World Skateboarding Grand Prix (WSGP) have announced Turkey as their latest destination for their Grand Slam series in 2015.

This will be the first-ever Turkey Skateboarding Championships in Istanbul on May 31.

The Grand Slam series will stop in Ankara, look Antalya and Istanbul, cheap giving local skateboarders a chance to earn a spot in the Turkey Skateboarding Championships. The Grand Slams will feature qualifiers for both individual skateboarders as well as the Rider Cup team skateboarding contest.

The winners from each Grand Slam contest and the winners from the Rider Cup team contest will then battle it out for a cash prize and championship title in the first-ever Turkey Skateboarding Championships in Istanbul on May 31, 2015. In addition, the winning individual and team will earn the chance to represent Turkey in the 2015 Skateboarding World Championships in Kimberley, South Africa.

“We are excited about the expansion of WSGP into Turkey, where the sport is growing tremendously and is in a position to benefit from a championship event that will not only put Turkey on the global stage but will help to further support and grow the local skateboarding industry,” said Tim McFerran, president of WSGP.

The Canterbury Rugby Union has revealed a trading profit of $3, drugs 000 (excluding insurance payments) in the 2013 financial year. 

The result was announced at the Union’s recent Annual General Meeting and Chief Executive Hamish Riach called it a satisfactory result in a year of ups and downs.

“2013 was another outstanding performance on the field from our Canterbury A team, prostate winning its sixth consecutive ITM Cup Premiership title.  Despite this, revenue from match attendance was down compared with 2012, partly due to lower crowd attendances and partly due to us not hosting a final in 2013 as we had in 2012. Although this reduction in revenue was largely matched by reductions in the costs of ITM Cup matches and of representative teams in general.

“Match attendance will be a real focus to turn around in 2014,” Mr Riach said. “Sponsorship, signage and hospitality income remained at roughly the same level as the previous year, so we are very grateful to our sponsors for their ongoing support.”

Revenue from the International High Performance Unit (a joint venture between the CRFU and Crusaders) was up, but receipts from Gaming Trusts were reduced from 2012.

Half of Canterbury Rugby’s operating surplus is paid to the Christchurch Stadium Trust as part of the agreement formed when the temporary AMI Stadium was built, so the trading surplus was $6,000 before that payment was made.  The 2013 surplus was boosted by a $183,000 Business Interruption Insurance payment following final settlement with insurers, bringing the actual surplus for the year to $186,000.

The CRFU AGM also saw Grant Jarrold and Trevor McIntyre re-elected to the Board for another three years.  Grant Jarrold has subsequently been elected to Chairman of the CRFU for the ensuing year.  He replaces Stewart Mitchell who decided not to re-stand for election after more than ten years on the Board.

Mr Jarrold paid tribute to Mr Mitchell and said he is honoured to be taking up the post: “Stew has been a pair of safe hands and an excellent Chair for Canterbury Rugby.  His are big boots to fill but I look forward to taking on the challenge and continuing to contribute to this Union that I am so passionate about,” Mr Jarrold said.

Grant Jarrold is a partner in Deloitte Private for Canterbury and the upper South Island, a director in the Crusaders Limited Partnership and has also served as the Chair of the Belfast Rugby Club Inc.

Foot Locker, Inc., the New York-based specialty athletic retailer, unveiled a new national commercial titled “Disguise,” which features NBA stars James Harden and Anthony Davis.

The advert shows Harden devising an undercover plan so that he can repeatedly head to Foot Locker throughout February and shop for the best gear, without being recognized and mobbed by fans. Thanks to Davis’ best feature—his signature unibrow—Harden gets ready to put his plan into action to kick off the month at Foot Locker. The commercial lets everyone know that Foot Locker is the place where they can find the newest and freshest basketball styles both on and off the court.

“James Harden’s style is synonymous with the ‘Approved’ gear we know guys are looking forward to at Foot Locker in February,” said Stacy Cunningham, Executive Vice President of Marketing for Foot Locker. “This is Harden’s fifth Foot Locker commercial, and we are excited that our collaboration is launching at a time when our customers and fans can find the most exclusive gear at our stores.”

“Foot Locker does a great job of showcasing my unique style and sense of humor in their ad campaigns,” says Harden. “I’ve really enjoyed collaborating on another great spot that will resonate with fans.”

The commercial is part of Foot Locker’s successful “Approved” marketing platform and will begin airing on national broadcast on February 5.

Kent County Cricket Club have secured full planning permission for the development of the Club’s Worsley Bridge Road ground at Beckenham, no rx with work expected to commence in early December. 

The development will dramatically enhance the cricket facilities at the Beckenham Ground, store and will include an indoor cricket school to be built to ECB Academy standards, therapy as well as a new spectator stand for 2,000 that will increase capacity. 

The development also includes physiotherapy treatment rooms, along with a gym and Pilates studio, and a conference and banqueting area to seat 160 people, with bar and kitchen facilities. 

New offices, a floodlit AstroTurf football pitch, two hard standing tennis courts, and car parking complete the ambitious developments at the site. 

Following completion of the new multi-million pound facility, which will be built by Galliford Try Plc, the Club will enter into a 20 year lease. 

In addition, negotiations continue with regard to two other buildings – a health and leisure facility and a conference centre.  It is hoped that these developments will also happen in the near future. 

Kent Cricket CEO, Jamie Clifford commented on the announcement: “I’m delighted that full planning permission has been granted and we can now press ahead with the construction phase of the project. The Club has for a long time wanted to develop its London base, and I look forward now to seeing a high quality cricket venue in Beckenham. 

“In addition to the potential it presents for hosting matches, it will also become a centre of excellence in a key part of the county.  Our new indoor centre will provide us with a wonderful base from which to identify and develop young players. I would like to put on record my thanks for the support of the local community, Leander Sports & Leisure, and Bromley Council for their support in bringing the project a step closer.” 

It is expected that construction will start before Christmas 2013, and that the project will near completion by the end of 2014.

American car manufacturer is close to agreeing a new deal to stay in V8 Supercars according to reports.

Ford Performance Racing (FPR) is likely to remain so for 2014, with Ford set to stay the team’s backers despite preparing to close its Australian car manufacturing operations in 2016.

V8 sources have suggested Ford will not only agree to stay on next year, but retain a presence in the sport even after the Falcon disappears in three years.

Ford’s mid-sized Mondeo and its American big car the Taurus could be used under current Car of the Future regulations, though the two-door boy-racer favourite, the Mustang, would need a big rules tweak.

V8 Commission Chairman Steps Down

Meanwhile, V8 Supercars commission chairman Mark Skaife will stand down after next month’s Bathurst 1000 at the end of his two-year tenure.

In his role of Chairman of the V8 Commission, Skaife was instrumental in negotiating Nissan and Volvo’s return to the sport as well as restructuring the V8 Supercars television department.

The six-time Bathurst winner will remain with V8 Supercars in a business development role and as an adviser to the board.

V8 Supercars CEO James Warburton said Skaifes’ tireless contribution had been invaluable and that he would assume the role of Strategic Business Development and as an advisor to the Board. 

“Mark’s contribution as Commission Chairman has been exemplary,” Warburton said.

“I have asked Mark and I am delighted that he has accepted the role of Strategic Business Development and Board Advisor. He continues to be a major asset for the sport in this role.”

Nottinghamshire are looking to crack down on websites who are selling Ashes tickets at more than face value online.

Trent Bridge has already cancelled several tickets found for sale on auction websites with perpetrators refunded and banned from buying tickets for future matches.

Nottinghamshire chief Lisa Pursehouse said: “Selling cricket tickets for profit does not contravene any laws but it does contravene our ground regulations.

“It is up to us to enforce these regulations and we have already cancelled tickets and blacklisted purchasers who we have found to be selling tickets for profit.”

The first four days of the Trent Bridge Investec Ashes Test sold out within hours of going on general sale last week. A limited number of tickets remain on sale for the fifth and final day of the Test.

“We want this match to be enjoyed by genuine cricket fans and if anyone has a genuine reason for being unable to use their tickets then they should get in contact with us, generic ” Pursehouse added.

“We will remain vigilant and continue to take action where we see tickets being sold for profit.”

Gordon Hollins, health ECB managing director for the professional game, added: “Our view is that selling tickets for profit is unfair on ordinary fans and prevents the game being accessible to all sections of the community,” said Hollins.

“ECB is committed to eradicating ticket touting wherever possible and all international venues who take action against touts will have our full and wholehearted support.”

With the NFL season beginning tomorrow night, the NFL UK has still failed to procure a broadcast deal with Sky Sports and ESPN.

NFLUK has successfully struck a deal with Channel 4 to show the Sunday night games, and the Super Bowl will be shown on the BBC, but the rest of the coverage is still up in the air.

A statement from the company suggests that there are several deals in the making with last year’s broadcasters. Sky television provided the Sunday Afternoon double-header and had access to NFL Network’s ‘Total Access’, while ESPN held the Monday night game and provided both their Sunday and Monday night countdown shows, but the deal looks unlikely to be completed until Tuesday at the latest.

The lack of communication that all sides of this discussion have had with the British NFL community is reproachable, and has left many fans feeling undervalued.

This was the worst possible time for such a conflict between the NFL and the broadcasters to occur, considering that the NFL has had its highest growth in UK viewership and participation over the past five years since the first boom back in the early 80s. They were the Seventh most watched sport on Sky Sports in the Uk last year.

This growth was already damaged by the St Louis Rams pulling out of their three-year deal to play at Wembley stadium in February.

The international game has been a great success, with near sell-outs over the past five years, but confusion over the Rams’ ability to play and several postponements of ticket sales has shaken consumer confidence that the event will go ahead.

But instead Jacksonville Jaguars have signed a deal to play a game at Wembley for the next few years.