Shorts: Gloucester Rugby, DAZN, World Squash

Gloucester Rugby have become the first Premiership club to launch a fan ownership scheme.

The investment round is being conducted on the Republic Europe platform. Dubbed ‘A Piece of Holm’, the campaign will raise capital to invest into the club’s Academy system and training facilities at Kingsholm, supporting both the men’s and women’s teams. The offering has already received coverage in publications including Bloomberg and CityAM and is currently in a pre-registration phase.

The move follows a period of growth for the club, which has seen a 40% increase in matchday attendance during the 2024/25 season, while its women’s team, Gloucester-Hartpury, are the reigning Premiership Women’s Rugby champions for a third consecutive year.

A club spokesperson, said, “Gloucester Rugby is steeped in tradition, and our supporters are our lifeblood. This is an unprecedented opportunity for them to truly own a stake in the club’s success. The investment will fuel our mission to develop local, home-grown talent, ensuring that the future of the Cherry and Whites remains bright and continues to produce world-class players in both our Premiership Women’s Rugby champion team and our men’s squad.”

Global sports entertainment platform DAZN has appointed Rebecca McCloy as its new Group Chief Commercial Officer.

McCloy moves from Foxtel Group in Australia, where she spent 12 years leading commercial content acquisitions and partnerships. In her new role, she will oversee global rights and acquisitions, working with local teams to drive business growth.

The move sees Marc Watson, DAZN’s current Chief Commercial Officer, transition to a newly created role supporting Shay Segev, CEO DAZN Group, on several strategic projects. Watson joined DAZN in 2023 as part of the group’s acquisition of Eleven Sports, where he was CEO and co-founder.

Shay Segev, CEO of DAZN Group, said, “Rebecca is highly regarded across the global sports landscape, having played leading roles in securing both Australian and international commercial deals for Foxtel Group, solidifying its position as Australia’s sport leader. Her experience will be valuable as we continue growing DAZN as the global home of sports.”

Rebecca McCloy said, “I’m excited to be joining DAZN. It’s a huge opportunity to contribute to the group’s global ambitions. I‘m looking forward to working with Shay and DAZN’s market teams on sports rights and commercial opportunities that will drive customer growth and engagement and deliver exceptional value to fans and partners.”

World Squash has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Association of National Olympic Committees to introduce the sport to an audience of over 60m sports fans.

The agreement will see World Squash share digital content, including still images and videos, with National Olympic Committees (NOCs) via the ANOC Digital Content Hub for use on their official social media channels. The partnership aims to increase the visibility of squash and its athletes as the sport prepares for its Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028.

The collaboration will also see both parties promote World Squash events that are part of the Olympic Qualification process on the ANOC Calendar. Furthermore, World Squash will support ANOC to broadcast and feature live or recorded events on the ANOC.TV platform, offering new opportunities to engage fans.

William Louis-Marie, World Squash CEO, said, “We’re delighted to be working with ANOC. Squash is on a really exciting trajectory, and this partnership will help grow the profile of our sport and the incredible athletes who play it, particularly as we build towards our Olympic debut at LA28. Critically, this collaboration provides a vital platform to engage directly with National Olympic Committees (NOCs) around the world.

“By aligning with ANOC and sharing our sport’s comprehensive value proposition with its members, we can ensure squash is strongly positioned within national programmes and foster the crucial relationships necessary for our continued growth within the wider Olympic movement.”

Oxford University Rugby Football Club has partnered with Howden as its official pitch furniture sponsor for the 2025/26 season.

The partnership includes Howden branding across all pitch furniture at Iffley Road, supporting both the men’s and women’s Blues programmes throughout the season.

Howden is a UK-based insurance broker providing personal and business insurance services through its network of local branches and specialist advisors, including in Oxford. The company works across a range of sectors, offering advice and cover for individuals and organisations.

Scott Hall, Head of Partnerships, Oxford University Rugby, said, “It’s brilliant to be partnering with a company with the pedigree that Howden has, one of rugby’s biggest supporters, especially following the incredible Lions Tour.

After teaming up last year for The Howden Big Day Out, which saw Lions legends Gavin Hastings and Jason Robinson, Red Roses great Maggie Alphonsi, and OURFC Blue and Lion Tyrone Howe come together to celebrate grassroots rugby, it’s fantastic to take that relationship to the next level.

The new pitch furniture looks absolutely outstanding and will be seen throughout the season, a great symbol of Howden’s ongoing commitment to supporting the game from grassroots to the top.”

British Triathlon has announced that former triathlete Non Stanford and barrister Ravi Mehta have been elected to roles within World Triathlon.

Stanford has been re-elected to represent Great Britain on the World Triathlon Athletes’ Committee, while Mehta has been elected to the World Triathlon Tribunal. The elections were held during the annual Congress.

Stanford will continue in her role on the Athletes’ Committee, bringing nearly 15 years of international and coaching experience. Mehta joins the Tribunal, which works to protect integrity and fairness in the sport, and will utilise his expertise in international dispute resolution.

Debbie Clarke, Chair of British Triathlon, said, “Having representatives on World Triathlon committees enables us to contribute to the sport and it’s therefore great news that two such outstanding candidates have been chosen.

“We are really pleased Ravi has been appointed to the board and Non was elected to the Athletes’ Committee and I wanted to pass on huge congratulations to both of them and thank all the athletes that voted for Non.”