Emirates Airline has renewed its premier partnership deal with the Breeders’ Cup to continue as the official commercial airline of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.

The airline will title sponsor the US$2m Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf and the $3m Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf and the deal is understood to match these figures at between $2m and $3m per year.

Emirates has sponsored the Breeders’ Cup since 2005 and under the terms of the new agreement, will also act as a presenting sponsor of Breeders’ Cup Challenge races, essentially a qualifying system, on ESPN across the summer and autumn.

The airline is currently undergoing an expansion of its North American racing activities having expanded its deal with the Belmont Stakes last week. It will also engage in partnerships six race track across North America this year, employing print advertising, on-track signage and hospitality to support its services from Dubai to New York, Toronto, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Tom Ludt, chairman of Breeders’ Cup Ltd., stated: “Emirates continues to be an outstanding partner of the Breeders’ Cup and a great supporter of thoroughbred racing worldwide. The Emirates expansion of its North American racing sponsorships is a testament to its commitment to our sport.”

Nigel Page, Emirates’ senior vice president for commercial operations, the Americas, added: “Emirates believes that through sponsoring thoroughbred events such as the Breeders’ Cup, which has strong recognition and universal appeal, it will be able to connect to its customers, sharing in their passion and in turn creating a stronger bond with them.”

The South Africa Football Association (SAFA) has agreed a new long-term kit deal with Puma that will cover the next two editions of the FIFA World Cup.

The sportswear manufacturer become the national sides official technical partner, generic supplying kits for all South Africa teams through the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and the 2018 tournament in Russia. In doing so, erectile Puma has replaced Adidas as the official technical partner of the SAFA after the latter’s deal expired at the end of last year.

The deal was announced at the South Africa national team kit launch in Johannesburg and sees South Africa become the 12th national team in Africa to be supplied by Puma with Orange African Cup of Nations champion Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Algeria, Senegal, Morocco, Togo, Burkina Faso, Malawi and Namibia also wearing the company’s kits.

Christian Voigt, senior head of global sports marketing at Puma, stated: “Puma has a longstanding commitment to Africa and African football, and this new relationship further underlines our continuing investment in the continent. In partnering with the South African Football Association, we are proud to have added another great asset to our sports marketing portfolio, and we look forward to a long and successful relationship.”

SAFA president Kirsten Nematandani added: “Puma’s presence in African football really speaks for itself, and they were the most desirable company for us to align ourselves with. Their technical innovation and excellence is of course important, but more so is the heritage and support they have demonstrated for this continent over a number of years. They are the perfect partner as we strive to grow the profile of football in South Africa in the years to come.”

It was announced today that financial institution Rabobank has taken over the sponsorship of the Celtic League from Magners after the drinks company announced an end to it’s association with the league in April.

Magners had sponsored rugby’s Celtic League, made up of four Welsh, four Irish, two Scottish and two Italian sides, since 2006, but the competition will now be known as the RaboDirect PRO12.

Rabobank has agreed a four-year deal for the league to carry the name of its online banking arm.

Welsh teams Cardiff Blues, Scarlets, Ospreys and Newport Gwent Dragons, Ireland’s Munster – the newly crowned champions – plus Leinster, Ulster and Connacht, Scotland’s Glasgow and Edinburgh and Italian duo Treviso and Aironi make up the tournament.

Originally, the league had comprised teams from the Celtic nations before Treviso and Aironi joined the tournament ahead of the start of the last campaign.

The competition’s chief executive, John Feehan, said the sponsorship agreement with the international business would raise the profile of the tournament and “enhance the investment in the competition.”

The Thailand Open, a OneAsia golf tour event, has secured the renewed sponsorship of Singha Corporation for a third consecutive year.

The Thai brewery will continue in its role as premier sponsorship of the Thailand Open, which returned to the golfing calendar in 2009, initially as an Asian Tour event, after a three-year hiatus.

Rungsrid Luxitanonda, speaking on behalf of tournament organisers the Thailand Golf Association (TGA) and Singha Corporation, said: “The Thailand Open boasted prize money of US$1 million for the first time in its history last year and we are delighted to welcome it back at the same level in 2011.

“Singha Corporation are also delighted to be involved with the Thailand Open once again this year. We are renowned for our strong support of golf in Thailand and so to be able to be premier sponsor for our national Open gives us a sense of completion.

“This will also be the first time that the Thailand Open will feature marquee players of the calibre of Michael Campbell and Shigeki Maruyama.

“Our national Open has made remarkable progress since it returned to the golf calendar in 2009 after a brief hiatus. The tournament has re-emerged as one of the region’s premier national opens. More star players will be announced in the forthcoming weeks as well as a formidable field from OneAsia.”

DHL, the Official Courier and Logistics Partner of English Premier League soccer champions Manchester United, has been announced as the title sponsor of the club’s summer tour of the United States. 

The three-week tour begins on July 13 and sees the defeated UEFA Champions League finalists visit Boston, Seattle, Chicago, New Jersey and Washington DC, giving United the chance to play in front of US fans.

The highlight will be the final game of the tour against Barcelona in which the English side will be looking to exact revenge on the Spanish giant who defeated them to win European club soccer’s highest prize.

Through the title sponsorship, DHL secured rights including player and club legend appearances, tickets, hospitality, branding and advertising opportunities. In addition, DHL will bring its logistical expertise to ensure the team is delivered to each game in a DHL branded bus.

Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson said: “The team is really looking forward to going back to the US. The tour is great preparation for the season and the facilities over there are fantastic. I’m looking forward to some good football and the chance to meet our fans in the US.”

MotoGP  has signed an agreement with NIVEA FOR MEN Spain, store to promote the brand’s products in public areas at various Grand Prix during the 2011 World Championship.

NIVEA FOR MEN products will be on offer to fans in the the MotoGP Paddock, thumb allowing attendees at GPs.

The partnership also offers NIVEA FOR MEN the opportunity to present its products within a sport that in 2010 attracted 2.4 million spectators to its 18 Grands Prix throughout the season.

Dorna Sports S.L Commercial Area Managing Director, pills Pau Serracanta, said: “We welcome NIVEA FOR MEN as it makes the move into MotoGP, a world in which 75% of spectators are male and one that therefore offers the perfect platform for NIVEA FOR MEN to present its grooming products for men to our audience.

“This agreement is fantastic news for both MotoGP and NIVEA FOR MEN, who will be able to get even closer to its potential consumer base. The values which underpin a sport as innovative and exciting as MotoGP apply perfectly to the brand philosophy of NIVEA FOR MEN.”

Remko Tetenburg, General Manager of Beiersdorf S.A., added: “NIVEA celebrates its 100th birthday this year and does so entering the world of MotoGP, the highest level of a spectacular sport which provides the perfect target area for its existing consumers as well as those it wants to attract. MotoGP reinforces values such as strength and sensitivity, and they fit perfectly with the philosophy of our products.”

Mercedes’ compact car brand smart has extended its commitment to beach volleyball by securing the presenting partner rights for the FIVB Beach Volleyball Swatch World Championships 2011 in Rome, having been a successful supporter for 10 years. 

Jizhong Wei, FIVB president, stated: “We’re really pleased to have won the Daimler Group as a cooperation partner. smart’s sponsorship of the event in the Italian capital underlines the importance of beach volleyball in the marketing activities of the lifestyle car brand.

“In Rome we’ll experience many innovative elements in the promotion and implementation of the FIVB Beach Volleyball Swatch World Championships 2011 powered by smart. The focus will continue to be on the athletes and we will underline this approach with an innovative campaign, the likes of which volleyball and beach volleyball have never seen before.”

The FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships sees the world’s best 96 women’s and men’s teams contest for the title of World Champion, with prize money totalling $1m and for valuable points available to qualify for participation in the 2012 Olympic Games in London. 

From 13 to 19 June, the beach volleyball matches will take place at Foro Italico in Rome, with matches to be broadcast on TV in more than 150 countries.

South Korean tyre manufacturer Hankook has become the official tyre of the National Rugby League (NRL) in a three-year agreement.

The company will utilise the sponsorship deal, believed to be worth US$300,000 over three seasons, to promote their ‘Pump It Up!’ tyre safety initiative. In addition, Hankook’s branding will appear at all NRL games played at the ANZ Stadium this season, including game two of the State of Origin and finals series.

NRL sponsorship manager Mario French said: “There’s a lot of talk about the need for greater road safety, but to be honest, I don’t really think about my tyres. And I suppose that’s the problem – almost nobody does. We want our fans to get the game safely and return home safely; and if regularly checking tyre pressures can contribute to that then the NRL is happy to support it.”

Jose Angeles, marketing manager for Hankook, added: “The NRL does big numbers and most of their fans love cars too, so we are very pleased to become the sport’s official tyre.”

The Hampshire Royals Twenty20 cricket side have secured two new sponsorship deals for the 2011 Friends Life T20 cricket tournament.

The Barbados Tourism Authority have become the shirt sponsor of the side and their “Visit Barbados” log will appear on the 2010 champions shirts in a deal which coincides with a three-year agreement which will see Hampshire Cricket play their pre-season warm-up matches on the Caribbean island for the next three years.

Under the terms of the deal, the Royals will also continue to take part in the Caribbean T20, in which they finished runners-up to Trinidad and Tobago in January.

Hampshire Cricket Group Commercial Director Zac Toumazi said: “The team spent a lot of time in Barbados earlier in the season and found the facilities and welcome they received to be second to none. We are, therefore, proud to have them on our shirts for the upcoming Friends Life t20 competition and look forward to this, hopefully, being the start of a long-term relationship with the island. We hope that, in our own way, we can bring awareness to the jewel in Caribbean that is Barbados.”

Petra Roach, the vice president of marketing at the Barbados Tourism Authority, added: “Barbados has long been the Mecca of sports in the Caribbean, especially in cricket, and boasts a long association with Hampshire through the likes of Malcolm Marshall and Gordon Greenidge. What better way to solidify that relationship than through the sponsorship of the reigning Twenty20 champions. We wish the Royals every success in defending the title they won so dramatically on home turf last season.”

In addition, a deal has also been agreed Virgin Atlantic, who will become the club’s official travel partner after signing a one-year contract awarding Virgin Atlantic a presence at a number of Hampshire’s games at The Rose Bowl, and at the Business South conference at the stadium in February 2012.

Toumazi said: “Having a prestigious company such as Virgin Atlantic as an Official Travel Partner is a major development for Hampshire Cricket. The Club is hugely excited about the potential benefits of this deal and the opportunities afforded to it to move ahead creatively. I welcome Virgin Atlantic to our family of partners and look forward to many years of us working together.”