Springboks Agrees Partnership With DHL Express

DHL Express has announced the continuation of its sponsorship with The British & Irish Lions, and in addition a new unique partnership with the Springboks, South Africa’s national rugby team and reigning World Champions.

Both teams will rely on DHL’s key and tailored logistics services as part of a unique partnership. For the first time ever, all players involved in the series will sport the DHL logo on the back of their jerseys, meaning that DHL are backing the Lions and the Springboks – three-time Rugby World Cup winners – both on and off the pitch.

“Rugby represents many important values such as teamwork, passion, speed and respect, all of which are core qualities which resonate very strongly with our DHL brand values,” said John Pearson, CEO DHL Express. “I am delighted to be continuing our partnership with The British & Irish Lions Tour next year and thrilled to be adding the Springboks as a partner, further building on our global ties with rugby. By partnering with both, we further highlight our commitment to rugby and to keeping the world connected. We look forward to engaging with the teams and fans of both the Lions and Springboks before and throughout the Tour.”

The Castle Lager Lions Series will witness The British & Irish Lions bring together the best players from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales for an eight-match Tour of South Africa during July and August 2021, including three highly-anticipated Test matches against the reigning World Champions, the Springboks.

As ‘The Team Behind The Teams’, DHL will provide specialized and tailored logistics solutions to both teams on and off the pitch ensuring delivery of all equipment – such as crucial coaching, training and technical gear for a touring party of over 100 people. From coaches, support staff and management, to DHL employees and fans, they all play a key part in ‘The Team Behind The Teams.’

“Since our partnership first began in 2005, DHL have been an integral part of our team so we are delighted they will be supporting us once again,” commented Ben Calveley, The British & Irish Lions Managing Director. “DHL plays an important role in ensuring the safe delivery of our kit and equipment so that the squad is given the best possible chance of success. We look forward to working with them as our planning for next year’s Tour continues.”

Jurie Roux, SA Rugby Chief Executive Officer, adds: “DHL is a brand that is synonymous with delivering excellence so today marks the partnership of two teams who strive to be the best. DHL have consistently been a supporter of rugby here in South Africa, so we are delighted to have their expertise behind us as we bid to defend our turf against the Lions.”

DHL has been a key partner of the Lions since 2005 delivering the last two Tours to New Zealand in 2017 and Australia in 2013, adding to its longstanding partnership and association with rugby on a global and local level.

DHL as a brand is synonymous with rugby globally, thanks to existing partnerships with Rugby World Cups, World Rugby Sevens Series, DHL Stormers in South Africa, Ireland Rugby and Harlequins in England. Both The British & Irish Lions and the Springboks are not only truly historic and iconic teams, but they absolutely reinforce DHL’s brand message; Excellence, Simply Delivered

“Both the Lions and the Springboks are iconic teams, and we are looking forward to working with them leading up to and during the Tour,” said Mike Parra, CEO Americas & Global Head of Sponsorships at DHL Express.

“This partnership reinforces the shared values of both teams in an authentic way. By providing logistics solutions as well as appearing on the back of each team’s jersey we are very much ‘The Team Behind The Teams’ – both on the pitch and off.”

Griezmann Ends Association With Huawei Citing Fears Over Treatment Of Uighurs

The France and FC Barcelona forward Antoine Griezmann has ended his affiliation with Huawei post the reports that the Chinese tech giant has contributed to the repression of the mostly Muslim minority Uighurs.

“Following strong suspicions that the Huawei company has contributed to the development of a ‘Uighur alert’ thanks to facial recognition software, I am announcing the immediate termination of my partnership with the company,” Griezmann wrote in an Instagram post.

“I take this opportunity to invite Huawei to not just deny these accusations, but to take concrete actions as quickly as possible to condemn this mass repression, and to use its influence to contribute to the respect of human and women’s rights in society.”

Special Olympics GB Renews Partnership With Mitsubishi Electric

Mitsubishi Electric has renewed their partnership with Special Olympics GB for a further two years with immediate effect with both organisations committed to building upon the existing mutually beneficial relationship to help transform the lives of people with intellectual disabilities through sport.

Special Olympics GB is a non-profit organisation and the largest provider of year-round, sports coaching and athletic competition in summer and winter sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics GB currently has more than 120 all ability, inclusive sports clubs covering 28 sports across England, Scotland and Wales providing approximately 27,000 regular hour-long sporting sessions per year, all delivered by a team of more than 4,000 volunteers.

An official partner since 2018, Mitsubishi Electric has been active in supporting a wide variety of events, from last year’s Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi and the 40th Anniversary Games in Stirling in August 2018, to the smaller individual regional events with employees actively encouraged to volunteer.

Moving forward, the partnership will focus on delivering a range of joint initiatives which underpin, promote and reiterate the values and objectives of both organisations. From Unified sport events – both virtual and physical – to providing platforms for our athlete’s stories to be shared, increased interaction and engagement with our Special Olympics GB Athlete Leadership Team and a variety of volunteering opportunities being offered, we will work together to deliver maximum engagement and purpose for both organisations.

Commenting on the renewed partnership, Michelle Carney, CEO of Special Olympics GB said: “We are absolutely delighted Mitsubishi Electric have decided to continue their relationship with Special Olympics GB. Mitsubishi Electric has a strong employee engagement agenda and with the many opportunities – both physical and virtual – Special Olympics GB can offer, the relationship works incredibly well for both sides.

“have seen first-hand the impact Mitsubishi Electric colleagues and their volunteering work has on our events and our athletes and it can only be described as joyful for everyone involved. We often talk about the transformational effect of Special Olympics GB on our athletes but once organisations and volunteers meet and listen to our athletes, it transforms their lives too. We are very aware of the world we are living in and the many issues businesses are facing at the moment, and we are hugely grateful for the ongoing support from Mitsubishi Electric.”

Deane Flint, UK & Ireland Branch President of Mitsubishi Electric said: “We are delighted to continue supporting the incredible work that Special Olympics GB does, giving these amazing athletes the recognition they deserve. In these challenging times it is more important than ever that everyone is given the chance to shine and realise their full potential, and we look forward to finding more opportunities for our staff to join in with the brilliant work this amazing body achieves.”

Surfing, Skateboarding, Breaking & Sport Climbing Added To Olympic Games Paris 2024

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board officially confirmed that Surfing, Skateboarding, Breaking and Sport Climbing have been included on the sports programme of the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

The Paris 2024 organisers proposed the four sports in response to a new level of flexibility afforded to Olympic Games Host Cities to encourage innovation in the Olympic programme. Host Cities, beginning with Tokyo 2020, have the option of suggesting new sports and events for inclusion in their edition of the Games that are not binding on future Games hosts.

IFSC President Marco Scolaris said: “We are grateful to the IOC Executive Board for confirming our inclusion in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. We would also like to thank the Paris 2024 Organising Committee for their constant support.

“On the IFSC side, this is the result of the hard work done in the last year by those who believed in the dream: the IFSC Executive Board, National Federations, athletes, officials and staff. We are going through the toughest time in our history due to COVID-19, but we have four intense and challenging years ahead of us. We are inspired and motivated. Being climbers, the harder the challenge we face, the better we perform.”

International Surfing Association President Fernando Aguerre said: “Surfing is perfect for the new era of the Games and selecting our sport for the Olympic Programme – with Tahiti as the venue – is testimony to Paris 2024’s creative and inclusive spirit.   This decision also aligns with the IOC’s wider objective to apply new, innovative approaches to Games hosting.

“We are excited to be part of the Olympic journey to 2024 with the IOC and Paris, and we believe we have generated great momentum now for Surfing’s long-term, permanent inclusion in the Olympic Programme.

“The conditions at Teahupo’o offer an amazing performance wave that will excite athletes and captivate fans. Elite surfers – men and women – compete here regularly and are eager to compete for Olympic glory at Teahupo’o. With 22 men and 22 women surfers, we are happy to reaffirm our total commitment to gender equality and fair sport.”

Zena Wooldridge Elected As World Squash Federation President

Zena Wooldridge has been elected as the new World Squash Federation (WSF) President following the WSF’s 2020 Annual General Meeting.

Wooldridge, from England, will become the 10th WSF President to serve since the Federation’s inception in 1967 and the second female. Wooldridge will serve a minimum four-year term after being elected by delegates representing 64 National Federations – a record number – who attended the 50th WSF AGM which was the first to be held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wooldridge previously served six years as President of the European Squash Federation between 2013-2019. She replaces outgoing President Jacques Fontaine, from France, who was elected President in 2016.

During his four years as President, Fontaine was heavily involved in squash’s efforts to gain Olympic recognition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and also strengthened ties with the sport’s professional governing body, the Professional Squash Association. Everyone at WSF thanks Fontaine for his service.

Fontaine said: “It has been a real honour to serve as WSF President for the past four years and I would like to thank all Member Nations for their support.

“I would like to wish Zena and the newly elected Board the best of luck in the future. I will be following the progress of the sport closely in the coming years.”

Two new Vice Presidents were also elected at the AGM, while Pablo Serna – former President of the Colombia Squash Federation – has been elected for a second term for four years.

He is joined by Karim Darwish, a former men’s World No.1 from Egypt, and Debendranath Sarangi, the President of the Squash Rackets Federation of India, who have been elected for four years and two years, respectively.

They will work alongside five-time World Champion Sarah Fitz-Gerald – who was elected as Vice President in 2016 – while Huang Ying How steps down after his four-year term.

This comes after American Peter Lasusa stepped down from his role as Vice President in August, 2020 due to ill health after being elected for a four-year term in 2016. WSF would like to thank both Peter and Huang for their service to the board and the Federation sends its well wishes to Peter and his family.

Speaking about the new appointments, Wooldridge said: “I am delighted to welcome Karim and Debendranath onto the board and I truly believe they will be superb additions to a strong team.

“I believe squash fits modern lifestyles so well and is well-suited to new technological developments such as InteractiveSQUASH. So we have a strong platform in place to do some really exciting things with squash and accelerate the development of the sport around the world, and I look forward to working with all stakeholders over the next four years.”

Jahangir Khan will serve a further term as Emeritus President of the WSF – a position the six-time World Champion has held for 12 years – while Chile and Libya have been approved as new Member Federations of the WSF.

Extreme E Partners Red Bee Media To Leverage Its OTT Platform

Extreme E, the new electric off-road racing series, has teamed up with Red Bee Media, which will support its broadcast package worldwide.

Red Bee Media will provide satellite distribution services to major broadcasters around the globe, picking up live signals from Extreme E’s Production gallery and transmitting these through resilient global satellite networks via its distribution hub in Hilversum in the Netherlands.

In addition, Red Bee Media will also provide a digital distribution hub/network which will be used to transcode and live stream Extreme E’s race content on all of its digital platforms. Finally, Extreme E will utilise Red Bee’s OTT platform for global live streaming on the championship’s website and other digital assets.

Ali Russell, Chief Marketing Officer at Extreme E said: “This support from Red Bee Media adds up to Extreme E being able to reach a truly global audience. In line with the championships environmental and sustainability missions, there will be no spectators on site, so it is imperative the broadcast product is right, and shared with as many screens as possible.

“I’m delighted to be working with Red Bee Media, a company that has a track-record in delivering content far and wide.”

Steve Nylund, CEO, Red Bee Media, said: “Extreme E is a truly inspiring initiative and we’re looking forward to delivering the excitement of the races to global audiences.

“The forward-thinking spirit and the commitment to a sustainable future is something that Red Bee shares with Extreme E, and we’re happy to be a part of delivering fantastic live media experiences, while increasing awareness about climate change at the same time.”

ParalympicsGB And Dreams Agrees Partnership Until Tokyo

ParalympicsGB and Dreams have agreed a new partnership as the team prepares for the rescheduled Paralympic Games next summer in Tokyo.

The agreement will see the UK’s leading bed retailer partner with ParalympicsGB in the build-up to and throughout the Tokyo 2020 Games.

The partnership comes with plans for the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games next year intensifying with ParalympicsGB now expecting a team of around 240 athletes to compete in 19 sports including newcomers Taekwondo and Badminton.

Mike Sharrock, CEO of ParalympicsGB, said: “Quality sleep, rest and recuperation is fundamental to athletes’ preparation and overall wellbeing. Through this partnership Dreams are demonstrating a genuine commitment to inclusion and we are really looking forward to working with them.

“This is fantastic news as the unprecedent postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games due to the Covid-19 pandemic has presented us with many challenges, so welcoming a new partner will give us a real boost in these final critical months of preparation.

“We are increasingly confident Tokyo 2020 will be a wonderful celebration of all that humanity can achieve after such a tumultuous year and with the support of the British public our talented ParalympicsGB athletes can inspire and unite the nation once again.”

Since being established in 1985, Dreams has become the UK’s leading bed specialist, making 10,000 mattresses, bases and headboards per week.

Mike Logue, CEO, Dreams, said: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with ParalympicsGB in the lead up to the 2021 Games. The athletes are demonstrating extraordinary talent and determination as they train for the rescheduled Games and quality sleep plays a hugely important role in this. We believe in better sleep for all and hope this partnership gives all the fantastic athletes that extra edge as they prepare for the most anticipated sporting event of the year.

“This builds on our existing Team GB partnership where we are the official sleep partners. We can’t wait to see all of our athletes well rested and in action next year.”

LaLiga Introduces FanCam To Stadiums

From a new initiative created last weekend, LaLiga fans can get a closer and more personalised experience of player celebrations while they are unable to attend matches.

FanCam is a camera installed at both ends of the LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank grounds, clearly labelled so that LaLiga stars know exactly where to head and where to look when they want to celebrate in front of their fans. The initiative seeks to create a special bond between the players and fans and has already led to some unique and memorable goal celebrations from the last matchday.

The introduction of FanCam follows its successful use in sports broadcasts in the United States. During its launch on LaLiga Santander Matchday 11, 62% of goals were celebrated in front of the FanCam and this figure is expected to rise to 100% over the coming matchdays.

With the introduction of the camera, LaLiga is also seeking to reintroduce the passionate aspect of player celebrations, which have been slightly muted at times due to the lack of fans in the stadiums. It will allow a clear, fixed shot to be broadcast that fans can watch live and in full from their homes.

“FanCam is another step towards improving and personalising our audiovisual product. We are going to give fans a much more personal and genuine view of the players, seeing up close how they celebrate their team’s goals,” explains Melcior Soler, the director of LaLiga’s audiovisual department.

In addition to enjoying live televised images during the match, fans will be able to catch them on LaLiga’s social media channels, where videos of the matchday’s best goal celebrations will be shared each week. LaLiga will also share these images with the players and clubs so that they can use them on their own social media channels and in their other applications.

“We trust in the players to realise the importance of celebrating their goals in front of the FanCam, because this puts them in direct contact with their fans,” added Soler. “That’s why we’re so convinced that their use of the FanCam will increase, to the point that it is used all the time.”

The British & Irish Lions Inks Licensing Partnership With Titleist

The British & Irish Lions has signed a new licensing partnership with world-leading golf brand Titleist.

The agreement is one of a number of new license deals secured by brand licensing specialist The Point.1888, who have partnered with the Lions to create a new range of products ahead of the eagerly awaited Tour to South Africa in 2021 to face world champions, the Springboks.

World-renowned as the game’s leading performance equipment brand, having earned the overwhelming trust of tour professionals, club professionals, competitive amateurs and dedicated golfers worldwide, Titleist, will offer a range of high-specification, Lions branded accessories including golf balls, golf bags and golf club head covers, as well as gloves and towels.

Today’s announcement comes off the back of the enormous interest in next summer’s Tour, with record numbers of travel packages and tickets being sold to Lions and Springbok supporters, as well as a spate of commercial partnerships recently being announced including Vodafone, Castle Lager, Canterbury and Famous Grouse.

“We are delighted to welcome Titleist to our growing family of licensees,” said Tom Halsey, British & Irish Lions Commercial Director. “Titleist products are top quality and, like the Lions, are known around the world for being a symbol of excellence.

“I am sure Lions supporters will be keen to take to the course with the number one ball in golf, featuring the famous Lions crest.”

“We are absolutely delighted to bring two iconic brands in golf and rugby together to offer fans a unique collection of products to celebrate the Lions Tour,” added Hannah Stevens, Head of Retail at The Point 1888.

“As a retail-first brand extension company we are actively planning for a truly spectacular summer of rugby with our retail and new licensee partners.”

The Premier League And EFL Agrees A £250m Rescue Package

The Premier League and the English Football League have agreed a £250-million rescue package as they finally put an end to months of uncertainty for lower-league clubs who are struggling financially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The EFL said clubs in Leagues One and Two – the third and fourth-tiers – would receive sum worth £50 million ($67 million).

The Premier League is also set to provide further financial help to the EFL in a bid to secure £200-million loan facility for clubs in the second-tier Championship.

“Our over-arching aim throughout this process has been to ensure that all EFL clubs survive the financial impact of the pandemic,” said EFL chairman Rick Parry.

“I am pleased that we have now reached a resolution on behalf of our clubs and as we have maintained throughout this will provide much-needed support and clarity following months of uncertainty.”

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: “The Premier League is a huge supporter of the football pyramid and is well aware of the important role clubs play in their communities.

“Our commitment is that no EFL club need go out of business due to Covid-19. All football clubs continue to suffer significant financial losses as a result of the pandemic, but Premier League shareholders today unanimously agreed to provide additional funding and support for EFL clubs in real financial distress.”

The financial package for League One and Two clubs is reportedly locked at £30 million to be split between 48 clubs into those divisions with further access to another £20 million packages of monitored grants.

The £30 million is set to be paid immediately from the Premier League to help cover the loss from matchday revenue.

The monitored grants can be applied for by clubs in need, with a joint EFL and Premier League panel ruling on eligibility.

The Premier League has committed to cover up to £15 million in interest and arrangement fees to enable a £200 million loan to be secured for Championship clubs.