Industry Shorts: Lewis Pugh, Sonny Bill Williams
UN Patron of the Oceans Lewis Pugh has completed the world’s first swim under an ice sheet in Antarctica.
Wearing nothing more than his Speedo swimming trunks, cap and goggles, endurance swimmer Pugh swam for 10 minutes and 17 seconds under the East Antarctic ice sheet to call for the creation of a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) around Antarctica.
The extreme conditions of the region, which holds the record for the Earth’s lowest recorded temperature, saw water temperatures reach just above freezing, while Pugh also faced a severe wind-chill factor on the swim.
“We are living in a time of very fast change,” Pugh said. “I have been swimming in the ocean for over 30 years and I have seen them change dramatically. I have no doubt that we are now facing a Climate Emergency. Ice is melting at an unprecedented rate at both ends of the Earth.”
Sonny Bill Williams has been given permission by the RFL to cover up Betfred logo on his shirt when he takes to the field for Super League debutants the Toronto Wolfpack.
The cross-code New Zealander converted to Islam in 2009 and previously covered up the logos of banking sponsors when playing for the Auckland Blues in Super Rugby, the southern hemisphere rugby union league.
Technical sailing and outdoor brand Musto has signed five-year global deal with Land Rover to see the pair collaborate on a clothing range, which will debut in Autumn/Winter 2020.
The deal between the two British brands is an extension of the 24-piece Above and Beyond collection launched alongside the Land Rover Defender in September 2019.
Musto’s range will cover apparel, footwear and luggage, based on a close collaboration between the brands on product development.
The PGA Tour has confirmed that it will grow the prize fund for The Players Championship, which takes place in March.
The event’s purse will grow to $15m (£11.47m) and, unless any of the majors up their prize money, is set to have the biggest single-event prize fund in the sport. The winner of the tournament will receive a $2.7m (£2.06m).
Meanwhile, the Ladies European Tour has announced an €18m (£15.17m) prize fund on the back of the tour’s joint venture with the LPGA Tour.
The move sees the total prize fund increased by €4.5m (£3.79m) on last year, while the total number of events has also increased from 17 events to 24.
The RFU has announced return of the England Rugby Sevens Series.
The event, which can be entered by any team – from community clubs to existing sevens teams – will see 37 local qualifying tournaments take place for the national final.
The Grand final will take place in Nottingham on 11th July, ahead of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, where sevens will be on the agenda for the second time.
