The 2011 SportAccord Convention in London have confirmed several speakers for the event which attracts more than 1,500 leading representatives of international sport.

Among those confirmed is CEO of advertising giant WPP, Sir Martin Sorrell as well as Daniel Frigo, executive vice-president and general manager of Walt Disney Motion Picture Studios EMEA. The two men will be on the panel that focuses on “Why Sport Matters to the Entertainment Industry&rdquo”.

Chairman of HSBC’s International Business Advisory Board, Lord Digby Jones, will join a panel on “What Sport Can Learn from the Banking Crisis”. London Organising Committee (LOCOG) chairman Lord Sebastian Coe will be joined on the programme by LOCOG chief executive Paul Deighton.

The convention takes place from April 3-8, 2011 at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel.

Societe Generale has announced its sponsorship as Worldwide Partner of Rugby World Cup 2011 in New Zealand and Rugby World Cup 2015 in England. A long-term partner of rugby in France, Societe Generale acquires a new dimension by building a long-term partnership with one of the world’s foremost sporting events.

Frédéric Oudéa, Societe Generale Group’s Chairman and CEO, says, “Societe Generale and rugby share strong values: team spirit, commitment and respect. Societe Generale has supported the development of rugby for many years, at both elite and amateur levels. Today our commitment, already deeply rooted in France, is acquiring a new dimension: being a Worldwide Partner of the next two Rugby World Cups will enable us to illustrate our Group’s international strategy and strengthen our ties with rugby around the world.”

In addition to being an official partner of the French national team and of the French rugby championship, Societe Generale also provides support to over 400 amateur clubs throughout France and strives to develop local initiatives with players of all levels. Since 1987, Societe Generale has gradually extended its involvement beyond France and now supports numerous national rugby federations in Asia, Europe and Africa.

Societe Generale first became a partner of Rugby World Cup in 1999, when the tournament was hosted in Wales, with a communication strategy limited to France. In 2007, Societe Generale was the first Worldwide Partner to be announced for Rugby World Cup held in France, that beat all records in terms of audience and attendance.

Bernard Lapasset, Chairman of the International Rugby Board (IRB), is very pleased with this renewed partnership, “We are delighted to be extending our partnership with Societe Generale, a strong supporter of Rugby around the world, across the next two Rugby World Cup tournaments.”

“The strength of the commercial programme is integral to the success of Rugby World Cup and the development of the Game worldwide and this ongoing relationship with one of the world’s leading banks is a massive boost for the Tournament. We look forward to working with Societe Generale over the next five years to further the promotion of the Game around the world.”

US executive search firm Diversified Search Odgers Berndtson has appointed Dr Harvey W Schiller as the newly-created position of vice-chairman and president of the Sports Media and Entertainment Practice.

Dr Schiller most recently has been chairman of the board and chief executive of GlobalOptions Group, medstore a multidisciplinary international risk management and business solutions company.

His other leadership positions have included: chairman and CEO of YankeeNets, an integrated sports-based media company with ownership of the New York Yankees, New Jersey Nets and New Jersey Devils; vice president, sports programming for Turner Broadcasting System; president of Turner Sports, a division of Time Warner; and president and governor of the NHL expansion franchise, Atlanta Thrashers.

European football’s governing body Uefa has announced that sales of the corporate hospitality programme for Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine will be handled internally.

Its newly-created subsidiary Uefa Events SA will have full responsibility for the sales, which will start in Spring 2011.

Uefa said it came to the decision “after a thorough analysis of the market, based on a survey conducted in both host countries and a tender process that saw the responses of several well-known agencies”.

CEO of Uefa Events SA, David Taylor, said: “A high level corporate hospitality programme has become an important feature of recent Euro final tournaments.

“I am pleased that Uefa Events SA can take on direct responsibility for all corporate hospitality sales for Euro 2012. This emphasises the official nature of the programme and the commitment of Uefa to make Euro 2012 a football and commercial success.”

Earlier this summer Uefa announced the appointment of Austrian-based company DO & CO to implement hospitality and catering services at Euro 2012.

The owner of National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise the Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban, has been cleared by Major League Baseball (MLB) to make a bid for the Texas Rangers, his lawyer has announced.

Cuban hasn’t yet decided if he is going to bid for the Mavericks in an auction taking place on 4 August, but if he did, he would still need the support of the 30 MLB team owners to complete the sale.

Cuban’s lawyer, Clifton R. Jessup Jr., said: “The biggest obstacle my client has is we have 12 days to do all the due diligence.”

A group led by club president Nolan Ryan and Pittsburgh sports attorney Chuck Greenberg will lead the bid.

And while Jessup Jr. said Cuban would rather submit his own bid, he would be willing to team up with Ryan and Greenberg to speed the process up.

The National Hockey League (NHL) have announced that NHL Combine will move to Buffalo in 2015 and 2016, with the event being held at First Niagara Center and the soon-to-be-completed HARBORCENTER complex across from the arena.

The event, which has taken place in Toronto in previous years, showcases the top draft-eligible prospects from North America and Europe heading into the NHL Draft. 

“The NHL Combine is an essential event for all of our Member Clubs in advance of the Draft, which continues to grow in importance,” said Colin Campbell, senior executive vice president of NHL Hockey Operations. “The League has pushed to improve the Combine each year and the state-of-the-art facilities in Buffalo will allow us to further enhance the quality of the event for our teams, prospects and media.”

The event, held in late May or early June, is a chance for representatives – typically scouts, coaches and general managers – from the NHL’s 30 member clubs to observe the prospects undergo physical and mental tests. Teams conduct individual interviews with prospects before they undergo various fitness and skill tests to hopefully improve their value in the Draft.

“We’ve had our eye on hosting the Combine for quite some time and we are thrilled that it will be coming to Buffalo,” said Ted Black, president of the Sabres. “Terry and Kim Pegula have made it a goal of this organization to create an environment here in Buffalo that is ideal for hosting highly visible events like the Combine and we are certainly ready to meet that challenge. All of our resources will be in place to ensure a successful event for the league and we’re proud to have the next wave of NHL players pass through Buffalo.”

“HARBORCENTER was built with events like the Combine in mind,” said John Koelmel, HARBORCENTER’s president. “Our intent was to provide a world-class facility for hockey that attracts the sport’s best events. The NHL Combine continues to grow every year and we’re confident that HARBORCENTER and all of its amenities will only add to the experience for the league and all of the participating prospects.”

HARBORCENTER, which opens this fall, is a $172 million hockey and entertainment complex that is connected to First Niagara Center in the Canalside District of downtown Buffalo. 

Partnering with the NHL and the Sabres is Kaleida Health, the largest healthcare provider in Western New York, to provide all medical services and testing for the Combine. In addition to providing on-site equipment and services, Kaleida’s local medical campuses will be available for additional, off-site testing locations.

“We are proud to partner with the National Hockey League and the Sabres in bringing the combine to Buffalo,” said Jody L. Lomeo, president and CEO of Kaleida Health. “Hosting this major event at HARBORCENTER is another step in the renaissance of our great community. Great things are happening across Western New York and we are happy to be a part of it. Our physicians and staff stand ready to work with the prospects and will deliver great care to them while they are in town.”

Former NFL and San Diego Chargers player Shawne Merriman today took athletic equipment giant Nike to court in San Diego alleging unfair competition and trademark infringement of his LIGHTS OUT brand.

Lights Out Holdings, ask LLC in California Federal Court and demands immediate injunctive relief to stop Nike’s actions, ambulance and millions of dollars of damages including “statutory damages of up to $2 million per content mark per type of goods or services sold, anabolics offered for sale or distribution

“I earned my ‘Lights Out’ nickname in high school when I knocked out four opposing players in one football game,” said Merriman. “I made things official by securing the federal rights to my LIGHTS OUT trademark and have been using it ever since. I am suing Nike as a last resort, not only to protect my brand, but to protect other athletes who are trying to develop a brand.”.

In late 2006 or 2007, according to the lawsuit, Nike entered into negotiations with Merriman for a LIGHTS OUT line of apparel. Negotiations between Merriman and Nike were unsuccessful but, according to the complaint, “after these discussions Nike decided to use the LIGHTS OUT clothing brand anyway.”

The Football Association, (FA) and British Cycling have united to try an get more women into sport.

Female track cycling stars Jess Varnish and Vicky Williamson and England women players have initiated a movement called, ‘Kick Start My Ride,’ which aims to encourage more women to cycle to matches. 

The new movement will start at England’s next FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015 qualifier against Montenegro, at the AMEX Community Stadium in Brighton on Saturday 5 April.

Kelly Simmons, Director of the National Game and Women’s Football at the FA, said: “This unique partnership shows the benefits that two National Governing Bodies can bring when working together for one common aim – getting more women active.

This Campaign comes after a whole host of important sporting bodies trying to get more women into sport and into the boardroom.

Liz Nicholl, CEO of UK Sport and Maria Miller Culture Secretary and Minister for Women recently implemented a plan to try and get women to make up 25 percent of the board by 2017.