Industry Shorts: Premiership Rugby, GB Snowsport, Caa Sports

The latest tranche of funding from the winter phase of the government’s Sport Survival Package will see £88 million in loans made available to support Premiership Rugby clubs.

The league says its clubs have been through a ‘rigorous application and due diligence process’ to determine their financial needs, with support being used to cover ‘essential survival costs’ which will allow clubs to complete its 2020/21 season.

The funding announcement follows the government’s earlier rounds of support to sport,  with some £40 million provided to support grassroots rugby union clubs, as well as help for women’s sport across England.

GB Snowsport has announced the launch of a new research programme which aims to help snowsport across Britain boost its diversity and inclusion initiatives at every level of the sport. 

The programme, which is expected to report preliminary results by mid-2021, will initially examine the current state of play for British snowsport and perceptions of diversity and inclusion from within and outside of the sport, speaking to fans, participants, competitors and the general public. 

Data and evidence gathering will be conducted by Sport Industry Awards 2020 Agency of the Year Two Circles and data and market measurement firm Nielsen, and will help shape recommendations to strengthen the sport’s future ahead of the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing.

CAA Sports has appointed former Pitch International Head of Commercial Charlie Dixon to strengthen its Property Sales division.  

Dixon, who has previously held positions at Arsenal FC, Everton FC, and Racing UK, has concluded more than £80m worth of sponsorship deals over the past four years, including four Premier League shirt deals, two sleeve deals, and the Title Partner for the EFL Cup.  

Based in CAA’s London office, Dixon will be tasked with growing the agency’s Property Sales efforts throughout the UK and Europe.

Worcestershire CCC have announced a new partnership with sports recovery technology brand Pulseroll. 

The partnership will see the Worcestershire squad use Pulseroll’s range of muscle recovery devices as part of their daily routines. The suite of products increases circulation and reduces muscle soreness and improves range of movement.

The deal is the latest in a suite of sport partnerships for Pulseroll, adding Worcestershire to recent tie-ins with British Gymnastics and Norwich City.

Veloce Racing has announced a partnership with international software company XCDS (eXtended Collaboration Document Systems) – developer of Collabio Documents.

The deal comes ahead of the curtain raising opening round of the Extreme E championship, which takes place on 3rd – 4th April, and will see XCDS branding will adorn bodywork on the Veloce Racing ODYSSEY 21.

With the return of grassroots sport and community projects, Manchester United and its Global Partner adidas will distribute some 4,500 pieces of kit to schools around Manchester.

Delivered by the Manchester United foundation, the donation will include a variety of United shirts, tracksuits and coats, and is part of the club’s effort to support the mental and physical wellbeing of young people across the local community.

The 2,000 boxes of kit were distributed to 63 schools in the area, with United saying the donation will ‘celebrate those who have shown improved behaviour, kindness and hard work, either at home or at school during lockdown’.