The Rugby Football Union (RFU) may impose a five-year residency rule on English international selections, if World Rugby fails to impose new guidelines.

A player currently becomes eligible for international selection when they have lived in a country for three years, but an RFU campaign may seek to raise this minimum by 24 months.

The French Rugby Union have recently declared that only players who own a French passport will be eligible for national team selection.

World Rugby will vote whether to change the rule at their meeting in May.

The British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) are reportedly considering activation of a break clause in its race deal with Silverstone.

The BRDC has a contract to host the British Grand Prix until 2026 due to a 17-year deal agreed in 2009, but the event has continually garnered concerns due to consistent loss-making.

It currently costs BRDC £18m per year to host the event, with a 5% increase per season. The BRDC are said to be considering exercising their break clause, which would see the contract come to an end in 2019.

The British GP, which has been contested annually since F1’s inception in 1950, is one of the highest-attended events on the calendar, but has “fallen short of budget” on past occasions.

Formula One Chief Executive Bernie Ecclestone revealed that “two other tracks have contacted us and we are keen to keep a British Grand Prix”.

British Triathlon Statement

The race is on to inspire a new generation of athletes at all levels to join the British Triathlon family for 2017, arthritis on the back of a historic and hugely successful year for the sport.

Following on from the success in Rio for Britain’s world-class athletes, therapy there has never been a better time to join British Triathlon and become a Home Nation member enjoying the wide range of benefits and rewards on offer. 

Central to the new campaign is an inspiring video, featuring elite and amateur members of the British Triathlon family coming together to demonstrate their own remarkable commitment to the sport. The film can be viewed at the new British Triathlon microsite hub, which houses a number of rewards and incentives for new and existing members.

Visit jointhefamily.britishtriathlon.org

On top of accessing offers and discounts for brands including the likes of Garmin, Z3R0D, adidas eyewear, Yellow Jersey and Kitbrix, there are a number of key benefits to membership in 2017. With all members receiving personal injury insurance, lower event entry costs and a number of membership services, it is the perfect gift for a triathlon inspired loved one this Christmas or to get you ready for an exciting challenge in the New Year.

Jack Buckner, British Triathlon CEO, said: “Triathlon as a sport is thriving and we are excited about encouraging as many people as possible to join the British Triathlon family in 2017. From triathlon first-timers all the way to our top performing elite athletes, the triathlon community is an amazingly vibrant and inspiring group.

“Our Home Nation membership offers amazing rewards but also essential protection for our members, so we would urge people to visit the site and join us in time for 2017.

“The new campaign comes off the back of several years of growth for the sport across Great Britain. There has been a significant 69 per cent growth in under 19s taking up triathlon between 2010 and 2015, whilst 2015 also saw an 84 per cent rise in the number of 45-54 year olds taking up the sport in 2015 alone.”

The Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) has agreed to temporarily loan Patrick Hickey’s bail for him to return to Ireland for medical reasons, on “humanitarian grounds”.

The statement issued by ANOC read:

“The decision was unanimously approved by ANOC President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah and all ANOC Vice-Presidents via a postal vote on 20 November 2016.

The payment was made as a temporary loan so that Patrick Hickey could meet his bail requirements and return to Ireland where he can receive medical treatment for a heart condition. The terms of the temporary loan make it clear that it must be repaid to ANOC in full. For legal reasons, all other terms and conditions surrounding this bail payment will remain confidential.”

71-year-old Hickey, has remained in Brazil after being arrested on suspicion of alleged illegal ticket touting – a charge dating back to the summer’s Olympics in Rio.

{jcomments on}

The explosive growth of eSports is one of the trends shaking up the world of sports entertainment. Now, arthritis more than ever, symptoms it is imperative to understand how digital innovation can empower sports in delivering millennials to brands, see where the future of the hyper-fast digital entertainment market is heading – and how you can join the growth.

iSportconnect, the the world’s largest global private network of sports business executives, is delighted to announce an exclusive Christmas networking drinks bringing together international federations and innovators in the digital entertainment space to share their insights. The event is set to take place 13th December 2016, from 17:00-21:00 CET, in the Maison du Sport International, Lausanne, Switzerland. This event will be in partnership with the AISTS, a leading centre for sports education founded by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and several Swiss universities.

This exciting event will feature Daniel Marion, Chief of ICT at UEFA; Spike Laurie, Joint Managing Director UK, International Director at ESL; Alex Sanchez 3×3 Managing Director at the International Basketball Federation (FIBA); and Asimina Tsellou, Media Manager at the International Fencing Federation (FIE) as keynote speakers to share their expert insight.

Daniel Marion has extensive experience in delivering IT solutions enabling the operations of major football competitions, including the UEFA Champions League, in areas ranging from networking, event management and digital media.

Spike Laurie has been an International Director and UK Co-Managing Director of ESL, the world’s largest eSports company, since September 2015.

Alex Sanchez has been leading FIBA’s effort to structure and develop 3×3 basketball as a new stand-alone discipline.

Asimina Tsellou, in her role as Media Manager at the FIE, has worked in strengthening edit relations and the global image of fencing. 

Invitation Policy: The iSportconnect IF X’mas Drinks is an invitation-only event open exclusively for director-level executives from International Federations. To register your interest, please click here or contact: adi@isportconnect.com

The National Football League (NFL) and virtual reality technology company NextVR have announced a new partnership to provide NFL highlights and postgame experiences to fans in virtual reality. The three games to be brought to life virtually will be the San Francisco 49ers against the Arizona Cardinals on Nov. 13, online the Chicago Bears at New York Giants the following weekend, discount and then The Giants vs. Cleveland Browns game a week later.

The free content will be available worldwide on the NFL Channel.

“Adding the NFL to our growing portfolio of content partnerships further validates our unmatched technology and our ability to deliver an incredible virtual reality experience to sports fans,” said Brad Allen, NextVR Executive Chairman.  “NFL fans are constantly craving more football and this partnership will meet this demand by delivering an unprecedented virtual reality experience to fans both in the U.S. and around the globe.”

“Virtual reality is a rapidly evolving technology, and this is a great opportunity for the NFL to continue experimenting with the capabilities and distribution of VR experiences,” said William Deng, Director, Media Strategy and Business Development at the NFL. “We’re excited to work with NextVR to bring this first-of-its-kind experience to our fans.”

Last week, the NFL announced a VR partnership with Google and YouTube, furhter building upon their VR plans.

Cricket South Africa and South African Breweries (SAB) have renwed their partnership until 2021.

SAB’s flagship Castle Lager brand will be the official beer of the South African national team. The brewery has been a partner of CSA for the last 23 years.

“Their contribution to sports in South Africa is phenomenal and we are indeed very happy that they will remain partners of CSA and henceforth be involved with our fans too, cough ” said CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat.

“As the ‘Official Beer of the Proteas’‚ Castle Lager will be able to further entrench our relationship with South African sports development‚ the players themselves and the fans,” said Castle Lager general manager.

{jcomments on}

The Milwaukee Bucks have hired Raj Saha, who has overseen the development of 10 major sports and entertainment venues, as an adviser to help the team open its new arena in downtown Milwaukee.

Saha, president of The Saha Group in Chicago, recently started with the team as a consultant, with his focus being on developing plans for the new arena in the areas of finance, technology, data and analytics, ticket sales, arena operations, premium seating sales and service, and property development and management, said Peter Feigin, Bucks’ president.

“We’re thrilled to have someone of Raj’s expertise guiding us as we work to assemble an operational plan for the new arena,” Feigin said. “Raj has played an integral role in opening and managing some of the most impressive sports and entertainment venues in the world and understands how to develop and implement the strategic plans that make these buildings successful.”

Saha, who several political observers expect to be named the new arena’s general manager, was involved in the staging of the 2012 London Olympics, the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil, and the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He also served on the management team for The O2 arena in London. According to his LinkedIn page, he has also worked at Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden in New York City.