Financial services giant HSBC has become the title sponsor of the Rugby Sevens World Series, look The International Rugby Board (IRB) has announced.

As part of the five-year deal the tournament will be named the HSBC  Sevens World Series, and will begin with the Emirates Airline Dubai Sevens on 3 and 4 December this year.

However, the 2011 Hong Kong sevens will not feature HSBC branding as it clashes with rival title sponsor Credit Suisse.

IRB president Bernard Lappaset said: “The appointment of a market leader in the banking industry as title sponsor of the IRB Sevens World Series further enhances rugby sevens’ prominent stature as an Olympic sport with significant prestige and attraction within the global marketplace.

“HSBC is an internationally renowned brand and a true champion of the development of Rugby around the world. HSBC has a massively successful history of working with its partners to develop the Game on and off the field through the HSBC Rugby Festivals and sponsorship of the Asian 5 Nations.”

Group head of sponsorship at HSBC, Giles Morgan, added: “HSBC has a long-standing heritage in rugby and is excited about investing in such a thriving area of the game.”

The series is made up of tournaments in Dubai,South Africa, New Zealand, USA, Australia, Hong Kong, England and Scotland.

MATCH Hospitality AG, ailment | a leader in in sports hospitality, cough has revealed they will run the Corporate Hospitality programme for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in 2014 and 2015 held at The O2 in London.

The latest addition to MATCH Hospitality’s growing portfolio of high-profile sporting events follows the ATP’s appointment of Infront Sports & Media to manage the global Corporate Hospitality rights for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals for 2014 and 2015.

Within the framework of this appointment, prescription MATCH Hospitality has been entrusted by Infront, which is one of its shareholders, to develop, manage and sell the Corporate Hospitality programme for this event, starting with the 2014 edition that will be contested from 9 to 16 November at The O2 in London.

Jaime Byrom, Executive Chairman of MATCH Hospitality AG, hails the appointment as yet another milestone in the already successful track record of the company: “MATCH Hospitality is absolutely delighted to offer its unique hospitality expertise and international sales agent network in support of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Our programme will provide customers with a thrilling and unforgettable experience from the very first serve to the final point at the year-end-climax of the professional tennis season.”

Chris Kermode, ATP Executive Chairman & President, stated: “The ATP World Tour is very pleased to announce the appointment of Infront Sports & Media to manage the Corporate Hospitality rights for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Their agreement with MATCH Hospitality will deliver a truly outstanding corporate hospitality programme, which will fully leverage the one-of-a-kind atmosphere that the event provides in the iconic setting of The O2. We are looking forward to a great partnership of the highest quality befitting the status of our flagship event.”

Phoenix Coyotes have announced today the National Hockey League team will rebrand to be named the Arizona Coyotes from next season.

“We are very excited to announce that our franchise name will change to Arizona Coyotes for the start of the 2014-15 NHL season,” said Co-Owner, President and CEO Anthony LeBlanc. “Becoming the Arizona Coyotes makes sense for us since we play our games in Glendale and the city is such a great partner of ours. We also want to be recognized as not just the hockey team for Glendale or Phoenix, but the team for the entire state of Arizona and the Southwest. We hope that the name ‘Arizona’ will encourage more fans from all over the state, not just the valley, to embrace and support our team.” 

As part of the name change, the Coyotes will be introducing a new shoulder patch for their home and road jerseys in 2014-15. The patch will be unveiled for the Coyotes first preseason game next season. The rest of the Coyotes uniform will not change. 

The franchise has been known as the Phoenix Coyotes since it moved to the Valley from Winnipeg in 1996. The Coyotes played their home games in downtown Phoenix from 1996 until 2003 when they moved to their current home, Jobing.com Arena, in Glendale.

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Leyton Orient have blasted High Court’s decision to deny them the right to challenge the Olympic Stadium tenancy.

Orient’s lawyers argued in the High Court yesterday in London that the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) tenancy agreement with West Ham was “entirely flawed”.

The League One club called for a judicial review because they were “never properly considered as a co-tenant with Premier League side West Ham”.

However, the LLDC argued that some of Orient’s points were “wholly illogical”, their case was “devoid of merit” and their Decision Letter clearly explained the process.

Orient have now released a statement branding the decision an “injustice”, and they will now consider their next course of action.

The statement read: “We feel a real sense of injustice at today’s decision.

“Karren Brady told the House of Lords only a few weeks ago that West Ham United had no objection to a ground share with Leyton Orient, but West Ham United’s barrister today claimed that to ground share would adversely affect the club because the Olympic Stadium is “part of the brand”.

“Our real concern is the lack of transparency that has been shown throughout the process by a public body. It is deeply disappointing that both the Court and the LLDC have made decisions based only on financial considerations, when the purpose of the Stadium’s legacy was regeneration of the area with a community focus.

“We believe that the LLDC exercised its discretion to favour West Ham United, no doubt under pressure from West Ham United to make them sole football tenants for the benefit of their “brand”.

“Delivering a new brand to West Ham United was not the intended purpose of the Olympic Stadium, and we now have to look to the House of Lords to find a common sense solution for Olympic legacy and local community.

“As the judge noted, Leyton Orient are flying high in League One. We will enjoy our current on-pitch success whilst we contemplate how to proceed in the best interests of the club.”

Following the hearing, which lasted over two hours, Mr Justice Lewis refused Orient’s application for a judicial review.

The British Basketball League (BBL) have announced there will be a new franchise to be based in Edinburgh branded the East Scotland Warriors after a deal was signed.

The new club will commence participation in BBLCompetitions for the 2014-15 season and will be based out of the 2,400 seat Meadowbank Arena. The club will be commencing work on their community plans in the coming weeks. 

Owner Donald Sampley enthused, “I am very excited to be a part of professional basketball returning to the City of Edinburgh. I am really looking forward to working with everyone in East Scotland’s basketball community to grow the game, and help put Scotland’s youth basketball players on a pathway to the pros. People can keep up to date with the latest information on the club by signing up to our Newsletter at www.warriorsbbl.co.uk.” 

Kevin Pringle, Chief Executive of Basketball Scotland, added: “Having a second professional franchise in Scotland is an exciting prospect for the sport and demonstrates the growth and potential of the sport. Basketball Scotland has been working hard to support the growth of the game through our member clubs and we hope that that an additional professional franchise can further support the work of the clubs both in Edinburgh and throughout Scotland.” 

Andy Webb, BBL Chief Operating Officer, commented: “We are delighted to add a second club in Scotland and look forward to the exciting rivalry this will create with the Glasgow Rocks. The strong community ethos of the club fits perfectly with our own beliefs and we look forward to seeing their development in this area over the course of the next season.”

Circuit of The Americas has announced that the Indianapolis-based MainGate Inc., doctor the premier event retail and e-commerce merchandise company in the country, shop will be the Circuit’s exclusive retail merchandise partner.

MainGate launched www.COTAstore.com on April 10 and will create a complete line of apparel and novelties for the Circuit over the next year. In addition, MainGate will manage retail sales at several Circuit events, making its debut at the just-completed Red Bull MotoGP of The Americas event, April 19-21. The company will also manage on-circuit retail operations for the return of Formula 1 racing this November to the United States’ only purpose-built Grand Prix facility.

Current MainGate merchandise partners include the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), Firestone, the Kentucky Derby®, six NFL teams (Indianapolis Colts, Washington Redskins, Minnesota Vikings, Tennessee Titans, St. Louis Rams, and Detroit Lions), the Big Ten Football Championship and Big Ten Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, and United States Golf Association (U.S. Open), among others.

“MainGate has a rich history working with high-profile venues as well as professional and collegiate leagues and teams,” Circuit Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer Geoff Moore said. “Their considerable experience makes them the logical partner for us, as we introduce a new premium sports and entertainment brand to the marketplace.”

“Based on our racing roots with the NHRA and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, this is a logical fit for us and the types of products we market well,” MainGate’s President and Chief Marketing Officer David Moroknek added. “We are absolutely thrilled to be a part of this world-class facility and a new era of racing in the United States.”

Circuit of The Americas, located in Austin, Texas, is a multi-purpose facility that will host some of the most prestigious racing events in the world, including the FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX, Red Bull MotoGP of The Americas and the World Endurance Championships.