Shorts: Kansas City Chiefs, Lloyds Tour Of Britain, The RPA

The Kansas City Chiefs have delivered their first UK-based brand activation since receiving international marketing rights in the country through the NFL’s Global Markets Program earlier this year.

The NFL team has introduced a one-off branded design to a London black cab, which was unveiled on The Queen’s Walk.

The activation is part of the franchise’s wider effort to expand its presence in the UK following the awarding of international commercial rights in March 2025.

The NFL’s Global Markets Program, launched in 2022, allows clubs to develop international fanbases through activities such as local events, marketing campaigns, and youth flag football development.

In support of the campaign, the team worked with England Rugby’s Ugo Monye to deliver a fan engagement stunt involving UK-based supporter Thea Lawson, who has received a trip to watch the team in Kansas City later this year.

On the field, the Chiefs have remained unbeaten in international regular-season games and are the first NFL club to win league fixtures in four different countries.

Henry Hodgson, NFL U.K. & Ireland General Manager, “Our fan base in the UK and Ireland continues to grow at pace, and as more fans pick and follow a favourite team, there’s a major opportunity for both the NFL and clubs like the Chiefs to build lasting connections and engagement.”

Alé has supplied the official leader’s jersey for the 2025 Lloyds Tour of Britain Women, featuring a new design that has incorporated the Lloyds green colour and the black horse symbol.

The jersey will be awarded for the first time at the end of Stage One in Redcar on Thursday 5th June, as the race begins in North Yorkshire and the Tees Valley.

The Lloyds Tour of Britain Women forms part of the UCI Women’s WorldTour, which includes top-tier international cycling races.

Alé has also produced three additional jerseys for the event. These include the blue Mountains jersey, which will be contested across nine Queen of the Mountains climbs and had been won in 2024 by Lizzie Deignan; the red points jersey for stage finishes and intermediate sprints; and the white jersey for the best-placed rider under 23, previously awarded to Demi Vollering and Hannah Barnes.

Darren Henry, Chief Commercial Officer, British Cycling, said, “We are delighted to welcome Alé as our partners for the Lloyds Tour of Britain and to reveal the stunning new jersey designs, as we build-up to June and this summer’s edition of the race.

“These partnerships highlight the continued growth and development of the event and are key to the successful delivery of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women. We are sure that this year’s jerseys designs will be popular with both the competing riders and the thousands of fans watching at the roadside in June and September.”

The Rugby Players Association has approved changes to its governance structure to include player representatives from Premiership Women’s Rugby on its Players’ Board from the 2025/26 season.

The decision has followed a meeting of the Players’ Board in London on 21st May.

Under the revised structure, the Rugby Players Association will retain the Players’ Board as its main decision-making body. It will also establish two sub-boards, a Men’s Rugby Board and a Women’s Rugby Board, each made up of one player representative from every club in Premiership Rugby and Premiership Women’s Rugby, respectively.

This change has come during a period of continued development in the women’s game, with the 2024/25 Premiership Women’s Rugby season having introduced new investment and expansion plans, and as England Women have remained top of the World Rugby rankings following a successful Six Nations campaign.]

RPA Head of Women’s Rugby Rachael Burford said, “Having played the game at every level, I’ve seen first-hand how vital it is for players to have a formal voice in the decisions that shape their careers.

“This proposal is about creating space for that voice – ensuring women’s rugby is represented equally and meaningfully at the top level of the game.”

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