Essentially have signed a new three-year partnership with the Rugby Football League.

Essentially have been appointed as the RFL’s Preferred Sales Agency after the two worked closely during a highly productive initial 18-month period, symptoms which saw marquee brands such as Singha Beer, generic Specsavers, erectile Go Daddy and Gatorade become associated with Rugby League World Cup 2013.

The domestic game has also benefited from the partnership already, with a host of new brands becoming involved with the sport, such as Super League’s title sponsors First Utility, Tetley’s, who continue their sponsorship of the Challenge Cup and other partners Alcatel OneTouch, Specsavers, Foxy Bingo and Brut.

RFL Commercial Director James Mercer said: “We are extremely happy with the way our relationship with Essentially has developed in the last 18 months and are looking to take another big step forward over the next cycle.

“Essentially were instrumental in developing key relationships with RLWC2013 partners including Go Daddy and Specsavers. They have worked as an extension to our commercial team on all our activities, new agreements and strategy and have helped to successfully deliver a host of high profile partnerships for the Super League.

“We are also confident that with Essentially’s support we will be adding further to this roster for Super League very shortly adding further evidence of the confidence in the League.”

Essentially Chief Executive Officer Matthew Vandrau said: “We joined the sport at a state of transition and we are delighted that, with our help, there has been so much commercial success over the 18 months.

“We have an excellent working relationship with the sport and we are looking forward to driving increased revenues for the sport over the next 3 years.”

English League One club Bristol City have announced they will push ahead with the redevelopment of Ashton Gate this summer.

The revamp will happen should there be no application for a judicial review.

The club’s majority shareholder Steve Lansdown broke the news at the Annual Supporters Meeting on Tuesday night.

“We’ll sign the section 106 agreement any day now, and then we have six weeks to wait for the Judicial Review period,” the club’s official website reported.

“We wanted to give some certainty to supporters, so if we get through to March with no Judicial Review, then we will be going ahead with the redevelopment plans, starting in May.

“It’s exciting times.”

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft told the crowd at the NFL’s Fan Fest that it’s time for a team in London, ESPNBoston.com reported.

“You’re already hosting the Premier League, and we believe we’re the premier sport in the world,” Kraft said. “I think London has shown, with the way they’ve handled the Olympics and every other major sporting event, that it’s time for you to have your own NFL franchise, based in London.”

The Jacksonville Jaguars are scheduled to play a home game in London from 2013 to 2016. The Patriots andSt. Louis Rams play at Wembley Stadium on Sunday. It will be the sixth International Series game played in London.

“As these things develop and there’s a permanent home team now, I’m sure they’ll develop a great following,” Kraft said. “Whatever we can do to cultivate playing football throughout the world. … We’ve been discussing that the NFL, I don’t know if we’ve done as good a job as we could educating the rest of the world on what a great game it is.”

Shahid Khan, owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Mark Waller, the NFL’s Chief Marketing Officer, are the latest speakers to be announced for The Leaders Sport Summit being held at Chelsea FC, on 10^th and 11^th October 2012. 

With NFL teams dominating the list of most valuable sports teams in the world, and with the organisation keen to expand American football internationally, the session which is scheduled to open day two, will be a unique insight into the vision and strategy of the NFL and one of its newest franchise owners.

Pakistan-born Shahid Khan became the owner of the Jaguars in January 2012, becoming the first ethnic minority owner in NFL history.

Having arrived in the USA at the age of 16, his ambition of one day owning an NFL team began while falling in love with the league while watching games at the University of Illinois, where he was studying for an engineering degree and working for $1.20 per hour washing dishes. Forty years later, after building Flex-N-Gate from scratch into a multi-billion dollar company servicing the car manufacturing industry with 13,442 employees and 52 manufacturing plants in the United States and worldwide, his dream came true.

His purchase of the Jacksonville Jaguars and the team’s commitment to play one home game in London each NFL season from 2013 through 2016 is an indication of how sport in the USA is changing, targeting international growth and opening up to a new breed of entrepreneurs and business people. 

Waller is the first ever Chief Marketing Officer in NFL history, having joined in 2006 as the International Senior Vice President where his role included overseeing the growth of the NFL’s International Series. As CMO, Waller is responsible for the marketing function operating across all NFL platforms and properties, including NFL Ventures, NFL Network and NFL.com, and he continues to oversee the NFL’s International business.

The Leaders Sports Summit is the world’s most prestigious gathering of leaders in sport over 2 days in London.  Held annually it hosts 5 conferences and 100 world class speakers with 1500 senior level executives from over 50 countries and 40 sports in the audience

The International Tennis Federation has signed memorandums of understanding with two of its recognised organisations, recipe the Council of International Clubs, help and Association of Centenary Tennis Clubs.

The ITF will look to increase its support of both organisations on their worldwide development activities.

The Council of International Clubs currently comprises 40 national member clubs known individually as International Clubs (ICs). The International Clubs aim to develop, medstore encourage and maintain the highest standards of sportsmanship and understanding among players of all nations and among young players in particular.

The Association of Centenary Tennis Clubs (CTC) is an umbrella group of clubs that are each more than 100 years old, including some of the most prestigious clubs in tennis. Initially founded by eight clubs as a pan-European association, it now has an extensive global membership of 59 clubs in 28 countries.

The ITF and the two organisations will look to cooperate on development projects where appropriate in consultation with national associations.

The memorandums of understanding run through 2013 (Centenary Tennis Clubs) and 2014 (International Clubs) respectively.

ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said: “Both the ITF and these two organisations share the same goal of fostering growth in the game of tennis. The ITF already assists its 210 member nations with the development of tennis at all levels, and we look forward to collaborating on additional projects.”

Peter McQuibban, Chairman of the Council of International Clubs, said: “We have worked closely with the ITF and its national federations on our philanthropic projects in various countries. This memorandum of understanding formalises that relationship and we hope it will make our work in this important area more efficient and effective.”

Juan Maria Tintore, President of the Association of Centenary Tennis Clubs, said: “I am sure this cooperation will be of mutual benefit to the organisations, both of which are committed to the promotion of tennis, and are concerned with providing opportunities for young players. I have no doubt that the cooperation will help us to enhance and expand the CTC’s activities in the future.”

England cricket chairman Giles Clarke has settled a libel case against him stemming from allegations about secret plans for a rebel Twenty20 league in England, it was confirmed on Wednesday.

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman Clarke had been sued by international sports marketing giant IMG over suggestions in a 2010 email about plans for a breakaway T20 league that would “destroy world cricket’s structure.”

However a statement from the ECB on Wednesday said the case had now been settled after Clarke accepted IMG had not broken any ICC regulations.

“This statement confirms that Mr Clarke accepts that IMG did not act in breach of ICC rules and intended to act within the official structures of world cricket,” an ECB statement said.

“IMG accepts that Giles Clarke was not intending deliberately to damage its reputation. On that basis the parties have agreed to settle the litigation on confidential terms.”

Clarke, who is bidding to win a third term as ECB chairman, still faces legal action from former Indian Premier League commissioner Lalit Modi over the claims.

by Ismail Uddin

British sprinter James Ellington creative and innovative ploy of selling sponsorship rights on eBay may have backfired as the winning bidder has failed to come forward.

Ellington sold his sponsorship for £32, discount 500, with the auction closing on Dec. 17, but he’s yet to hear from the winning bidder, and an eBay spokeswoman says the buyer “doesn’t appear to be bona fide,” according to the Telegraph.

Ellington had planned to put the winning bidder’s logo on his uniform in exchange for the cash to cover this year’s training, travel and living expenses. Now his plan appears to be in jeopardy.

“I’ve spoken to the guys at eBay,” Ellington said. “They say they are still trying to get in touch with the highest bidder, but they are finding it difficult, and they are not sure whether the top bids may be people just messing around.”

Ellington remains determined to earn a top-two finish in the 200 meters at the Olympic trials in Birmingham in June, earning a spot in this summer’s Games. He insists he will not be deterred by the failed auction attempt.

“I won’t even focus on it,” he said. “I’m just trying to get on with things and focus on my training.”