Shorts: Southampton, Sky Sports, Women of Union
Southampton have renewed their agreement with 8×8, which will continue as the club’s business communications partner for the 2024/25 season.
Under the renewal, 8×8’s contact centre solutions will hope to support the club’s operations across the ticket office, hospitality, and supporter services, helping the team stay closely connected with fans.
The global contact centre specialists first partnered with the Saints in February, after sponsoring the team’s home match against Bristol City in November 2023.
The deal includes branding on press backdrops, as well as promotion in St. Mary’s Stadium, and during Southampton’s campaign using he 8×8 phone system to thank supporters.
“8×8 have been fantastic partners of the club,” said Greg Baker, Chief Revenue Officer at Southampton.
“We’ve been able to achieve some great success together off the pitch, initially through their match sponsorship, which we have since developed into a highly beneficial Official Partnership for both organisations.”
On World Alzheimer’s Day, September 21st, Sky Sports will collaborate with Alzheimer’s Society during the One Day International (ODI) between England and Australia to help raise awareness of dementia.
During the match, Sky Sports will broadcast a special film created by Alzheimer’s Society, featuring England and Northern Superchargers cricketer Alice Davidson-Richards.
Serving as an Alzheimer’s Society Sport Champion, Davidson-Richards will share her personal story, reflecting on how her father’s battle with mixed dementia shaped her life and career, and the crucial need to raise awareness of the condition.
Alzheimer’s Society’s CEO, Kate Lee, will also appear in the film, which encourages fans to seek support if they are concerned about the signs of dementia.
The partnership between Sky Sports, the England and Wales Cricket Board, and Alzheimer’s Society aims to shine a light on the realities of the disease, encouraging cricket fans to donate and use the Alzheimer’s Society symptoms checklist to identify early signs of the disease.
Sky’s commentators will also wear Alzheimer’s Society pin badges during coverage to further promote the cause.
Alice Davidson-Richards said, “Dementia changed our lives, and as his condition worsened, our roles reversed. Supporting Alzheimer’s Society during this ODI is my way of honouring his memory and raising awareness to help others in the cricket community.”
Kate Lee, Alzheimer Society CEO added, “While great sport should be unforgettable, around one million people in the UK live with dementia, and sadly, many will lose their cherished memories altogether.”
Women of Union has launched to provide support for women working in or involved with rugby union.
Founded by Ali Donnelly, CEO of More Than Equal, and Jenny Mitton, Managing Partner at M&C Saatchi Sport and Entertainment, the organisation’s goal is to create an environment where women feel consistently valued, supported, safe, and respected, while allowing them to reach their full potential within the sport.
Women of Union has taken inspiration from similar organisations in other sports, including Women in Football and Women in Racing. Its launch event on September 11th saw strong backing from leaders across rugby.
Among those present were former Saracens CEO Lucy Wray, who now owns London Mavericks Netball, as well as England women’s coach Lou Meadows, Six Nations Chief of Rugby Julie Paterson, and founder of the Rugby Black List, Sagan Daniels.
In collaboration with England Rugby, the Welsh Rugby Union, and Premiership Rugby, Women of Union has already partnered with Leeds Beckett University to commission a major research project aimed at understanding the experiences and motivations of women working in rugby.
Ali Donnelly, Co-Founder of Women of Union, said, “Having been involved in rugby for over 25 years, I know that the experiences that women have within the sport can be mixed and that for all the amazing progress we are making, there is a way to go to make sure that our game is as inclusive as it can be.
“Rugby is an incredible sport, but its future depends on broadening its reach, becoming more diverse and improving its accessibility. We know that women will have a vital role to play in shaping that and we’re excited to play our part through Women of Union.”
World Rugby has confirmed the appointment of Nicky Ponsford as its new Director of High Performance.
Ponsford, who has been with the organisation since 2021, steps into this senior role after serving as Women’s High Performance Manager.
During her tenure at World Rugby, she has helped redefine high-performance strategies within the women’s game and has led efforts to so support unions in preparing for major competitions, including the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2021 and the WXV.
Most recently, she served as interim Director of High Performance, where her responsibilities included overseeing preparations for the men’s game. This involved leading discussions on the upcoming men’s Nations Cup in 2026 and evaluating future competition formats for the women’s game.
In her new role, Ponsford aims to continue to drive high-performance objectives, with a focus on raising standards at Rugby World Cups for both men and women.
She will collaborate closely with unions and regions to create tailored high-performance programmes aimed at advancing rugby globally.
Ponsford said, “This is an era-defining time for a sport with a clear growth mandate over the next decade and I am excited about working across the business, and more broadly with unions and regions to provide targeted solutions that sustainably support increases in competitiveness within a calendar that includes new competition models and expanded men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups and beyond.”
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