World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont expects ‘record-breaking’ Women’s Rugby World Cup

World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont believes that the Women’s Rugby World Cup has the potential to be a “record-breaking” tournament.

Twelve nations are set to compete for the trophy, including defending champions England, who are the only professional outfit involved.

Pool matches in Dublin are already sold out, with the semi-finals and final taking place at the Kingspan Stadium in Belfast.

“The excitement across Ireland and beyond is phenomenal,” Beaumont told the BBC. “It all points to what will be a defining, record-breaking Rugby World Cup.”

World Rugby, the game’s governing body, has hinted this year’s competition could be “the most competitive, best attended, most watched, and most socially engaged women’s rugby event to date”.

England start the defence of their crown against Spain Wednesday 9 August. The reigning champions also share Pool B with Italy and USA.

Hosts Ireland, who were semi-finalists in 2014, kick off against Australia in their first Pool C match before facing France and Japan.

Wales have been handed a difficult draw and will face New Zealand, Canada and debutants Hong Kong.

READ MORE: World Rugby announces record broadcast and social media coverage schedule for Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017

Serie A opens media rights tender for 2018-2021 seasons

Lega Serie A and its advisor Infront Sports & Media, a Wanda Sports company, have published the invitation to tender for international audio-visual rights to the Serie A Championship, Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana for the 2018-2019, 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 seasons.

The tender will open on 11th August, with the details published on the Lega Serie A website www.legaseriea.it.

After a recent international roadshow – in which Lega Serie A and Infront met a variety of stakeholders to give details on the tender – the official document is being made available to potential bidders.

The invitation to tender has been built on a regional approach. Continents, regions and individual territories will be able to take up programming with the Serie A Championship, Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana all offered as part of the same bidding process.

The invitation to tender includes 85 packages and interested parties can bid for a single package or for several packages.

The audio-visual rights are offered on a platform-neutral basis, allowing broadcasters, operators and media partners to ensure the best possible exposure for Italian football.

All offers must be received by 15 September, 5 pm CET. Lega Serie A will then start the selection process, considering bids and awarding rights to any offers considered suitable.

Justin Gatlin drug storm is a ‘wake-up call’ for sport, says IAAF President Sebastian Coe

Sebastian Coe, the president of the IAAF, believes the drugs storm engulfing athletics since Justin Gatlin’s 100m final victory at the World Championships represents a “wake-up call” for sport.

The American sprinter, who has twice been banned for doping offences, beat Usain Bolt to the gold medal on Saturday night in a time of 9.92 seconds.

Gatlin’s triumph triggered a flurry of boos at the London Stadium as fans voiced their disapproval in large numbers, while the newly-crowned champion was also afforded a hostile reception at Monday’s medal ceremony.

Bolt’s failure to emerge victorious has forced the issue of doping firmly back onto the agenda and Coe has welcomed supporters making their feelings on the subject known, but warned against singling out one man for athletics’ issues.

READ MORE: Usain Bolt’s shock defeat paves the way for new hardline approach in war on doping

“There is a bit of a wake-up call at the moment — in sport in general in fact — and I’d like to think that we’ve responded to that,” Coe told the Evening Standard.

“People are welcome to boo. We’re not the thought police and we can’t tell people what to think or feel. I don’t want people not to care and, in a funny way, I perhaps would have been slightly concerned if it had been a case of business as usual with all of this.

“But at the same time, it’s always very easy to aim this at just one person, who is currently in the eye of the storm.

“I appreciate the explanation for this doesn’t sit comfortably with a lot of people but, in the case of Gatlin, there’s a 17-year history with this, his first offence a ban as a junior.”

There is no quick fix to the issue of doping but certain wrongs of the past have started to be put right at the London Stadium this month as Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill was presented with her upgraded Daegu 2011 heptathlon gold medal after original winner Tatyana Chernova was stripped of the accolade.

Coe added: “We’re trying to address this issue of doping, and never before have we been able to reallocate medals to those who lost out on them in their careers as we have done in London.

“Jessica Ennis-Hill getting the recognition she deserved in a stadium she lit up five years ago is a case in point. People feel serious about this issue and it’s up to us to address it and confront it head on.”

Heinz becomes NFL official sponsor in the UK

Heinz Yellow Mustard is today announced as the latest international brand to sign a partnership deal with the NFL UK – becoming the new official sponsor of the NFL in the UK.

With the long-standing association between the American-style yellow mustard and the NFL, Heinz is looking to build on the ever-growing popularity of the NFL in the UK and position Yellow Mustard as the number one mustard brand nationwide.

With a marketing investment of over £400,000 ($520,000), the partnership is being brought to life by the ‘Ultimate Playbook’ social campaign and supported through in-store execution in Tesco.

A competition will be running throughout the NFL’s London Games season, with fans encouraged to upload their ‘ultimate play’ to the ’Ultimate Playbook’ to be in with the chance of winning the main prize of a trip to Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis.

Joel Hughes, senior brand manager, Heinz Yellow Mustard, said: “The partnership between our mustard and the NFL in the UK is extremely exciting as it places Heinz Yellow Mustard as the go-to condiment at the NFL games, therefore driving further awareness of the brand and its fantastic taste credentials.

“With many consumers planning to sit and enjoy the NFL on their televisions at home, and stats showing that during the 2016-17 season NFL television coverage in the UK attracted more than 23 million unique viewers, it creates the perfect opportunity for consumers to gain access to unique prizes and create game time snacks at home featuring Heinz Yellow Mustard.”

Melissa Brown, NFL UK’s vice-president of commercial partnerships, said: “Our partnership with Heinz Yellow Mustard gives us the opportunity to present our sport to new fans in a fun, creative and engaging way and we look forward to a successful relationship with such a forward-looking brand.”

The NFL has played 17 regular season games in London in the past decade and is set to play four fixtures the first time this season, including two at Wembley Stadium and Twickenham.

Aston Villa CEO Keith Wyness backs Villa Park to host ‘spectacular’ Rugby 7s tournament for Birmingham 2022

Aston Villa CEO Keith Wyness has backed Villa Park to host a “spectacular” Rugby 7s tournament for Birmingham 2022.

The 42,7000 capacity stadium, which successfully staged Rugby World Cup fixtures for the 2015 Championship, has been Villa’s home since 1897 but is in line to form a key part of Birmingham’s Commonwealth Games bid.

Wyness said: “Villa Park is a great sporting venue and an iconic Midlands sports institute. It has an amazing sporting history dating back to the 1900s and, as well as our regular football fixtures and the two Rugby World Cup 2015 matches, we have hosted many major events over the years, from boxing matches to concerts for music legends such as Springsteen and Take That.

“Rugby 7s is a fantastic event, providing a great day out for sports fans. I am sure that many Villa fans would want to be there and will be thrilled that Villa Park is playing a role.

“Our players and coaching staff would also welcome the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. There will be great opportunities to share information in the pursuit of sporting excellence and it would just be fantastic to be part of the event.

“Everybody at Villa Park said that hosting the Rugby World Cup was one of the most fulfilling things we have done for our community. We are a great community based club and it is important that we play our part in delivering the best ever Games in 2022.

“Being part of Team Birmingham and helping to bring the Commonwealth Games to Birmingham is something we are proud to be doing. This will be another first for Villa and we look forward to playing our role.

“It is fantastic to be part of Birmingham’s Bid and with the role of the Commonwealth likely to become more important for Britain going forward, we will do all we can to bring the Games here. Bring it on!”

Swansea tunes in with Spotify

Swansea supporters and music fans will now be able to get even closer to their heroes by tuning into the music that the players themselves love and listen to.

The likes of Leroy Fer, Angel Rangel, Federico Fernandez, Luciano Narsingh, Mike van der Hoorn and Stephen Kingsley have curated exclusive playlists for the Jack Army to listen to, along with the club official playlist.

“To work in collaboration with Spotify is extremely exciting,’’ said the club’s head of digital, Rebecca Symmons.

“Spotify is renowned around the world as a major player in digital music streaming and we are pleased to secure their services.

Fans will be able to listen to the players’ playlists direct from Spotify on the SwansOfficial account, or via special links on the player profiles of the players mentioned above on the club’s new website.

Every week, the club will be adding more players into the mix.

British Athletics extends partnership with Nike to 2030

British Athletics has today confirmed an extension to its partnership with Nike as official team wear provider until 2030.

As well as their investment in the British team including all competing age groups and incorporating off track disciplines, Nike will also support the next generation of British athletes to represent the nation, with increased support of the British Athletics’ Futures Programme.

Nike is supporting the British team in 2017 against the backdrop of the Summer of World Athletics with the World Para Athletics Championships and the IAAF World Championships forming the climax of the season for the British team.

Team athletes – starting with the British Para Athletics team and then for the IAAF World Championships – are wearing the new Nike kit, a brand new design for team athletes to wear in their home championship year.

UK Athletics CEO Niels de Vos said: “We are delighted to announce this significant contract extension with Nike until 2030 in one of the strongest ever collaborations for athletics in the UK.

“As well as their apparel and kit ensuring our athletes look and feel the part when representing the nation, their investment in the Futures programme demonstrates a real commitment to supporting the next generation of British Team athletes.

“This commitment to British Athletics is a brilliant platform of support for the sport to move forward with. We’re looking forward to collaborating with Nike further over the next few years on some exciting projects.”

Bert Hoyt, VP / GM, Nike EMEA, said: “We are excited to extend Nike’s successful partnership with British Athletics; a partnership that will see us deliver innovation at every level of the sport, from grassroots programming to elite level competition.

“This is a statement of commitment to the sport and supporting world class athletes – investing in the talent of today and tomorrow.”

Rangers agree first-ever back-of-shirt sponsorship deal

Utilita, Britain’s fastest growing independent energy supplier, has announced that it will be the Official Energy Partner of Rangers Football Club for the 2017/18 season.

Utilita has also extended their presence at the club as The Light Blues’ premier back-of-shirt sponsor. The Utilita logo will appear on the back of the first team home and away kits – the first partner to do this in the club’s history.

Jem Maidment, Head of Marketing & Communications at Utilita, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Rangers for the second season, a partnership that will see Utilita further engage with fans, with ticket giveaways, half-time challenge fun and match-day activities for all the family including the Utilita Street Football Zone.

“We’re also very excited to be the first ever Rangers back-of-shirt sponsor – as massive fans of Scottish football, we’re looking forward to an exciting season ahead with a renewed presence at the club.”

Scott Steedman, Head of Commercial at Rangers FC, added: “We are pleased to confirm Utilita will be continuing as the club’s official energy partner and delighted to have such a well-established brand in Scottish football come on board as the club’s first back-of-shirt sponsor.

“Utilita has been a fantastic partner to work with, and we look forward to further strengthening our relationship with the company this season and beyond.”

The Utilita branded shirts made their first display during Rangers’ 1-2 win against Motherwell, on Sunday 6 August 2017.

British Rowing agrees long-term partnership with Pulsant

British Rowing has announced a new long-term partnership with Pulsant, who will become the organisation’s Official Hosting Solutions Partner.

The strategic partnership will see British Rowing modernise, scale and raise the standards of their IT systems as well as comply with the new data protection regulations coming into effect in 2018.

British Rowing is the first sports organisation to secure a partnership with Pulsant, as the leading provider of cloud services and managed hosting looks to move into new sectors.

Harvey Davies, British Rowing’s Head of Technology said: “We are delighted to be working with Pulsant over this Olympic and Paralympic cycle. We believe they are market leaders in their field and will bring a wealth of industry knowledge and expertise to support our IT infrastructure.

“Data is an increasingly important commodity in the development of our athletes and in the delivery of medal winning performances. Knowing we have a platform that provides a secure and reliable environment, in which we can store and analyse that data, will be a key component in delivering success in Tokyo and beyond.”

Rob Davies, Sales and Marketing Director, Pulsant said: “We are delighted to have partnered with British Rowing, an organisation with such a successful and prestigious history, and we are looking forward to supporting the rowing community.

“What’s more, the new cloud-based IT solution we are delivering to British Rowing will future-proof its operations for years to come, while also helping it achieve compliance with the GDPR legislation that comes into effect next year.”

Manchester City launches new global fan engagement platform

Manchester City has launched a brand-new, fan engagement platform for fans both at home and around the world to connect, share and get involved with the Club, as part of its ‘Cityzens’ initiative.

The new innovative platform, which is free and integrated within mancity.com, is being rolled out globally from Monday 7 August and will allow fans to meet up and watch matches together using a localised ‘Community Map’ feature, share opinions on key City topics and access exclusive Club competitions.

Using smart data collection and innovative digital technology, experiences available on the platform will be personalised to each fan based on location, demographic, club interactions and previous history with the club.

Commenting on the launch of the new platform, which will revolutionise the way Manchester City interacts with all of its fans, wherever they are in the world, Ferran Soriano, chief executive officer for City Football Group, said: “Community has always been at the heart of Manchester City.

“As we continue growing around the world, this ethos remains at the core of everything we do. Our mission is to bring people together and empower better lives through football – technology helps us to do this on a global scale.

“Smart data will enable us to truly understand and react to the behaviours of our Cityzens. We will connect and engage with even more supporters than ever before in an authentic and meaningful way.”

Based on registration details, all fans will be greeted with their own personalised video from manager Pep Guardiola and first-team players, and be rewarded at key milestones – be it for renewing their season ticket for the 10th year, attending every match in a season or wearing their City shirt around the world.

Add-ons will also be available for fans who want to get involved on a match day including predicting the score, guessing the line-up and voting for their player of the match through easy to use interactive games.