Industry Shorts: Envision Virgin Racing, ECB, Manchester City
Formula E team Envision Virgin Racing has launched a children’s competition to create the design for an ‘environmentally-inspired’ race suit, which will be worn by the team’s drivers later in the season. The winning entrant will also receive a suit of their own, made by team supplier OMP.
The initiative is being run in conjunction with popular children’s illustrator Rob Biddulph, National Geographic Kids and the UN’s global climate summit COP26 ‘Together for Our Planet’, with whom the team recently partnered.
As part of the team’s ‘Race Against Climate Change’ programme, the competition will run until 25th February, with Judges including Peter Johnson, Managing Director of National Geographic Kids, and Envision Virgin Racing’s Managing Director Sylvain Filippi.
The ECB has announced that England’s summer Test series will begin against New Zealand in June, with two LV= Insurance Test Matches to take place at Lord’s and Edgbaston.
England’s men’s team will also play a three-match Vitality IT20 Series against Sri Lanka in the same month, in games which will precede the already-announced three-match Royal London Series against Sri Lanka.
They will also play an ODI and IT20 series against Pakistan and a Test series against India later in the summer.
Manchester City have announced a new partnership with pitchside LED provider Unilumin.
The partnership will see Unilumin showcase its pitchside LED boards at the Etihad Stadium as well as ‘creating experiences’ to engage with its customers and stakeholders around the world.
Meanwhile Manchester City will also explore opportunities to develop its pitchside signage and display infrastructure through Unilumin’s technology and expertise.
The Welsh government has announced a new £17.7m round of funding to sport governing bodies in the country as they look to mitigate some of the impact of the coronavirus lockdown.
The money will help sports that have lost spectators because of the restrictions, with most of the funding going to Welsh rugby union through a £13.5m grant.
The rest of the money will be divided between the Welsh FA, which will receive £1.5m, while horse racing, cricket, ice hockey, rugby league, and netball will all receive funding.
Superbowl LV – which will see Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers up against reigning champions the Kansas City Chiefs – will take place in front of 22,000 fans.
Some 7,500 vaccinated healthcare workers given tickets to be in attendance in Tampa, Florida for the season-ended event, which will take place on 7th February.
