Pro12 organisers confirm tournament expansion as South African sides join new format

The Pro12 rugby tournament will be expanded to include South African sides Southern Kings and Cheetahs from September, organisers announced today.

The expanded competition will be called the Pro14, with teams split into two conferences of seven sides. Each conference will contain two Welsh and two Irish sides, plus one team each from Scotland, Italy and South Africa.

Cheetahs and Kings will play their home games in South Africa, with five travel-free days prior to matches taking places.

The addition of the two new teams is reportedly set to boost revenue by £6million a year.

Martin Anayi, CEO of the Guinness PRO14, said: “The arrival of the Toyota Cheetahs and the Southern Kings marks a bold and exciting new chapter for the Guinness PRO14 as a global rugby Championship.

“As a country, South Africa is a rugby powerhouse of over 55 million people. These teams already operate to the high standards demanded by Super Rugby and they will add to the quality of our tournament.

“Our Unions and World Rugby are committed to broadening the game and this move is evidence of our ambition to lead the way in growing the club game beyond our own borders, which in turn will unlock the true potential of this tournament.

“This is a natural evolution for the Championship and not only will the calibre of the Toyota Cheetahs and the Southern Kings grow audiences, interest and the commercial base for the tournament and our clubs, it is a move that also lays the foundations for years to come.

“The appeal of professional club rugby has never been greater and we aim to be at the forefront of the game’s growth around the world.”

Bill Beaumont, World Rugby, Chairman added: “Following consideration of PRO14’s submission, including strategic goals and evaluation of the global rugby benefits, the World Rugby EXCO was unanimous in approving expansion.

“This approval was granted under the proviso that key strategic conditions will be met. This includes the implementation of a detailed player welfare plan, which we are delighted PRO14 are fully committed to. We look forward to the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the competition’s history.”

Conference A

Munster (IRFU)
Ospreys (WRU)
Glasgow Warriors (SRU)
Cardiff Blues (WRU)
Connacht (IRFU)
Zebre Rugby Club (FIR)
Toyota Cheetahs (SA Rugby)

Conference B

Scarlets (WRU)
Leinster (IRFU)
Ulster (IRFU)
Edinburgh (SRU)
Benetton Rugby (FIR)
Dragons (WRU)
Southern Kings (SA Rugby)

iSportconnect 2017 Regatta date confirmed as SAP and LaLiga enter teams

iSportconnect is thrilled to announce that our 2017 Corporate Regatta will take place in Portsmouth on October 6.

SAP and LaLiga have already entered teams for the event, which will represent a thrilling experience for all participants.

The event offers a unique opportunity for sports business executives to experience a taste of world-renowned Clipper Round the World yacht racing combined with networking among some of the most influential people in the sports industry.

The Regatta creates a compelling environment through which to do business and build relationships as participants will learn how to work together within a cohesive racing team under the guidance of Clipper’s professional skippers and mates before taking part in a series of races.

During racing, Clipper’s team will take a back seat and allow attendees to take control, while also offering strategic racing advice to ensure everyone remains safe throughout. Proceedings will come to a close with an award ceremony and reception.

Team and individual packages are available for the event. Please contact Rags (rags@isportconnect.com) to register your interest.

For more information, please click here.

Testimonials:

Tony Scholes – CEO at Stoke City FC
“As ever iSportconnect gathered together a good range of interesting people to share knowledge and experiences with and I thoroughly enjoyed the different environment and the various challenges that it presented throughout the day.”

Zita Vimi – Business Development Manager at Intercontinental
“This was a truly fantastic event, which raised our attention to the importance of teamwork, created a unique atmosphere to network not only with our own team members, but all other invitees as well.”

Los Angeles and Paris deal on 2024 and 2028 Olympics ‘very, very close’, says Eric Garcetti

An agreement between Los Angeles, Paris and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on the allocation of the 2024 and 2028 Games is “very, very close”, according to Eric Garcetti.

The prospect of a double allocation for the Games was made possible earlier in July when the ground-breaking plans received unanimous approval from the IOC in Lausanne.

Negotiations have been taking place in recent weeks and the Los Angeles Mayor, who has been a key player in his city’s bid, believes an agreement in regards to who should host which event could be found as early as Friday (August 4).

“We’re getting close, very, very close,” Garcetti told the Southern California News Group. “Our conversations have been going very well.

“This coming week we should probably have things [settled] but I thought two weeks ago we’d have an agreement.

“Both cities have talked to them about ’24 and ’28, so ’24 is not off the table, but we have talked about what we would need to engage for 2028.

“I’m optimistic that an agreement could be reached by next Friday, for sure,” he added.

The IOC Executive Board are due to convene in London this week for a joint meeting with the International Association of Athletics Federations ruling Council, during which a decision could be formally approved.

UFC to stage first event in mainland China as November date is confirmed

The Ultimate Fighting Championship will stage its first ever event in mainland China later this year.

International and homegrown UFC fighters will take part in the landmark event, which is set to be staged in Shanghai on November 25.

“We are always asked when the UFC will be making its debut in mainland China,” UFC senior vice-president of international and content, Joe Carr, said.

“We are honoured to confirm that Shanghai will be the home of the very first live UFC event in mainland China and to say that we are excited is an understatement. The entire organisation is looking forward to making history this year.”

Michael Ma, the chief executive of the China division of the UFC’s parent company, the WME|IMG agency, added: “MMA is developing rapidly in China and amassing a large fan base. This is an exciting first step to making the sport a mainstay here.”

UFC’s move into the Chinese market comes as the sport embarks on a busy schedule during the closing stages of 2017, with 12 events in six countries planned between October and late December.

Other venues include Las Vegas, Sao Paulo, Sydney and Gdansk, Poland.

Athletics Integrity Unit and UK Athletics unveil robust anti-doping programme for IAAF World Championships London 2017

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) and UK Athletics (UKA) today announced their plans for a robust anti-doping programme at the 16th edition of the IAAF World Championships, which takes place from 4 – 13 August 2017 in London, United Kingdom.

At the heart of the AIU’s testing programme will be the collection of over 600 blood samples prior to the Championships for the purpose of continuing to build Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) profiles and to detect prohibited substances, such as human Growth Hormone (hGH). A further 600 urine tests will also be conducted onsite at the London Stadium during the competition in order to detect a wide range of substances including EPO and steroids.

“The Athletics Integrity Unit is pleased to announce a very comprehensive intelligence based anti-doping programme for the IAAF World Championships,” said Athletics Integrity Unit Chair, David Howman. “What is key to this programme is the significant work that has been done by the Unit and its partners in the ten months leading up to the Championships to ensure that athletes competing in London have been part of a robust testing programme,” he added.

The announcement of the anti-doping programme follows an intelligence-led out-of competition testing strategy enacted in the 10 months prior to the Championships, with testing targeted at athletes likely to compete in London. This 10-month out-of-competition testing period – which included over 2,000 blood tests and approximately 3,000 urine tests – is a cornerstone of the AIU anti-doping programme with no advance notice of testing given to athletes.

The AIU also collaborated with federations and National Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs) to ensure that its own out-of-competition testing would be maximised, and to concentrate on filling the gaps where no effective national testing programs exist.

Capitalising on the 10-year statute of limitations set out in the World Anti-Doping Code (Code), the AIU will continue the strategy first initiated by the IAAF at the World
Championships in Helsinki in 2005, in which all samples collected at the event will be transferred to, and stored in, a dedicated and secure facility for the purpose of re-testing at a later date after the initial analyses.

To-date, the re-testing policy established by the IAAF in 2005 has resulted in 27 positive cases. As part of its strategy to be a forward-thinking organisation that adopts new technological trends, the AIU is also pleased to announce that during the World Championships and beyond, it will replace the traditional paper-based collection of doping control data with a more streamlined, harmonized and ‘real-time’ paperless process supported by established technology.

The paperless process will reduce the possibility of human error and increase effectiveness of the doping control process. Education and Prevention Programme A joint Education and Prevention Outreach Campaign will be carried out in London for the duration of the Championships under the Clean Athletics programme of the host
Federation. The education programme for athletes and support personnel will be organised at the team hotels and competition venue.

To create greater awareness amongst the athlete community of the need to speak out against doping and other forms of misconduct, the AIU in collaboration with the IAAF Athletes’ Commission has created an Athletes’ Pledge in multiple languages that will be signed by competitors at a handful of locations. The WADA Athlete Committee will also be lending support to the campaign by signing the pledge in London.

The IAAF Athletes Commission and the AIU will also organise seminars and open sessions for athletes and support personnel, with anti-doping and integrity matters to be two of the focus topics.

“I am delighted that UK Athletics’ Clean Athletics programme will be driving the education and prevention outreach activities during the IAAF World Championships London 2017,” said UK Athletics Chief Executive, Niels de Vos.

“Alongside the comprehensive AIU testing programme in place, we know that the anti-doping efforts have been robustly planned, and we are pleased to be playing a significant part in the delivery of this essential work.”

Uber signs deal with Spartak Moscow to assist fans’ travel to games

FC Spartak Moscow and Uber have announced an annual partnership agreement to help fans reach the stadium during home games.

At the end of the Spartak’s home matches, fans will be able to travel home in comfort using the Uber application. Cars will be waiting for fans in the parking lot right outside the stadium.

Uber cars will have special parking lots assigned outside the stadium and supporters will be able to spot them thanks to appropriate signs.

Uber has also arranged a special gift for Spartak fans to celebrate the launch of the partnership. Using the promotional code SPARTAK for their first free trip, supporters can save up to 400 rubles (£5).

The offer is valid only for new users.

Supporters with any questions about using the Uber service during and after the Russian Football Premier League matches can contact support service through Uber website, or open the Help section of the phone application.

Floyd Mayweather wants Conor McGregor fight to cost £100 on UK pay-per-view, claims Eddie Hearn

Floyd Mayweather wants to charge UK boxing fans £100 ($132) to watch his upcoming fight against Conor McGregor on pay-per-view, according to Matchroom Sport’s promoter Eddie Hearn.

Sky will be broadcasting the ‘Billion Dollar Fight’ live to UK supporters and normally offer similar events for a fee of £19.95. The fight is scheduled to take place on 26 August in Las Vegas.

Forecasters and industry experts expect the bout to smash pay-per-view records but Hearn believes UK fans are unlikely to be asked to pay substantially more than the figure they are accustomed to.

“[Floyd] Mayweather wants the price to be £100,” Hearn told GQ. “The price will be within the same realms as it always has. I don’t set the price, but my gut feeling is £19.95.

“If it went to £24.95… I can’t see it, it wouldn’t be my decision. Sky won’t want to go beyond £19.95. That is their price point.”

Meanwhile, American viewers are expected to have to pay $99.99 to see the action live; the same price that was set when Mayweather took on Manny Pacquaio in 2015.

The ‘Fight of the Century’ with Manny Pacquiao holds the pay-per-view record for a boxing event after being purchased by 4.4million fight fans.

Betting on Sports attendees advised to book early

SBC Events has encouraged all companies planning to get involved in Betting on Sports 2017 (12-15 September) to do so quickly, or risk missing out on the sports betting event of the year.

Demand for tickets and accommodation for the conference, which has moved to Olympia Conference Centre this year, has been so high that the official event hotel – the Hilton London Olympia – has already sold out. The show floor is also reaching capacity with over 90% of the exhibition space already taken.

With fewer than two months to go until the start of #boscon2017, SBC Events has managed to secure additional, discounted rooms at the nearby luxury K-West Hotel, but these are also selling fast.

Also reaching capacity is the conference agenda, which includes 42 sessions and will encapsulate 150 leading speakers across eight conference tracks.

Key speakers include Pinnacle CEO Paris Smith, British Horseracing Authority CEO Nick Rust, Danske Spil Head of Sportsbook Jens Nielsen, Betstars Managing Director Zeno Ossko, XL Media CEO Ory Weihs, Better Collective CEO Jesper Soegaard, Unikrn CEO Rahul Sood, Ladbrokes Coral Director of Player Protection Graham Weir, Mybet CEO Markus Peuler, BetBright CEO Marcus Brennan and Matchbook CEO Mark Brosnan.

With over 1,200 senior executives attending, combined with room for more than 50 exhibitors in 1,768 sqm of exhibition space, Betting on Sports 2017 is a must-attend event for the entire sports betting sector.

Mr Green and SBTech were recently unveiled as two of 22 first-time exhibitors for #boscon2017, alongside Erlang Solutions, Matchbook Trading Conference, Trustly, eMerchantPay, OtherLevels, OddsRing, LeonBets, Secure Trading Group, EvenBet Gaming, Finnplay, Tal Ron Drihem, AlgoSport, Abios Gaming, 1xbet, Crown Technologies, Wiraya, Setanta Sports, Spottocash, GameCo and Millennial Esports.

However, there is still an opportunity for operators, suppliers, affiliates, sports clubs, regulators, payment providers and media companies to acquire exhibition space at a venue which was subjected to a £30 million redevelopment and rebranding just four years ago.

As well as a handful of spaces alongside these companies, there are still packages available for the networking party on Thursday 14 September at Roman Abramovich’s favourite London nightclub, Under the Bridge. Sponsorship for the first official networking party on Wednesday 13 September, held at the spectacular Altitude 360, has already been snapped up by HiPay.

Click here for more information.

Los Angeles announces intention to host Olympics in 2028

The Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic bid committee in cooperation with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), today announced its intention for Los Angeles to host the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games 2028 and its agreement with the Host City Contract 2028.

Under the terms of the Host City Contract 2028, the IOC will advance funds to a Los Angeles Organizing Committee in view of the longer planning period and to increase participation and access to youth sports programs in the City of Los Angeles in the years leading up to the Games. The IOC contribution as stipulated by the HCC is $1.8 billion and has the potential to exceed $2 billion according to the evaluation of the L.A. bid committee when taking into account the estimated value of existing sponsor agreements to be renewed and potential new marketing deals.

Discussions about the unprecedented simultaneous election of the 2024 and 2028 Games were initiated between IOC President Thomas Bach, Los Angeles 2024 and Paris 2024 delegations, including their respective mayors Eric Garcetti and Anne Hidalgo at the SportAccord Convention in Aarhus, Denmark in April. Today`s announcement follows IOC Members’ unanimous approval at the July 2017 Extraordinary IOC Session in Lausanne, Switzerland for the simultaneous election of the host cities of the Olympic Games 2024 and 2028.

The Los Angeles City Council and United States Olympic Committee Board of Directors will consider the agreement for approval in August. If approved, the IOC, LA and Paris may enter a tripartite agreement, clearing the way for IOC Membership to simultaneously confirm the Olympic Games 2024 to Paris and the Olympic Games 2028 to Los Angeles at the next IOC session in Lima, Peru on September 13, 2017.

Since his election, President Trump has been personally involved in helping to make LA’s bid a truly American bid and the White House Office of American Innovation and the US Senate and House of Representatives have been true partners throughout. The USOC and Los Angeles bid team greatly appreciate their strong commitment to bringing the Olympic and Paralympic Games back to the United States.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said: “This is an historic day for Los Angeles, for the United States and for the Olympic and Paralympic Movements around the world. Today, we take a major step toward bringing the Games back to our city for the first time in a generation and begin a new chapter in Los Angeles’ timeless Olympic story.

“This agreement with the IOC will allow us to seed a legacy of hope and opportunity that will lift up every community in Los Angeles– not in 11 years’ time, but starting now and continuing in the years leading up to the Games. LA 2028 will kick-start our drive to make LA the healthiest city in America, by making youth sports more affordable and accessible than ever before.”

IOC President Thomas Bach said: “The IOC welcomes this decision of the Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic bid committee. They presented a strong and enthusiastic candidature that embraces the Olympic Agenda 2020 sustainability priorities by incorporating existing facilities and encouraging the engagement of more youth in the Olympic Movement. Therefore, we are very happy that as part of this Host City Contract, we are able to expand the impact of city youth sports programming and encourage the healthy lifestyle of Angelenos for the next 11 years. We are very confident that we can reach a tripartite agreement under the leadership of the IOC with LA and Paris in August, creating a win-win-win situation for all three partners. This agreement will be put forward to the IOC Session in Lima in September for ratification.”

Los Angeles bid committee Chairman Casey Wasserman said: “Los Angeles will help ensure that the Games are sustainable and relevant for future generations, with the IOC’s Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms as our guiding principle, a ’no-surprises’ Games plan and the enthusiastic support of the people of LA. Two great world cities in LA and Paris have developed two very different but outstanding plans. Thanks to the IOC’s courage and vision in creating a mechanism for this unprecedented dual award, both cities now stand together ready to serve the Olympic and Paralympic Movements for more than a decade.”

Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson said: “The City of Los Angeles is a proud and enthusiastic partner in this ‘win-win-win’ scenario. The opportunity to again host the Olympic and Paralympic Games is a golden occasion further strengthening Los Angeles – not just through bricks and mortar, but through new opportunities for our communities to watch, play and benefit from sport.”

USOC Chairman Larry Probst said: “Today was an important step in the process to bring the Olympic and Paralympic Games back to the United States. In the coming weeks, we look forward to presenting this to the USOC board for approval of Los Angeles’ 2028 candidature in anticipation of a positive vote by the IOC membership in September. LA 2028 will help connect the Olympic Movement with the youth of the world and provide the IOC with long-term stability and sustainability, and demonstrate the viability of hosting the Games to future bidders.”

New WTA TV livestreaming service set to launch worldwide

The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has announced the scheduled launch of WTA TV on July 31, 2017. The new subscription service will offer WTA tennis matches streamed live and on-demand to subscribers around the world for a monthly or annual fee.

An annual subscription to WTA TV provides access to nearly 2,000 live and on-demand matches from all WTA Premier tournaments and the majority of WTA International tournaments.

The high quality content and consumer-centric platform is highlighted by several features such as HD streaming, multi-match viewing and multiple camera coverage for all main draw singles matches.

Steve Simon, WTA CEO and Chairman, said, “Fans want more content and 24/7 access. We are investing heavily to develop a strong digital eco-system that caters for the new ways fans are consuming WTA related content.

“Our goal is to provide fans the means to follow the tour and to watch WTA matches on the best screen available to them, wherever they are.”

WTA TV will be available worldwide, the only exception being China where WTA partner, iQIYI, holds exclusive streaming rights and offers an extensive service for Chinese tennis fans.

WTA TV kicks off its first week by streaming two events, as the US hardcourt fall season swing begins.

WTA Premier event Bank of the West Classic – Stanford features recent Wimbledon champion Garbiñe Muguruza, along with former WTA World No.1 players Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova while the WTA International event, Citi Open – Washington, DC, features World No.2 Simona Halep, Kristina Mladenovic and Rio Olympics gold medalist Monica Puig.