Shorts: Soccer Aid, Premier Sport, Wrexham AFC

Soccer Aid and UNICEF has announced AO as principal partners ahead of next month’s charity match at Old Trafford.

UK electrical retailer AO will activate at the game through a number of channels.

As well as giving out branded thunder sticks, the official AO mascot – Bear – will be there, there will be a football challenge, and several competitions for the chance to win prizes such as a VIP experience and signed merchandise.

Vicky Monk, Group Marketing Director at AO, said, “We are proud to be the UK’s most trusted major electricals retailer and this sponsorship represents another fantastic investment for our brand, as well as a chance to support a great cause.

“Soccer Aid for UNICEF is always an amazing event and one that is perfect for the whole family. Having Bear there to greet people as they get to the ground will be brilliant start to what is sure to be a day to truly remember.”

Kenneth Shepherd, Executive Director at Soccer Aid, added, “Soccer Aid for UNICEF is delighted to welcome renowned electricals retailer AO as a principal partner for our 2023 campaign. We are excited to work with a brand trusted by so many people. Their plans for the game this year will add to the family atmosphere that is always created at our matches. Furthermore, AO’s generosity helps us to raise vital funds for UNICEF and to increase global awareness of our event.”

Premier has announced a new division, Premier Sport, a new integrated practice specialising in working with sports brands, rightsholders and individuals.

Premier Sport will deliver a mix of services including PR, influencer management, creative campaigns, stunts, content marketing and partnerships.

Premier already has experience of working within sport, and boasts a client list that includes Spotify, Amazon, Sky, and DAZN.

The division will be led by Director Nick Meakin who joined Premier earlier this month after an in-house and agency career spanning more than 15 years. His most recent agency role was as Head of Sport for The Playbook where he worked with brands and rightsholders including NFL, UFC, ECB, La Liga, INEOS and TECNO Mobile. Meakin will report into Senior Director, James Jenkins-Bruce.

The launch is the latest in a series of expansion areas for the business after the launch of Premier North and Premier Music earlier this year.

Nick Meakin, Director of Premier Sport, added, “Every sport is looking for new ways to supercharge their audience, brand or profile and a closer connection to entertainment and culture is no longer a nice-to-have, but a necessity. 

“I’ve been blown away by the breadth of Premier’s specialism and creativity across areas like gaming, tv, film and music and I am very excited about the myriad of opportunities in the many areas where sport and culture collide.”

Wrexham AFC has announced Betty Buzz as the club’s new official training kit sponsor for the 2023/24 season.

The deal with the sparkling beverage company#, which is owned by co-owner Ryan Reynold’s wife Blake Lively, will span for both the women’s and men’s sides.

Betty Buzz will be a featured sponsor on the team’s training kits and remain on the sleeve for the women’s team.

Blake Lively, Betty Buzz, said, “The owners of Wrexham AFC reached out to me through official channels.

“Our team had, of course, heard of Wrexham AFC but once we officially learned about their refreshing vision, we knew it was the right official fit for our refreshing sparkling beverage. Officially.”

Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, Wrexham AFC co-chairmen, added, “Betty Buzz pairs well with any beverage – whether it’s Ryan’s Aviation Gin or Rob’s Four Walls Whiskey.

“But if any of you pair it with Rob’s Four Walls Whiskey, Ryan will hunt you down and make you regret that choice. You can also just drink it alone! Anything but pairing it with Rob’s delicious whiskey.”

The FA has launched ‘The Greater Game’ to inspire better health and wellbeing among 12-16 year-olds.

The initiative aims to improve their health and wellbeing by making at least one extra healthier action per week. These actions will centre on four key pillars: moving well; eating well; sleeping well; and thinking well.

The Greater Game launches at a time when less than half of 10-16-year-olds in the UK regularly exercise for an hour a day1.

A fundamental part of The Greater Game programme is a grassroots initiative, which has been co-created with Nuffield Health – currently in a pilot stage, before a national rollout in 2024.

Delivered in the form of educational workshops, the initiative will give parents and guardians, coaches and young people practical tips and techniques to support making healthier choices under the pillars of Move, Eat, Sleep and Think.

The pilot is being delivered to selected clubs across five County FAs: Berks & Bucks CFA, Cheshire and Manchester CFA, Leicestershire & Rutland CFA, Middlesex CFA and Somerset CFA, reaching 130 coaches and parents and guardians and 2,000 young people. Quantitative and qualitive analysis of the pilot, which includes control groups, will inform the national rollout in 2024.

Mark Bullingham, Chief Executive Officer of the FA, said, “The Greater Game aims to harness the power of football to improve the health of young people throughout the country.  The campaign will evolve over time, with the long-term ambition of inspiring healthier, happier lives whilst tackling the underlying problems that lead to poor physical and mental health. We are working with some great brand partners who understand and care about health and young people, and we are all committed to doing our best to drive positive change.”

Worcester Warriors Women is seeking £50,000 in donations to stay afloat.

The club recently signed a 10-year sponsorship deal, which begins later this year, with Cube International.

Cube, an events and retail business, has set up a JustGiving page to enable supporters to give money meantime.

It is hoped that the Cube involvement won’t just help them through the remainder of the Premier 15’s tournament but also in the long-term future of the club.

The Warriors’ men’s side was recently taken over by the Atlas Group, but that deal does not involve financial support for the women’s team.

Jo Yapp, Head Coach of Worcester Women, said, “It’s part of our strategy in terms of bringing in money.

“Lots of people individually come to us all the time and say ‘How can we help? The girls have done an amazing job to be where they are, so what can we do to support?

“This is an opportunity for people to get behind and support that.”