Shorts: England Golf, Red Bull, LET
Martha Brass has been appointed as the first ever female Chair of England Golf, marking an historic milestone for the national governing body.
Brass, who had served on the England Golf Board from 2017 to 2021 as Senior Independent Director, has replaced Ian Pattinson following his recent transition to Captain of The R&A.
Currently serving as Chief Operating Officer of BBC Studios Productions, Brass also holds positions as a Non-Executive Director of the PGA European Tour and Chair of PGA European Tour Productions.
Her role at BBC Studios Productions has involved overseeing business operations and production across all studios, as well as driving ambitious growth plans in collaboration with the CEO and key stakeholders.
“I admire the work of England Golf – calling out the success of the Respect in Golf movement and initiatives such as iGolf and iPlay, in engaging the full spectrum of golfers,” Brass said.
“I am very passionate about making the game more accessible and welcoming for people of all backgrounds, ages and abilities. I look forward to working with the board, executive leadership team and all county stakeholders to further the game of golf in England.”
Red Bull Racing and TaylorMade have teamed up for a second time to release The Pursuit Collection.
The new golf equipment and lifestyle apparel collection showcases products inspired by the Formula 1 team’s car, as well as the race suits of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
Included in The Pursuit Collection are P790 irons, Spider Tour Putter, and Milled Grind 4 Wedge Bundle. The collection features a putter, irons, wedged, and accessories including a stand bag, golf balls, gloves, towels and headcovers.
“It is important to us that we work with and prioritise athletes at the pinnacle of their sport and the collection embodies that same elite sport performance,” said Christian Horner, Team Principal and CEO at Red Bull Racing.
David Abeles, TaylorMade President and CEO, added, “TaylorMade fully embrace the opportunity to work with some of the brightest minds in sport to bring the worlds of racing and golf together.”
The Ladies European Tour (LET) has appointed Mediadrive as its advertising sales agency.
Through this partnership, Mediadrive will work closely with LET to manage and optimise advertising opportunities across the organisation’s website, mobile platforms, and app.
This collaboration is aimed at supporting the growth of the golf tour and its athletes, with Mediadrive set to focus on developing digital advertising solutions to enhance the user experience.
Alexandra Armas, CEO of the LET said, “Mediadrive’s expertise in media strategy and advertising sales will be invaluable in helping us drive revenue through our digital platforms, further grow the reach of women’s golf, and continue to highlight the talent within the Ladies European Tour.”
SUDU has partnered with Sported to Launch ‘Project Fair Play’, as part of a bid to make running more accessible.
This initiative has introduced a grant programme for grassroots running clubs alongside a comprehensive research project, with the goal of transforming community sport by enhancing access to running for young people throughout Greater Manchester and further afield.
As part of the project, eligible community running groups have been invited to apply for £1,000 grants, which align with the initiative’s launch. This effort is expected to enable at least an additional 1,000 young people to engage in running during its first year, while customers can actively contribute to the pursuit of fairness for all.
Through this collaboration, SUDU has committed to funding one Deep Impact Grant aimed at supporting an existing grassroots club based in Manchester that is affiliated with Sported.
SUDU customers now have the opportunity to support the race towards fairness for all by donating ‘Sweat Points’ earned through their purchases, which can be converted into monetary contributions for Sported.
Mark Woods, head of marketing at Sported said, “Opening the doors to more young people to take up running is one way to address inequalities in participation as well as improving physical and mental wellbeing.
“When the SUDU team first approached us to discuss what they’d like to achieve, it was clear they’d be a well-suited partner with Fair Play a core value that’s been ingrained in SUDU from day one as a Levy brand.”
Blackpool have extended their partnership with Defib Machines for the 2024/25 season.
Under the agreement, the Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) provider will continue to support the club with specialist medical equipment.
The company’s £1-a-day package covers everything required for AEDs, including training, refresher courses, pads, batteries, signage, installation, service, and maintenance.
Jonathan Gilbert, Managing Director at Defib Machines said, “With the obvious attention defibrillators have had in the world of football, providing devices throughout the Club and training staff on how to use them has been very rewarding for us.
“As a unique company we like the parallels with such a Club and hope to be as instantly recognisable throughout the UK as we continue to place devices across the country and help to save lives.”
Baller League is set to launch in the UK in January 2025, featuring a star-studded lineup of football legends, streamers, and content creators.
Following a successful debut in Germany, drawing over 3m viewers per matchday and securing major sponsorships with the likes of Vodafone and Samsung, Baller League aims to ‘usher in a new era of football’ through its 6v6 format which will showcase street football.
In an attempt to merge sports and streamer culture, the Baller League will target the attention of younger audiences with weekly matches in front of 7,000 fans in London from January 20th 2025.
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