Industry Shorts: Wigan Warriors, Super League Triathlon, The FA

Wigan Warriors have announced Loch Lomond Whiskies as its Official Spirit Partner, with the brand’s logos placed on the reverse of the men’s and women’s playing shorts.

The deal will see the brand launch a new Spirit of the Warriors campaign to showcase the ‘values and individuals’ that have helped make the history of the club, which will celebrate its 150th anniversary season in 2022. The initiative will give supporters an opportunity to reminisce about the club’s history through a series of ‘intimate’ content featuring Wigan legends, whilst a fan recognition campaign will also be implemented to recognise and reward members of the Warriors fanbase. 

Both the club and the brand will also collaborate on a series of limited edition co-branded whiskies, plus spirits from other well-known Loch Lomond Group brands including Glen’s Vodka and Ben Lomond Gin.

The Warriors join the likes of golf’s Open Championship, the Guinness PRO14, and the SPFL on Loch Lomond’s sports sponsorship portfolio.

Two paratriathlon events will be incorporated into Super League Triathlon’s upcoming double header of race action in London and Rotterdam.

The SLT Arena Games Powered by Zwift will see triathlon action brought to a stadium venue, and will feature a host of Paralympic medalists and World Champions, with the likes of paratriathletes Lauren Steadman and Dave Ellis competing, as well as able-bodied athletes Jonathan Brownlee and Georgia Taylor-Brown taking part in separate events on the same programme.

The races have been supported by British Triathlon and the Netherlands Triathlon Bond (NTB) to enable paratriathlon stars to race again with some having been denied the opportunity to compete for more than a year due to event cancellations as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The FA has curtailed tiers three to six of the women’s football pyramid, ending nullifying the season for a second straight campaign.

The decision comes as non-elite sport prepares to return after lockdown, with the leagues in question having been suspended since England went back into lockdown at the start of January. However, given the short timeframe left to play most of the season left remaining, and the need to stage multiple fixtures a week, a decision was taken to stop.

No clubs will be promoted or relegated between those tiers, however The FA has confirmed that, a ‘process of upward club movement, via application and based on set criteria, should take place’, allowing some teams – such as those who have been at the top of their division for the last two seasons – to be moved.

Virgin Media has added combat sports platform FITE to its UK output, to make select Pay Per View events available through Virgin TiVo, V6 and Virgin TV 360 devices in the UK.

Major live shows from leading sports brands including All Elite Wrestling, Top Rank Boxing and PBC will be available to buy through Virgin TVs service.

Sport Industry Awards Partner, Sporting Wine Club, will celebrate the culmination of this year’s Six Nations by offering everyone the chance to pick up a case of Schalk Burger-made wine at members’ prices.

The wine importers and suppliers, who exclusively stock wines with a connection to sporting greats, stock former Springbok international and current Saracens player Burger’s collection of South African wines, and will offer non-members the chance to purchase a case of Burger’s Hat Trick wines at member discount price until the end of the tournament this weekend.

US male-grooming brand Manscaped has added League of Ireland Premier Division side Shamrock Rovers to its portfolio of sport sponsorships in its first Irish sports deal.

The deal sees the 18-time League of Ireland champions join the likes of Premier League Wolves and NFL side the San Francisco 49ers as partners of the ‘below-the-waist’ grooming brand.