Climbing Body Appoints Rocket Sports

The British Mountaineering Council (The BMC) has appointed Sir Elton John’s Rocket Sports Management as its exclusive sponsorship agency as the sport readies itself for its debut as an Olympic event in Tokyo 2020.

The announcement comes shortly after the latest publication of the Sport England Active Lives survey, which shows over 2.4 million people are climbing and mountaineering every month in the UK, a 16% increase on the prior year.

Climbing indoors has grown rapidly in popularity in recent years, with over 400 indoor climbing facilities in the UK, a figure which has been increasing at 15% year on year.

Working with The BMC, Rocket Sports is now helping the BMC plan for a new longer term vision for GB Climbing, incorporating commercial partners to accelerate the development of the sport in the UK.

Britain’s 40-person squad currently includes double Boulder World Cup champion Shauna Coxsey MBE.

Dave Turnbull, CEO of The BMC commented: “There’s a thriving competition scene in the UK and incredible talent coming through the ranks. It’s our obligation as the national body for competition climbing to provide our young athletes with the best coaching, support, and competition experience as possible.

Climbing’s inclusion in the Olympic programme is a culmination of continuous growth within a sport, with all major events across the globe accessible via a free live stream.

Ben Lampkin, managing director of Rocket Sports commented: “We are delighted to be working with the BMC at a time when climbing, particularly in the UK, is expanding at such a rate. Over the last two months, our collective teams have been restructuring the vision of the GB climbing team and we look forward to finding the right brand partners who are also excited by the future of the sport. Climbing has so many natural synergies with health, wellbeing, environment, and equality.

“Technology is at the epicentre of how people interact and engage with the sport, which presents a really unique opportunity for brands to become an authentic part of this exciting story. We look forward to taking this to market.”