Shorts: Women’s RWC, Reading FC, Everton

Asahi Super Dry has unveiled World Rugby’s Women’s 15s Player of the Year, Ellie Kildunne, as its official ambassador for the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 partnership.

Ellie Kildunne, Asahi Super Dry’s Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 ambassador, said, “With the tournament on home turf this summer, this is a year where women’s rugby will be more popular than ever, and we have a huge opportunity to bring the game to a whole new audience.

“It is amazing to see the work that Asahi Super Dry are doing to challenge perceptions and inspire more people to connect with the game, and I am proud to be a part of that with them.”

Reading FC have announced that Redwood Holdings Limited has completed the acquisition of 100% of the club’s shareholding.

The takeover, a subsidiary of Dogwood LLC owned by Rob Couhig and Todd Trosclair of New Orleans, Louisiana, received EFL clearance and completed on Wednesday morning.

The acquisition includes the Select Car Leasing Stadium and Bearwood Park Training Ground.

Both Couhig and Trosclair have joined the club’s board with immediate effect, with Rob Couhig being named as Chairman. Rob Couhig is an investor, lawyer, and entrepreneur who is the former owner of Wycombe Wanderers Football Club and the New Orleans Zephyrs baseball team.

Todd Trosclair is the owner of All Star Electric and an investor within the real estate and hospitality sector. He is also the founder of the All Star Foundation.

Everton Women have confirmed their permanent relocation to Goodison Park, with the historic stadium set to become their home ground from the start of the 2025/26 season.

This move coincides with Everton Football Club’s men’s team relocating to Bramley-Moore Dock for the same season, ensuring Goodison Park remains an integral part of the club’s future.

The move marks a significant step for the club and the growth of the women’s game, providing the team with a larger capacity venue for their Women’s Super League fixtures and a dedicated home.

Everton Women have previously played their home matches at Walton Hall Park but have successfully hosted several games at Goodison Park in recent seasons, attracting record crowds.

The club has stated that the permanent switch is part of a strategic vision to elevate the women’s team, their development, and profile within the sport, and has been working towards this move as part of its long-term plan for the women’s setup.

Denise Barrett-Baxendale, Chief Executive Officer, Everton FC, said, “This is a momentous occasion for Everton Women and a significant step forward in our ambition to grow the team and the women’s game as a whole.

“Goodison Park is an iconic stadium, and making it the permanent home for our women’s team provides an incredible platform for growth, increased attendances, and an enhanced matchday experience for our players and fans.”

UK Sport has partnered with creative studio Weirdo to develop two pilot initiatives aimed at increasing year-round fan engagement with Olympic and Paralympic sports in the UK.

The partnership has formed part of UK Sport’s wider transformation strategy to create a more sustainable future for British Olympic and Paralympic sport beyond Games time.

The pilots are due to begin in summer 2025.

One initiative will bring together four National Governing Bodies from urban sports to create a shared editorial platform designed to highlight stories from within their sporting communities.

The second pilot, titled the Athlete Creator Club, will support six athletes as they explore new ways to grow their social media presence and connect with wider audiences through digital content.

UK Sport has funded and supported over 1,000 elite athletes across the UK. These pilots will explore new models for fan engagement to support ongoing athlete visibility between Olympic and Paralympic cycles.

Lewis Evans, System Master Planning Manager, said, “We are excited to be collaborating with Weirdo on these two initiatives. They bring extensive creativity, ambition, and authenticity, and understand the aspiration to embed Olympic and Paralympic sport into modern culture. I cannot wait to get going and see the impact we can have.”

Sportradar has signed a Technical Cooperation Agreement with the Brazilian Ministry of Sports to support the monitoring and protection of betting integrity in Brazil.

The agreement has included the sharing of information and joint initiatives aimed at tackling match-fixing. Sportradar has committed to supplying data and alerts through its Universal Fraud Detection System (UFDS), as well as providing education and training for Ministry staff on identifying and investigating suspicious activity.

The first training workshop has been scheduled for 15 May and will include personnel from the Brazilian Ministry of Finance, which has also entered a similar agreement with Sportradar.

This latest agreement has expanded Sportradar’s integrity partnerships in Brazil, which have included collaborations with the Brazilian Football Confederation, the Brazilian Volleyball Confederation, the Goiás State Attorney’s Office, and football federations across 17 Brazilian states.

Sportradar, headquartered in Switzerland, has provided data and integrity services to stakeholders across global sport, including work with major UK organisations such as the Football Association and the Scottish Football Association. Match-fixing and betting-related integrity issues have remained a growing concern globally, with UK and international governing bodies continuing to invest in monitoring tools and enforcement measures.

Andreas Krannich, EVP, Integrity and Regulatory Services, Sportradar said, “Through this collaboration, Sportradar continues to reaffirm its commitment to a more transparent and safer sports environment for the athletes and all the stakeholders involved in Brazilian sport.”

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