011 New Era Pinstripe Bowl with Rutgers University of the Big East Conference defeating Iowa State University of the Big 12 Conference 27-13.

Canon sponsored the 2011 New Era Pinstripe Bowl as part of a three-year commitment, marking the first time Canon has sponsored a college football game. The sponsorship features LED animations, branding exposure on the general concourse televisions, and a print advertisement in the official game program.

Canon has also continued its long-standing sponsorship of Madison Square Garden. Under the terms of the agreement, the Canon logo will be displayed on a pair of dasher boards during all Rangers regular season games and the first round of the playoffs at Madison Square Garden.

“Canon is proud to continue sponsorships of such iconic sports stadiums that are home to some of the most storied franchises in sports history,” said Bunji Yano, senior director and general manager, Corporate Communications, Canon U.S.A. “We look forward to continuing our relationships with the New York Yankees and Madison Square Garden, and are very excited about our newest sports endeavor, the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.”

Luxury watch manufacturer Rolex has extended its sponsorship of the Australian Open after the event concluded with a spectacular final yesterday.

Tennis Australia chief executive Steve Wood, medstore | said: “Rolex has been aligned with the Australian Open since 2008 and an associate sponsor since 2010 and we are delighted this world-class prestige brand has decided to extend the relationship. 

“This is a clear recognition of the value of the partnership to both our event and Rolex, allergy an association we are very proud of. We look forward to continuing this mutually beneficial relationship in the years to come.”