Industry Shorts: Sport England, Rfu, Mastercard, Everton

Alison Donnelly has been appointed as Sport England’s new executive director of digital, marketing and communications.

Donnelly (pictured) currently serves as the Prime Minister’s head of news and deputy official spokesperson. She will take up the newly-created role in November.

Working closely with chief executive Tim Hollingsworth, Donnelly will bring together Sport England’s existing digital, marketing, campaigns, communications and external affairs teams, including the staff responsible for the This Girl Can campaign.

The RFU has signed a partnership with Irish digital ticket delivery company Tixserve for Twickenham Stadium.

The RFU will seek to use Tixserve’s digital ticketing system to improve customer service, prevent the unauthorised resale of tickets and enhance interaction with fans, rugby club memberships, schools and sponsors.

The RFU’s appointment of Tixserve follows a competitive tendering process and extensive trials with full-system testing during events. Tixserve will operate within the existing infrastructure at Twickenham provided by Ticketmaster and Fortress.

The company’s ‘dynamic ticket’ solution provides fans with maps and directions to the stadium, transport details, real-time updates and targeted consumer information.

Mastercard has signed a three-year deal to become a partner of golf’s Women’s British Open.

The agreement starts with the 2019 tournament, which runs from 1st-4th August at Woburn Golf Club. As part of the agreement, fans will receive a £5 saving on entry tickets bought on-site at the Women’s British Open when paying on Mastercard.

Mastercard is an existing sponsor of the men’s Open. The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) said the new deal demonstrates Mastercard’s commitment to gender equality in sport and demonstrates the “continued focus on gender-balanced marketing”.

Everton has signed expanded deals with existing partners Fratelli Beretta and USM Holdings.

Fratelli Beretta, an Italian food company, will become Everton’s first official academy partner for the 2019/20 season. The company’s branding will feature on the front of the academy team’s shirts, in academy areas of the club’s training complex and at academy home matches.

USM Holdings, meanwhile, becomes Everton’s official matchday presenting partner. The company is a principal partner of the Merseyside club and holds naming rights to its Finch Farm training complex.

Under the new agreement, USM Holdings companies MegaFon and Mail.Ru Group will receive an increased presence across club channels, including visibility on the sleeves of first-team training wear.

The Prudential RideLondon cycling event has signed a new partnership with Thames Water and extended an agreement with bicycle component manufacturer SRAM.

The partnership with Thames Water has been signed with the goal of making RideLondon the largest mass-participation cycling event to become free of single-use plastic water bottles.

For the first time, organisers will not provide any single-use plastic water bottles to riders, with water instead to be provided in bowsers at drinks hubs across the route for participants in the 19-, 46- and 100-mile events. Thames Water fountains will be placed at FreeCycle Festival sites and the at the Prudential RideLondon Cycling Show.

SRAM has signed a three-year deal to upgrade its involvement with the event from official supplier status to official sponsor designation.

SRAM and its sister brand ZIPP will sponsor two new competitions within the Classique and Classic pro races. The two new awards are The Classique: The Most Combative Rider presented by SRAM and The Classic: The Most Combative Rider presented by ZIPP.