Shorts: Six Nations, William Hill, Super League Basketball

Italian broadcaster Rai has secured free-to-air coverage of Italy’s matches in the men’s and women’s Six Nations rugby competitions through a sublicensing agreement with Sky Italia.

This marks the return of the Six Nations to free-to-air television in Italy for the first time in 22 years.

Under the deal, Rai will broadcast Italy’s matches in the men’s and women’s Six Nations, as well as the men’s Six Nations Under 20 tournament and the Autumn Nations Series. The events will also be available simultaneously on Sky and its Now streaming service.

Sky holds full rights to the Six Nations through a two-year deal, which will conclude after this year’s tournament. Italy’s men’s team will start their 2025 Six Nations campaign on 1st February against Scotland.

William Hill has been confirmed as the title sponsor for Super Saturday at Newbury Racecourse on Saturday 8th February.

This includes all seven races on the card, including Britain’s most valuable handicap hurdle.

The William Hill Hurdle, with a total prize fund of £155,000, has drawn 53 early entries, the highest in seven years. Last year’s winner, Iberico Lord, is among the entries, with trainer Nicky Henderson aiming for a record seventh victory in the race.

The meeting will also feature two Grade 2 chases, the William Hill Game Spirit Chase and the William Hill Denman Chase, each offering £85,000 in prize money.

Jordan Coates, Head of Sales at Newbury Racecourse, said, “Having worked with William Hill over the past ten years, we are delighted to be expanding our existing relationship with the well-known brand who also occupy two betting shops on course.“

Super League Basketball (SLB) has entered a three-year partnership with Biffa to promote sustainability across British basketball.

As the league’s Sustainability Partner, Biffa will assist clubs and venues in developing and implementing sustainability strategies, focusing on reducing waste, promoting reuse and recycling, and engaging local communities.

The collaboration includes community programmes aimed at inspiring the basketball community and businesses to adopt sustainable practices.

Biffa’s expertise will be applied throughout the partnership to support impactful environmental initiatives, leveraging basketball’s wide reach in the UK, where 1.18 million children and young people play weekly.

The league and Biffa aim to ‘educate communities about tackling climate change while fostering sustainability within the sport.’

Vaughn Millette, Super League Basketball Interim, said, “This collaboration represents more than a simple partnership; it reflects our unified dedication to making a tangible difference for the environment. I’m eager to see our franchises and stakeholders join forces with the League and Biffa to bring our vision to life.“

The 2025 Supertri E World Triathlon Championship powered by MyWhoosh will return to the London Aquatics Centre on the 5th April.

The event will feature elite racing and aims to inspire the next generation of triathlon fans and athletes.

The event will showcase three continuous rounds of swim, bike, and run, testing athletes’ endurance and strategy.

For the first time, the event will be open to under-14s, with free tickets available when accompanied by a paying adult.

Bundesliga International has extended its partnership with UK-based media company Footballco.

Included within the partnership, Footballco has produced a three-part documentary series, The Era of Arabs, focusing on the impact of Arabic players in the Bundesliga.

The series features contributions from players such as Rachid Azzouzi, Amine Adli of Bayer 04 Leverkusen, and Borussia Dortmund’s Ramy Bansebaini.

The first episode has been released, with the final two episodes set for 23rd and 30th January.

Wigan Warriors have unveiled PROCare as a new kit sponsor for the men’s and women’s first teams.

The initial two-year deal will see the PROCare logo appear on the lower back of the men’s and women’s first team playing shirts for the 2025 and 2026 Betfred Super League seasons.

Wigan Warrior’s Head of Partnerships, Rebecca Webb, added, “The club is very excited about this new partnership with PROCare and we look forward to developing a strong and successful working relationship with them. 

“It is vitally important to us as a club to continue to develop links with local businesses, as well as the wider community, so we are delighted to have them on board as a kit partner of both men’s and women’s teams ahead of the 2025 and 2026 seasons.”

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