Shorts: Somerset Cricket, Extreme H, Supercross

Somerset County Cricket Club has signed a three-year partnership with Synertec.

The communication consultancy’s branding will appear on the front of the Somerset Women’s Vitality Blast shirt, as well as on the trousers of the Somerset Men’s Vitality Blast and Metro Bank one day cup kits.

Synertec will also act as the live stream partner for Somerset’s home Women’s Vitality Blast fixtures.

Jonathan Lewis-Oliver, Somerset’s Partnerships Manager, said, “This is the first year of the professional Somerset Women and this partnership will help us to create a lasting legacy for the team as we seek to drive participation and support within the women’s game.”

Extreme H, the world’s first hydrogen-powered motorsport championship, has extended its partnership with Italian broadcaster Mediaset.

Extreme H will integrate hydrogen technology into motorsport, following the transition from the similarily environemntally-concious Extreme E.

Mediaset, which has broadcast Extreme E in Italy for the past four seasons, will expand its coverage to include the hydrogen-powered series.

Ali Russell, Managing Director of Extreme H, said, “Hydrogen represents the future of clean energy in mobility, and Mediaset will be crucial in sharing this next-generation motorsport with fans across Italy. Together, we aim to showcase the thrilling possibilities of hydrogen racing while inspiring action toward a sustainable future.”

The FIM World Supercross Championship (WSX) will make its return to the UK in 2025, with the London Stadium set to host the capital’s first-ever WSX event.

This marks the latest step in WSX’s expansion in the UK, following events at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium in 2022 and Birmingham’s Villa Park in 2023.

The London race, scheduled early in the 2025 season, reinforces the championship’s strategy to bring supercross to new audiences in the UK, while growing its international reach.

The London round will be the only international motocross and supercross event to take place in the UK next year.

The full calendar for the 2025 season will be revealed in the coming months.

The Football Association (FA) has announced the latest cohort for its Coaching Excellence Initiative (CEI), an 18-month programme designed to support elite coaches and managers in the women’s professional game.

The group includes 13 coaches, 9 of whom are women, representing clubs across the top three tiers of women’s football in England. Participants include coaches from teams such as Southampton, Manchester United, Newcastle United, and Liverpool.

The programme, delivered by FA coach developers, emphasises collaborative learning and tailored support to help participants cultivate effective leadership. It aligns with the FA’s “Reaching Higher” strategy, which prioritises developing a world-class coaching workforce in the women’s game by 2028.

Mark Swales, Senior Women’s Coach Development Lead at The FA, said, “The aim for this group is to support our talented coaches that are working across the Barclays WSL, Barclays Women’s Championship, FAWNL and Professional Game Academies and provide opportunities for them to grow within their current environments.”

The Grand Sumo tournament is set to return to London in October 2025, marking the event’s first appearance outside Japan in two decades. 

The Royal Albert Hall will host more than 40 of Japan’s elite wrestlers over five days, with one crowned the tournament’s grand champion.

The historic venue, which last hosted the tournament in 1991, will be transformed into an authentic sumo arena, complete with a traditional soil and sand dohyō (ring) and a roof designed to resemble a Shinto shrine.

Hosting a Grand Sumo Tournament outside Japan is a ‘rare occurrence’, according to Donagh Collins, Chief Executive of promoter Askonas Holt.

This landmark event is expected to bring the rich tradition and spectacle of sumo to UK audiences, offering an opportunity to witness one of Japan’s most revered sports on British soil.

James Ainscough, Chief Executive of The Royal Albert Hall, said, “I’m really excited to see the impact sumo can have on hearts and minds.

“We’re also hoping for great TV coverage so even if you can’t make it to London, you can watch it!”

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