Shorts: ICC, Liverpool, Premiership Rugby

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced record prize money of more than £6m for next month’s Women’s T20 World Cup.

The £6.04m figure is more than double the prize money for the previous tournament in 2023.

The winners will take away £1.8m following an IOC announcement in 2023 stating a commitment to equal prize money for all future men’s and women’s competitions.

The tournament was scheduled to be held in Bangladesh but was moved to the United Arab Emirates following civil unrest in the original host country.

Liverpool will host the inaugural World Boxing Championships in 2025, with amateur fighters competing at the M&S Bank Arena from 4^th to 14^th September.

It will be the first elite-level global championships hosted by World Boxing, the new international federation created to ensure boxing remains an Olympic sport.

World Boxing President, Boris van der Vorst, commented, “Liverpool is a globally famous city with a proud heritage in boxing and it will be a fantastic place to host our first ever Elite World Boxing Championships.

“This will be a superb showcase for the sport of Olympic boxing, particularly as it will be the first time that the men and women’s competition will run alongside each other as part of the same championships.”

Premiership Rugby has signed a new partnership with Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

The multi-year deal sees Buffalo Trace become the official spirits partner for the 2024/25 Gallagher Premiership Rugby season.

As part of the agreement, Buffalo Trace will create ‘engaging fan activations and share exclusive player content throughout the tournament in addition to social media and broadcast promotions.’

The bourbon will also be available at all clubs in the league across the nation in both hospitality and food and drink concessions as the sole in-stadium bourbon available.

Rob Calder, Chief Growth Officer at Premiership Rugby, said, “We are thrilled to partner with such an exciting brand as Buffalo Trace.

“Their countless awards and rapid global growth speak volumes for the quality of their product. And their energy and passion for pushing the boundaries matches our ambition at Premiership Rugby.

“We look forward to sharing a long-term relationship with such a dynamic brand and we can’t wait to deliver some fantastic, creative activations together across the season”.

Aston Villa adorned charity partner Acorns’ logo on their shirts in the club’s Champions League opener against Young Boys last night.

The club’s long-standing relationship with the hospice goes back to 2008 when they were a permanent fixture on the shirts.

Chris Heck, President of Business Operations at Aston Villa, said, “We are delighted that Betano came to us to offer up the opportunity and ask who the best beneficiaries of the space are.

“It was an absolute no-brainer to bring Acorns back onto the front of shirt, an organisation close to the hearts of everyone involved with Aston Villa.”

MotoGP has appointed Kelly Brittain as its new Managing Director of Global Marketing for the 2025 season.

After beginning her career in brand marketing within blue chip organisations including Mitchells & Butlers and Samsung, Kelly’s experience took her to Telefonica (O2) UK before she was appointed VP of Global Brand & Campaigns at DAZN. She moved to Red Bull Technology as Brand & Communications Director in 2021, where she delivered incredible results driving and monetising fan growth.

Brittain, commented, “MotoGP is, deservedly, one of the most prestigious brands in sport and I’m thrilled that I will be working with the team to elevate the sport and expand the fanbase globally.

“Everything starts with the fans; understanding why they engage and what this sport provides them. Our aim is to amplify this on a global scale to unlock brand growth, which includes driving MotoGP’s presence across different media, cultural spaces and demographics the sport is yet to reach.”

EFL Championship football club Hull City have announced Kitchen Civils as a diamond partner for the 2024/25 campaign.

Kitchen Civils also sponsor Canada international Liam Millar, who has made six appearances since signing for City from Basel in August.

Andrew Clark, Head of Commercial and Marketing at Hull City, said, “We’re delighted to be able to extend our relationship with Kitchen Civils for a further season.

“With this agreement being the first of our diamond partnerships, the support Jimmy and his team have and continue to show the club is greatly appreciated and together we look forward to another positive campaign.”