Shorts: Blueprintx, England Netball, Rugby League
Premier League footballer Antoine Semenyo has appointed Blueprintx to manage his commercial profile.
The partnership, instigated by Semenyo’s representatives Reach Communications, is designed to expand the footballer’s commercial activities in the UK and internationally. Blueprintx will be responsible for fostering relationships with sponsors and developing new commercial opportunities.
The UK-based agency’s current client roster includes Tony Adams MBE, Fikayo Tomori, Sergiño Dest, Chemmy Alcott and Mat Horne.
Blueprintx Co-Founder, George Woffenden, said, “Antoine Semenyo is an incredible talent with a unique story and has made a blistering start to the season. We’re excited to be working with Matt and Antoine to develop off-pitch brand and commercial opportunities during a hugely exciting time in the player’s career.”
Former England international Eboni Usoro-Brown has been appointed as the new Honorary President of England Netball.
The appointment was confirmed at the 2025 England Netball AGM. Usoro-Brown takes on the voluntary role as her predecessor, Joan Mills MBE, reaches the end of her five-year term. England Netball has also appointed its first Community Netball Ambassador, with Sheelagh Redpath MBE taking up the role to support the new President.
A former England Vitality Rose, Usoro-Brown represented her country 117 times over a 15-year career. Her international highlights include a gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, alongside appearances at three Netball World Cups and four Commonwealth Games. Domestically, she won four Netball Super League titles with Team Bath.
Eboni Usoro-Brown said, “It’s an incredible honour to be appointed President of England Netball. This sport has shaped so much of who I am, from a young girl finding her voice on the court, to an elite athlete representing my country, and now as a mother returning to the game with renewed purpose and a strong commitment to championing equity, visibility, and opportunity at every level.”
The Rugby Football League (RFL) has extended its long-running partnership with Leeds Beckett University (LBU) for a further three years.
The renewal ensures the RFL and the wider sport will continue to benefit from access to LBU’s facilities, applied sports science services, and collaborative research projects. As part of the agreement, LBU will serve as the training base for the England Women’s team and the Men’s Pathway programme for the next three years.
The partnership focuses heavily on player welfare and performance, with LBU undertaking several key research projects. These include ongoing injury surveillance across all levels of rugby league, the use of instrumented mouthguards to reduce head acceleration events as part of the TaCKLE project, and the physical profiling of players to support talent identification.
Additionally, the RL-InSiGT project will continue to analyse match and training demands using player-tracking devices, providing data to help optimise performance and evaluate the impact of rule changes. The research has already informed significant changes to the sport, including the Brain Health protocols introduced for the 2024 season.
Tony Sutton, Chief Executive, RFL, said, “The RFL and Leeds Beckett University have a long-standing relationship, which continues to allow both organisations to benefit from each other’s expertise and knowledge.
“We saw how important the partnership was informing the 44 Brain Health changes the RFL made across the game for the 2024 season, and the positive effect this has had. The ongoing research allows us to make evidence-based policy decisions when required. We’re really pleased to extend the partnership not only covering research, but also the applied sports science services and access to facilities for our England teams, and also the broader sport.”
GBB League Ltd. has announced the launch of a new professional British basketball league, with the first season scheduled to begin in 2027.
The new league, operated by GBB League Ltd. (GBBL), is timed to coincide with the anticipated launch of NBA Europe.
The plans include the participation of two NBA Europe teams. GBBL has stated it will use the time before the launch to work with the British Basketball Federation (BBF), the Home Country Associations, and the wider British basketball community.
A key objective of this collaboration is to establish a new elite academy for young players, aiming to develop future talent for the Great Britain National Team.
A spokesperson for GBBL said, “GBB League Ltd. will launch the first season of its new British basketball league in September 2027, coinciding with the anticipated first season of NBA Europe.”
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