Shorts: England Rugby, Tommy Fury, Esports

London-based sports marketing agency Ten Toes has been selected by England Rugby to support with management of its social media channels and community.

In selecting the agency, the Rugby Football Union joins FIFA and The Football Association (FA) as Ten Toes clients.

The project will be led by Jim Lucas and Tom Biggs, who both joined Ten Toes from the FA.

Ben Weisfield, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ten Toes, said, “We are delighted to have been chosen by another leading sports organisation to help them grow their social presence. Our work with FIFA demonstrates our ability to handle and develop social accounts for sports organisations, and we are pleased England Rugby has now placed its trust in us as well.”

Nabil Hassan, Head of Content for England Rugby, added, “We’re excited to be working with Ten Toes who will help us continue to engage our digital audiences and support in distributing our content across our various social media channels.”

We Shop, a community-driven shopping app, has partnered with Tommy Fury ahead of his upcoming fight with influencer, KSI.

To announce the Fury partnership, a tongue-in-cheek video was released where Fury can be seen training in We Shop branded gloves, punching pads with the letters KSI emblazed on.

Tommy Fury, Professional Boxer, said, “On Saturday 14th October, people won’t refer to KSI anymore – he’ll be known as ‘KSO’ – Knocked. Straight. Out. I am in great shape – and in no mood to mess around. I would like to thank everyone at We Shop for their support and I am sure I can repay the faith they have shown me.”

British Esports, the national body for esports in the UK, has announced a partnership with the Saudi Esports Federation.

The partnership’s key initiatives will encompass a wide range of projects, events and activations designed to ‘cultivate esports talent, through immersive cultural exchange programmes, internships, mentorship, bootcamps, esports training programmes, educational initiatives and collaborative research projects.’

As part of the agreement, British Esports and Saudi Esports will host home and away matches with some of the top UK and Saudi esports athletes, which includes a competition at the National Esports Performance Campus in Sunderland and at Gamers8 in 2024.

HRH Prince Faisla Bin Bandar bin Sultan, Chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation, said, “Saudi Esports Federation is constantly evolving and creating new pathways for players to gain new experience, and our cooperation with the British Esports Federation will play a key role in fostering talents and unite the esports community. By joining forces, I’m sure that we can create a platform that empowers players, cultivates innovation, and paves the way for a thriving esports industry in both nations and beyond.”

Gallagher Premiership rugby union club Sale Sharks has partnered with Manchester Met University to develop talent and sport research.

The deal will see elite and student rugby players supported at Manchester Met and Sale Sharks facilities, to provide educational opportunities and pathways into the game. 

The new partnership will also see the development of sport science research between the Manchester Metropolitan University Institute of Sport and the Premiership rugby union club.

Professor Tim Cable, Director of Manchester Metropolitan Institute of Sport, said, “Providing excellent education and delivering research with real-world impact is at the heart of everything we do at Manchester Met so it is fantastic to be able to see this realised through our partnership with Sale Sharks.

“The signing of this MoU outlines how we will work together to develop and support elite sporting talent, while providing the expertise and facilities to grow rugby in the North West and shape the future of the sport in the region.”

Paul Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Sale Sharks, added, “This is a great partnership for the club, aligning with Manchester Metropolitan University gives our men’s, women’s and academy players educational opportunities to develop themselves outside of rugby as well as access to some of the fantastic resources available at the institute.”

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