Shorts: Jersey Reds, Ticketmaster, Topgolf

Jersey Reds has announced that the club has ceased trading with liquidation appearing inevitable.

Despite winning the 2022/23 RFU Championship season, the second tier of men’s professional rugby in England, and and a positive start to the new rugby season on the pitch, the club says it is no longer able to pay players and staff.

According to a statement on the club’s official website, ‘Tier two clubs have faced mounting financial challenges since the RFU first advised of major funding cuts in early 2020, prior to the onset of Covid-19. The pandemic then brought further cuts, with the challenging landscape for Championship clubs now having lasted for almost four years.’

Reds Chairman Mark Morgan, said, “We had been able to start the season and maintain sufficient funds to cover the summer, but regret that our conversations with potential new investors as well as existing ones have been unsuccessful.

“At one stage at the end of last season it appeared there was a viable way forward for the second tier once the new Professional Game Agreement was implemented from summer 2024, but Championship clubs have been left in the dark since that point and this led to a growing fatigue among those who may have invested, but could not be given any concrete assurance about when the new structure would come in, or how it would be funded.”

Jersey joins Worcester, Wasps and London Irish as the fourth professional rugby club to go bust in the past year.

Scottish Premiership football club Hibernian FC has renewed its partnership with Ticketmaster.

The new deal, which has been described as ‘long-term’, sees the US ticket sales platform continue as Hibs’ official ticketing supplier.

The agreement retains Ticketmaster’s strong presence in Scottish football with similar deals in place with Celtic FC and Heart of Midlothian FC.

Hibernian’s Head of Ticketing, Aidan Gorman, commented, “We are delighted to extend our long standing partnership with Ticketmaster Sport. One of our biggest aims here at Hibs is to continually improve the matchday experience here at Easter Road. With Ticketmaster Sport’s continued growth set out in their roadmap, we are seeing great improvements and enhancements to the platform from both a supporter and admin user perspective.”

Special Olympics Great Britain has agreed a new partnership with Topgolf which will see the golfing entertainment destination become a recognised sport.

As part of the deal, Topgolf, which operates driving ranges and restaurant complexes in Glasgow, Watford, Surrey, and Chigwell, will become the first ever branded Special Olympics sporting event.

To mark the new partnership, 20 Special Olympics Great Britain athletes will participate in a free eight-week pilot programme at Topgolf’s venues, which will conclude with competition and celebration events in November. 

Colin Dyer, Chief Executive of Special Olympics Great Britain, said, “This partnership with Topgolf creates a new experience for Special Olympics athletes. Topgolf is providing a great way for people of all ages with intellectual disabilities to experience the game of golf.

“We’re looking forward to following the progress of our initial 20 athletes over the coming weeks and are eager for many more members of Special Olympics Great Britain to benefit from the partnership in the future.”

Special Olympics is a sports organisation that provides year-round training and activities for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. TopGolf will help raise money for the organisation as well as give it prominence on the digital screens at each venue.

Women’s Super League (WSL) football club Chelsea Women has partnered with high-protein dairy brand Lindahls.

The Swedish brand will be subsidising fan travel for domestic Chelsea Women away matches during the 2023/24 season, meaning that Chelsea supporters can travel to Women’s away matches via coaches for just £15. 

The subsidised travel kicks off for the first away fixture against Manchester City on 8th October.

Lindahls branding will also be prominent across Stamford Bridge when Chelsea take on Tottenham Hotspur in the WSL opener on Sunday 1st October.

Chelsea Women’s Commercial Director, Zarah Al-Kudcy, commented, “I am thrilled to welcome Lindahls to the Chelsea family. Their commitment to subsidising away travel will make a huge difference to our fanbase and is an exciting step by such a notable brand in the women’s football space.

“We also look forward to working with Lindahls and using our incredible athletes to help inspire not only our fans, but fans across women’s football in looking to live a healthy and active lifestyle.”

A new collaboration between the Barclays Women’s Super League and National Football Museum will see an uplift in women’s football memorabilia at the Manchester venue.

Announced by The Football Association (FA) on the eve of the new 2023/24 WSL season, which kicks off 30th September, the new commitment is described as a ‘landmark moment for the women’s professional game’.

The FA’s Director of Women’s Football, Baroness Sue Campbell, said, “The women’s professional game has never been more prominent in society, and it is so vital that we celebrate and showcase those who have played their part in getting it to where it is.

“It’s fantastic that the National Football Museum are committed to helping grow the women’s game in this way. The museum is an iconic landmark of British football history, and having representation of the Barclays Women’s Super League, and the wider women’s game, on display there is hugely important.

“We’re currently living in an era where we are seeing the greatest of the women’s game thrive and make their own impact – and history is being made right now.

“We’re all very excited to see this collaboration flourish over the coming years, with more pieces of women’s football history taking centre stage for future generations to enjoy.”