iSportLearn Announces Partnership With Diversity In The Business Of Sport (DiBS)

iSportLearn have announced a new partnership with Diversity in the Business of Sport (DiBS).

DiBS is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to increase diversity amongst professionals working in the sports business industry. DiBS currently runs  a mentoring platform  where hand-picked cohorts of young black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) professionals who have recently entered, or who are on the cusp of entering, the sports business industry, are given a unique opportunity to receive free mentoring from senior BAME industry professionals.

As part of the partnership, iSportLearn will donate the equivalent of £5000 worth of courses to help the first cohort of mentees at DiBS expand their knowledge and skill-set in numerous sectors of the sports business industry.

Joe Condon, Head of Brand Development & Marketing said “A crucial objective of iSportLearn is to provide practical education and a pathway for those outside and inside our industry that have so far lacked the opportunities to enter or progress their careers within the sports business”.

“From speaking with Alex and understanding the great work they are doing by mentoring the young leaders of tomorrow, we were more than delighted to be able to support and aid in their development”.

Alex Norman, one of the founders of DiBS, comments “We’re incredibly grateful and happy to be able to partner with iSportLearn to give our mentees access to a wide range of resources on the sports business industry. Turbocharging the industry knowledge of our mentees is one of the key aims of our mentoring programme, and these are great resources to help us further that aim”.  

iSportLearn was launched in May 2021 as an all-new global education platform which aims to change the sports industry for the better by giving young people from diverse backgrounds an affordable opportunity to gain valuable practical knowledge from industry leaders.

The courses featured on iSportLearn cover the most important areas in the business of sport such as Sponsorship, Data and Analytics and Governance, featuring more than 50 leaders from the NBA, Formula 1, LaLiga, FIFA, Facebook and other global sports organisations.

For more information on DiBS and how they help to increase diversity amongst professionals working in the sports business industry, head to https://www.dibs.community/
To find out more about iSportLearn, go to iSportLearn.com, or find us on social media by searching for iSportLearn on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

cinch Scores Touchdown With Major NFL Partnership In The UK

A new partnership is announced today between the National Football League and cinch, the UK’s fastest-growing online car marketplace. The innovative e-commerce scale-up becomes Presenting Partner of the NFL London Games and Lead Partner of NFL UK from the start of the 2021 season.

The cinch brand will be proudly displayed from endzone to endzone and beyond at the NFL’s London home base – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – for the two sold-out NFL London Games in October, and across Sky Sports with sponsorship of Sunday Night Football and Sky Sports NFL. cinch will also be giving Britain’s NFL fans the chance to attend the annual sporting spectacle that is the climax of the NFL season, Super Bowl XLVI, in February 2022.

cinch takes the faff out of buying a car. It has quickly established itself as the leader for online car purchases in the UK, offering a new, motorist-friendly way to search for and buy a quality-checked vehicle. cinch has the largest range of cars to buy entirely online and delivers them to the buyer’s home, with purchases backed by a 90-day warranty and 14-day money-back guarantee.

cinch launched ten months ago and has rapidly become the largest online B2C marketplace for car purchases in the UK.  cinch is currently generating annualised sales of over 70,000 vehicles. The business allows its c. 30 million website visitors a year to buy quality-checked cars, by outright payment, part exchange or personalised finance options, completely online.

cinch’s investment will reach NFL and motoring fans alike, letting cinch bring its faff-free promise and experiences to the sports and entertainment they love. cinch continues to grow its sports, festivals and entertainment partnerships portfolio including the ECB, as Principal Partner of England Cricket; SPFL; Tottenham Hotspur, the LTA for the cinch Championships; the Northampton Saints and The British Motor Show.

Brett Gosper, NFL Head of Europe and UK, said, “We are very excited about creating a new partnership with a company as innovative as cinch. We look forward to working with them on creative ways to take the NFL to new audiences and continuing the growth of our fan base.”

Avril Palmer-Baunack, Chairman of Constellation Automotive Group, Cinch owners said, “This is a significant and exciting partnership for cinch. NFL is a hugely popular sport in the UK and Europe, with fantastic growth year on year. cinch is one of the fastest growing brands in the UK and the NFL’s drive for success fits perfectly with cinch’s focus on delivering more faff-free motoring experiences to consumers across the UK.  We can’t wait to get to know NFL fans and bring more excitement to a thrilling sport.”

The NFL stages two London Games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2021, with the Atlanta Falcons hosting the New York Jets on Sunday October 10 and the Jacksonville Jaguars at home to the Miami Dolphins on October 17. The new NFL season kicks off on Sky Sports NFL this Thursday night (September 9), when the defending Super Bowl champions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, take on the Dallas Cowboys.

cinch is part of the Constellation Automotive Group, which also owns WeBuyAnyCar and BCA. Earlier this year the group raised over £1bn to turbocharge cinch’s growth across the UK and Europe.

IPC Extends Paralympic Partnership With Ottobock Until 2032

Worldwide Paralympic Partner Ottobock and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) have announced the extension of their global partnership until 2032 on Sunday (5 September).

Thanks to the extension, Ottobock will be able to provide its technical repair and maintenance services to athletes at the next six Paralympic Games – from Beijing in 2022 to Brisbane in 2032.

IPC President Andrew Parsons said: “Ottobock are a powerhouse in the Paralympic Village – at the Games they quite literally keep the athletes moving. The presence of Ottobock’s dedicated and knowledgeable staff in the Village is so reassuring for athletes, as they know there is someone trusted to solve their technical issues should they arise.

“I am thrilled that Ottobock are partnering with the IPC at the Paralympic Games until at least 2032, and are going to continue to be a valued member of the Paralympic Movement.”

“Passion for Paralympics”

Ottobock has been actively supporting international disability sport ever since the 1988 Paralympic Games in Seoul. They began by sending four orthotics and prosthetics professionals to support the athletes and repair their equipment for competitions, using a tent as their base. In the last three weeks, more than 100 experts were deployed in Ottobock’s Technical Repair Service Center in Tokyo.

They provided free technical assistance more than 2,000 times, for example for prostheses, orthoses and wheelchairs.

“Our initial enthusiasm has grown into a veritable passion. We’ve now been supporting Paralympic athletes for more than 30 years with our unique technical services,” said Professor Hans Georg Näder, owner and Chairman of the Board of Ottobock SE & Co. KGaA. “Ottobock’s commitment to Paralympic sports has long since become part of our DNA. So I’m delighted that we can continue this partnership and officially support the Paralympic Games for the next 11 years.”

A mutual vision

In recent years, public awareness for the achievements of Para athletes has grown immensely, and the Paralympic Games are more popular than ever before. Philipp Schulte-Noelle, CEO of Ottobock, said:

“The Paralympic Games show society how powerful sports can be. They prove just how much people can achieve if they train with focus on a goal and believe in themselves. But they do more than that – they help to overcome barriers, and they epitomise courage, diversity and openess. I’m proud that our company is a part of this and can continue to play its part in the future.”

The IPC and Ottobock share a common vision for an integrative world. By consolidating their efforts, the institution and the company hope to inspire people with impaired mobility to engage in sports. 

Slync.io Becomes New Title Sponsor Of The Dubai Desert Classic

The European Tour today announced Slync.io as the new title sponsor of the Dubai Desert Classic, with the iconic event becoming part of the Rolex Series for the first time in 2022.

Slync.io, the technology provider that is revolutionising the way global logistics works, becomes the title sponsor of the historic European Tour event played annually at the prestigious Emirates Golf Club, marking a pivotal moment in the 32-year history of the tournament.

From 2022, the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic will be part of the Rolex Series, the European Tour’s premium category of events, with a prize fund of $8million. It will take place from January 27-30.

This means the European Tour will now have back-to-back Rolex Series events in the Middle East in January with the tournaments in Abu Dhabi and Dubai part of the traditional ‘Desert Swing’ which attracts golf’s leading players.

The Dubai Desert Classic was the European Tour’s first event in the Middle East region in 1989, cementing the Tour’s relationship with Dubai and the United Arab Emirates. That association has developed significantly in the intervening years, including through the introduction in 2009 of the European Tour’s season-long Race to Dubai, which from 2022 will now feature three out of five Rolex Series events in the Middle East, with the back-to-back tournaments in Abu Dhabi and Dubai at the start of the calendar year joined by the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai in November.

The tournament is set for an even brighter future with the support of Slync.io, which already has a strong foothold in professional golf through its support of its #TeamSlync Brand Ambassadors. They include: Justin Rose, Viktor Hovland, Erik van Rooyen, Jennifer Kupcho, Bernd Wiesberger, Sepp Straka, Albane Valenzuela, and Xinjin Zhang.

Chris Kirchner, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Slync.io, said: “We are excited to partner with the European Tour and Rolex on the Dubai Desert Classic. Dubai is one of the great cities and a key player in global logistics. This event will be a great place for us to kick off our year with our customers and enjoy some world-class golf.”

Simon Corkill, Executive Tournament Director – Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic, said: “This is a very exciting time for the Desert Classic as we welcome Slync.io as title partner. Slync’s status as a leading global logistics technology provider will help to bring innovative ideas to the tournament and ensure it continues to evolve and grow.”  

“These changes will bring a host of benefits to Dubai and the tournament, in addition to offering our international fans enhanced coverage of the venue and players.”

“We look forward to working with Slync.io and the rest of our sponsors to deliver a world-class event during a pivotal year for Dubai, when all eyes will descend on the city during the UAE’s 50th anniversary celebrations and the landmark hosting of Expo 2020 Dubai.”

Keith Pelley, the European Tour’s Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted to welcome Slync.io as the new title sponsor of the Dubai Desert Classic, elevating the tournament to a new level.”

“It is a real statement of intent that Slync’s first title sponsorship in golf will be as part of the Rolex Series, and we look forward to working together to build on the incredible history of the Dubai Desert Classic and to continue to showcase Dubai as a global sporting and trade hub.”

“Alongside the Genesis Scottish Open and the BMW PGA Championship, the three Rolex Series events in the Middle East mean our five premium tournaments in 2022 will be played at key times in the golfing calendar when the eyes of the world are on the European Tour.”

“They will be incredible highlights in what promises to be a momentous 50th anniversary season for the European Tour.”

ESPN Edge Innovation Center Launched With Accenture, Microsoft and Verizon

ESPN has launched the ESPN Edge Innovation Center, aiming to collaborate with other leaders in technology to explore how new technologies like 5G, Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) and mobile edge computing (MEC) can enable new ways for fans to experience sports. The ESPN Edge Innovation Center will include key partnerships in the categories of technology, consulting, connectivity and hardware.

From the early days of ABC Sports, to the development of technologies like the Pylon Cam, MegaCast and groundbreaking approaches to remote productions during the COVID-19 pandemic, ESPN and Disney have a heritage of embracing technology to better serve sports fans.

In bringing the Edge Innovation Center initiative to life, ESPN, working with the technology team in Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution (DMED), will explore opportunities to enhance sports fan experiences with global professional services and innovation company Accenture; Microsoft, a leader in engineering and digital technology; and Verizon, one of the world’s leading providers of 5G technology, as ESPN Edge Founding Partners. Together, the companies will explore, develop and potentially adopt emerging technologies and approaches to enhance and advance the experiences sports fans and athletes have with ESPN’s world-class storytelling.

Accenture, Microsoft and Verizon each bring their unique expertise and technologies to ESPN Edge, while ESPN and DMED will help the partners explore adaptations and development of their emerging technologies to meet the needs of sports media, driving value for all parties involved.

“The sports media landscape has always been a sandbox for groundbreaking uses of technology and ESPN has a long history of being the pace-setter for creating new sports media experiences,” said Mark L. Walker, Senior Vice President, Content Business Development and Innovation, ESPN. “Combining the remarkable capabilities of our founding partners, Accenture, Microsoft and Verizon with The Walt Disney Company’s technological expertise, ESPN Edge will be at the forefront of exploring new technologies and how we can continue to bring innovative firsts to sports fans everywhere.”

ESPN Edge Founding Partners:

  • Accenture – Accenture and ESPN are forming an innovation lab where both teams will work together to imagine, explore, conceive and prototype future sports entertainment experiences and production capabilities using emerging technologies. Together they will explore technologies and approaches that seek to enhance the production of live sporting events, consumer-facing products and personalized fan experience. ESPN selected Accenture as its Innovation and Founding Consulting Partner for its ability to visualize and create game-changing fan experiences.
  • Microsoft – ESPN and Microsoft are teaming up to explore innovative cloud-based solutions to deliver optimal content and services to customers when they want it. By using Microsoft’s cloud platforms and digital technologies such as automation, analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning, the companies will explore fan engagement with a focus on personalization and accessibility. Microsoft’s productivity tools and low-code/no-code capabilities will also help with greater speed and efficiency. Through this collaboration Microsoft Azure will also become ESPN Edge’s primary innovation cloud platform.
  • Verizon–Verizon and ESPN are partnering to create new experiences powered by Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband, which is now available in parts of over 70 cities, and mobile edge compute (MEC). The companies will explore how 5G’s massive bandwidth, low latency and super-fast speeds can enable next generation sports fan experiences that are interactive and immersive. Fans could be empowered to select and view games from multiple camera angles, be transported via a 360-degree portal to view exclusive footage or have a retail experience enhanced by augmented reality. 5G and MEC can also transform sports broadcast production by allowing content providers to distribute live streams at low latencies in a more streamlined and cost-effective manner. ESPN selected Verizon as a leader in 5G innovation that works with startups, academia, major sports leagues, and enterprise teams to move the 5G ecosystem forward and explore how 5G can transform nearly every industry. Verizon has America’s most reliable network⁰ and operates five 5G Labs in the U.S. and one in London that specialize in developing use cases across industries to co-create 5G concepts.

The ESPN Edge Innovation Center will be directed by an operating committee comprised of representatives from ESPN, the ESPN Edge founding partners and DMED. For more information, please visit ESPNEdge.com.

World Rugby Appoints New Chief Revenue And Fan Engagement Officer

World Rugby has announced the appointment of Richard Heaselgrave as Chief Revenue and Fan Engagement Officer, underscoring the international federation’s mission to advance rugby’s global market footprint and appeal by making it more relevant and accessible in line with its ambitious new strategic plan.

Vastly experienced, with an in-depth knowledge of the global sports and major brand commercial, marketing and fan-engagement environment, Heaselgrave will begin his new role in September.

In line with the continued advancement of World Rugby’s organisational structures to effectively support the key pillars of the strategic plan, Heaselgrave will have overarching responsibility for all of World Rugby’s commercial, broadcast, marketing and digital activities to deliver an integrated revenue and fan growth strategy, including focusing on new opportunities in the digital space.

With a proven track record in business growth, Heaselgrave previously served as Chief Revenue and Experience Officer for Tennis Australia, trebling the Australian Open’s business in five years by converting new revenue opportunities. Prior to that, he successfully grew revenue for the English Football League as Chief Commercial Officer and was responsible for growth of the NBA’s commercial activities in Europe as Vice-President of Business Development.

Heaselgrave has most recently been advising rights holders, brands and agencies as founder and Chief Executive of Fourth Consulting.

World Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin said: “In a rapidly-evolving and highly-competitive sports industry, it’s vital we look at our businesses differently and find new ways to continue to break new markets, attract new fans and grow revenues for reinvestment in the sport’s future growth.

“This new role, as part of a wider advancement of our organisational structures, reflects that need and perfectly positions World Rugby not only to exploit new revenue streams for the benefit of the game at all levels, but to make good our mission to make rugby more attractive and accessible for more people.

“Richard’s extensive international experience and focus on revenue growth through diversification and digital innovation will help us identify and convert new opportunities, while at the same time continuing to develop our current revenue streams.

“We have built strong teams in the commercial, digital, broadcast and brand areas in the last three years under Chief Commercial Officer Tom Hill and departing Chief Marketing Officer Marissa Pace. Richard will now continue this work with Tom and our talented teams to build on World Rugby’s continued growth in these areas.”

A former professional rugby player with English club Rotherham, Heaselgrave is looking forward to contributing to an exciting period of change and growth in the game by helping the sport to realise its commercial potential across its events, platforms and assets.

Heaselgrave said: “As a lifelong rugby fan I am honoured to have the chance to join World Rugby. This is such a dynamic time of change in global sport, with media, digital and experiential worlds evolving so quickly. I am looking forward to being part of the team as we head into this exciting new era.”

iSportConnect Offers Condolences To The Families Of Jacques Rogge And Simon Greenberg

The sporting fraternity has lost two highly valued members this week, in the passing of Jacques Rogge and Simon Greenberg, and iSportConnect would like to offer its condolences to both of their families.

Jacques Rogge

Rogge was the eighth President of the IOC, from 2001 to 2013, after which he became Honorary President.

IOC President Thomas Bach stated in the IOC’s announcement of his passing: “First and foremost, Jacques loved sport and being with athletes – and he transmitted this passion to everyone who knew him. His joy in sport was infectious.

“He was an accomplished President, helping to modernise and transform the IOC. He will be remembered particularly for championing youth sport and for inaugurating the Youth Olympic Games. He was also a fierce proponent of clean sport, and fought tirelessly against the evils of doping. 

“The entire Olympic Movement will deeply mourn the loss of a great friend and a passionate fan of sport.”

Rogge Was On Time

A recollection from our own Jay Stuart of an encounter with the former IOC President

In the sometimes murky world of Olympic politics the Belgian physician Jacques Rogge was a man of transparent decency and his presidency of the IOC was instrumental in restoring the organisation’s credibility and reputation in the wake of the Salt Lake City integrity crisis. After hearing of his passing I’d like a share a little personal tidbit that I remember him by. 

In 2000, before he was elected, I requested an interview for Sportvision magazine, of which I was the editor. The magazine was a modest one but we spoke directly to the international federations and as he was running for IOC president it was potentially a useful platform for him. He agreed to do it in Sydney during the 2000 Summer Games and we made an appointment − for a Friday evening at 8 p.m. 

I arrived at the official downtown hotel of the IOC well in advance. The lobby where we were to meet was usually buzzing. It was most definitely not buzzing. The place was empty. I don’t just mean quiet. I mean nobody but me. Of course everybody was out enjoying Sydney and doing things that important IOC-type people do in the evening during the Games. Sitting there all alone I started feeling irritated with myself for not realising that at that time Rogge would be out schmoozing at dinner somewhere like everyone else and foolish for waiting around for him. I thought, ‘There is no way this guy is not going to blow me out, apologise and re-schedule…’ 

But wouldn’t you know, exactly on time the man himself strolled in and joined me. So it was just the two of us sitting like a couple of wallflowers in the empty lobby. We had a nice friendly chat and I like to think that the article that came of it in my publication, alas long defunct, might even have helped him in his ultimately successful campaign. 

Simon Greenberg

Simon Greenberg has also sadly died this week at just 52. Former of the Mail on Sunday, Chelsea FC and News International, before his most recent role with the Athletic, Simon was an extremely valued member of the sports community.

Here is a clip of Simon discussing Dow Jones Sport’s Intelligence Division, which he helped to create during his time at News International, here is a clip of Simon discussing Dow Jones Sport’s Intelligence Division, which he helped to create during his time at News International, with iSportConnect at SportAccord’s event in Denmark a couple of years ago.

Stats Perform Become Official Data Provider Of The Barclays Women’s Super League

Stats Perform, the sports tech leader in data and AI technology, has today announced a new three-year agreement with The Football Association, which will see the company become the Official Data Provider of the Barclays FA Women’s Super League.

The agreement means the continuation of a partnership which first started eleven years ago and will see advanced Opta Analytics insights, including metrics such as Expected Goals, Expected Assists and Defensive Coverage, being generated for every match in the women’s top flight.

Opta data from Barclays FA Women’s Super League matches will also be used to power features across the league’s official digital channels, providing fans with performance insights on players in the competition. The FA’s Media Team will also be supported with editorial packs for all Barclays FA WSL matches, as well as benefitting from direct access to Stats Perform’s editorial and research staff, who will be on hand to provide insights to enhance fan engagement. Stats Perform will also provide enhanced data collection across other women’s leagues and competitions.

In addition to the extended Barclays FA WSL support, Stats Perform will also continue to provide ongoing support to the FA’s Performance Analysis department, providing Opta data to assist with the monitoring of England international players and their analysis of upcoming opposition.

Alex Rice, Stats Perform Chief Rights Officer, added: “We are absolutely delighted to have extended our relationship with The FA, which has culminated in Stats Perform becoming the Official Data Provider of the Barclays FA Women’s Super League. In recent years, we have seen the profile of the women’s game grow significantly and we will be on hand to deliver detailed insights, derived from AI, on the league’s standout performers. I am looking forward to working closely with The FA in helping them achieve their key goals in developing women’s football, both on and off the field, for the next three years.”

After extending the partnership with Stats Perform through to the summer of 2024, Kathryn Swarbrick, Director of Marketing and Commercial at The Football Association, said: “We’re delighted to be extending our long-term relationship with Stats Perform as we head into the biggest Barclays FA Women’s Super League season ever.

“The women’s game continues to make strides in the right direction and having a recognised and respected data partner is another sign of the professionalism of our game and demonstrates that we want to continue setting the bar higher.”

French Broadcaster TF1 Acquires Rights For Home Rugby World Cup In France 2023

The TF1 group, who have been the French broadcaster of each of the last four Rugby World Cups, is very pleased to announce the renewal of its partnership with World Rugby.

The two partners are delighted to have reached an agreement on the acquisition of the broadcasting rights for Rugby World Cup 2023 in France (8 September – 28 October), and Rugby World Cup 2021 in New-Zealand (8 October -12 November 2022).

With this agreement, the TF1 group is cementing its ambition to provide free-to-air coverage of the best international sporting events, and to make them accessible to as many people as possible.

 Hosted by France, the Men’s Rugby World Cup will be the stand-out sporting event of 2023.

The tournament kicks off at the Stade de France with a classic showdown between France and New-Zealand. Over the following seven weeks, the competition will bring its emotion and drama to 10 host cities and 9 stadiums across the country.

The TF1 group is very proud to be able to showcase the highly promising and talented French national team playing on home soil.

 The agreement also strengthens the Group’s coverage of women’s sport, as it will broadcast the upcoming Rugby World Cup 2021 played in 2022 across its channels – building on the success of the Women World Cup in 2019, and the recent World and European Handball championships.
2022 will be an eventful year for women’s sport on the TF1 Group’s channels with the next Euro handball tournament, the Euro football tournament and the Rugby World Cup.

Gilles Pélisson, TF1 group Chairman & CEO, says: ‘We are pleased to offer French viewers free-to-air coverage of these fantastic tournaments. This partnership is born out of our commitment to rugby, whose values we are proud to promote to a very large audience, with an ambitious French team that is in a very good state of mind. We are also very happy to offer a very eventful exposure to the upcoming Rugby World Cup 2021 and thus confirm our commitment to women’s sport. It also shows our desire to forge strong ties with the public and to allow them to experience great sporting emotions on our channels’. 

Alan Gilpin, World Rugby CEO says: ‘We are delighted to be extending our long-standing and successful partnership with TF1 group. We have a golden opportunity to reach and inspire new fans across France with Rugby World Cups in 2022 and 2023 and we know that TF1, with their passion and expertise for world class live sport, will capture the action, the drama, emotion and story behind the matches perfectly’.

Portugal Masters Added To 2021 European Tour Schedule

The European Tour today added the Portugal Masters to its 2021 schedule, with the rearranged tournament now set to take place at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course, in Vilamoura, from November 4-7.

It will be the 15th consecutive edition of the event which became part of the European Tour in 2007. The €1.5million event was originally due to take place at the end of April but was postponed due to travel difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It has now been rescheduled for November 4-7, replacing the Volvo China Open which, due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic, will be played as a national event only this year and will not be sanctioned by the European Tour.

South African George Coetzee claimed the title when the Portugal Masters was last played in September 2020, finishing two shots clear of Englishman Laurie Canter to secure his fifth European Tour title.
He joined a list of champions that includes Lee Westwood (2009), Shane Lowry (2012) and Pádraig Harrington (2016).

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour, said: “We are delighted to confirm the rescheduled Portugal Masters as we continue to reshape the end of our season following yesterday’s announcement of the Mallorca Golf Open.

“Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course has been a popular venue with our players, and it has produced plenty of drama, so we are very pleased to be able to return for the 15th year in a row.  We are grateful to the venue for accommodating us at a busy time of the year and to Turismo de Portugal for their long-term support of this tournament.

“Naturally, it is disappointing we are unable to sanction the Volvo China Open again this year, but we have long-standing relationships with Volvo and the China Golf Association, and we look forward to that event returning to our schedule in 2022.”

Stefano Saviotti, Chairman of Dom Pedro Hotels & Golf Collection “The Portugal Masters is an incredibly important showcase of golf in The Algarve and we are delighted to once again welcome some of the world’s finest golfers to the Dom Pedro Victoria Course.

“After a difficult period, the European Tour’s return to our facilities enables us to demonstrate why Vilamoura and Dom Pedro Hotels & Golf Collection has a reputation as one of Europe’s most sought after golf destinations. We look forward to hosting such a prestigious event and crowning the 2021 champion.”

Luis Araújo, President of Turismo de Portugal, said:  “The Portugal Masters is of great importance for the tourism sector in Portugal, providing great media exposure of the whole country. It confirms that Portugal continues to be an excellent destination for all golfers, and an international presence in terms of major sporting events. This is a very prestigious competition, and it will be an important moment to showcase the international prestige of our country.”