Shorts: England Rugby, Premier League, GB Surfing
England Rugby has partnered with AG1 as its daily nutrition supplement partner, with the agreement covering the men’s, women’s and grassroots teams.
AG1 has been providing nutritional support to athletes for over 15 years and will now work within the England Rugby ecosystem, offering education and wellness guidance.
The partnership begun ahead of the Six Nations and includes branding inside and outside Allianz Stadium. From 8th February, AG1 will provide fans with exclusive offers and product samples during England’s home matches.
This agreement marks AG1’s first partnership of this kind in the UK.
Claudio Borges, Executive Director Commercial & Marketing, England Rugby, said, “In rugby, our athletes are constantly pushing their body to the limits. Partnering with AG1 gives players, coaches and fans access to research-backed nutritional support and helps empower people to take ownership of their health.”
England men’s side will take on their first Six Nations game at the Allianz on Saturday 8th February vs France
The Premier League has launched a new mental health education resource for primary schools in England and Wales.
The free resource, available through the Premier League Primary Stars programme, provides guidance on self-esteem, confidence, and resilience.
The programme has been developed with input from teachers and mental health experts, and features advice from 10 current Premier League players, as well as former England internationals Theo Walcott and Jill Scott.
To mark the launch, Walcott attended a Premier League Primary Stars session at Arsenal, where he spoke with schoolchildren about his experiences and supported their lesson.
Premier League Primary Stars engaged 1.3 million children in the 2023/24 season, offering nearly 30 free wellbeing-focused resource packs that have been downloaded more than 75,000 times.
The self-esteem resource launch coincides with ‘More Than A Game’, a two-week initiative highlighting the Premier League’s investment in football and community programmes.
“Football is a brilliant way of connecting with people, so I know the children the League and clubs reach with their range of community programmes will take these lessons forward,” said Theo Walcott.
“Having spent most of my career in the Premier League, seeing the connection between the on-pitch competition and the support it enables for people throughout the country is inspiring.”
GB Surfing has partnered with UK haircare brand Aussie in a two-year agreement, supporting the national squad as they train and compete ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games.
The partnership will provide GB Surfing’s athletes with haircare products designed to counteract the effects of prolonged exposure to saltwater, which can cause dryness and brittleness. Aussie’s range of moisture treatments will be available to the squad throughout their training and competitions.
The collaboration has begun with GB Surfing’s Progression Squad attending a month-long training camp on Australia’s Gold Coast in January and February 2025. The squad will continue preparations for Los Angeles 2028 with competitions and camps in key international surf locations over the next three years.
Gwen Spurlock, GB Surfing Team Manager said, “We are delighted to be working with Aussie. It means so much to have a partner as excited as we are about our journey to the 2028 Olympics.
“In addition to their fantastic products, Aussie’s financial support will be instrumental in providing development opportunities for our athletes, including international training camps, specialist coaching, and top-of-the-range equipment.”
Aston Villa have named eSentire as the Premier League club’s new cybersecurity partner.
Under the agreement, the Canadian company will provide a solution that features 24/7 security monitoring, as well as a security operations centre, which includes proactive threat hunting and complete threat response.
“Given the rising threats facing Premier League clubs, eSentire is the proven partner to protect digital ecosystems – in business and in sport,” said Kerry Bailey, CEO at eSentire.
“We’re honoured to provide continuous threat monitoring, expert-level response and security posture improvement to Aston Villa.”
Warrington Wolves have announced that the club’s Halliwell Jones Stadium home will be renamed as the Luke Littler Stadium for the club’s season opener on 21st February.
The 18-year-old darts star, who recently became the youngest ever player to win the PDC World Darts Championship, is a lifelong Wolves fan, having grown up in Warrington.
As the club’s guest of honour for their clash with Catalans Dragons, Littler will lead out the Super League team, and will parade his World Darts Championship trophy at half-time.
“Luke’s achievements on the world stage have been nothing short of incredible, and we are immensely proud to celebrate his success with this special homecoming,” said Karl Fitzpatrick, CEO at Warrington Wolves.
“He’s a true Warrington fan, and therefore renaming our stadium in his honour for our home opener is a fitting tribute.”
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