SHORTS: SAINTS, LIONESSES, WOMEN’S SPORT COLLECTIVE
Southampton FC have partnered with Destination Sport Travel to make the sports travel operator the Official Business Travel Provider to the Saints.
Under the terms of the agreement, Destination Sport Travel, which already has an extensive sports customer portfolio of Premier League clubs, will work with Southampton on individual transport for players and their families and wider club operations involving football departments, administrative staff and directors.
Southampton FC Regional Business and Football Partnerships Director Mark Abrahams said:
“Destination Sport Travel is a proven and established leader in corporate travel. Their experience in providing travel solutions for various Premier League clubs means they already have a strong understanding of the football world and our needs as a club and we look forward to working with them.”
ITV has signed an agreement with Nationwide Building Society to sponsor their coverage of Lionesses matches.
The new deal marks the mainstream financial services brand’s first association with the England women’s national football team following their long-standing relationship with the men’s team.
The deal starts Thursday, April 16th February when the Lionesses meet Korea in their first group stage game against Arnold Clark. The partnership will continue for all matches broadcast on ITV1 and ITV4 until July, including the first match of the UEFA women’s finals at Wembley on 6th Juneth April against Brazil.
The release of The Voice of Women Working in Sport, a new report produced by Sporting Insights in partnership with the Women’s Sport Collective, details the experiences of women in the sport industry.
Among other findings, the report reveals that less than 1% of women working in sport believe the industry is gender-equal and more than half believe they are paid less than men for the same work .
Hannah Sprake, Senior Sports Development Insights Manager at Sporting Insights said: “We would like to thank all the women who shared their experiences of working in sport as part of our research. We hope the report provides reassurance that they are not facing their challenges alone and encourages the industry to pay more attention and take action to improve gender equality in sport.”
Sue Anstiss, CEO of the Women’s Sport Collective added: “We will repeat this research annually to track changes for women working in sport. There is a clear goal for a gender balanced sports industry and all the benefits this will bring, but for now, women rate the sector 4.63 out of 10 on gender equality. We have to do better.”
Wooden Spoon, the children’s rugby charity, hosted their Ruby Rugby Ball at the prestigious Landmark Hotel in London on Friday 10 February, raising over £70,000 to support vulnerable children and young people in the UK and Ireland.
The 2023 event was attended by over 350 people, including a number of renowned rugby greats past and present including former England scrum half Dewi Morris, Red Rose Sarah Bern, Paralympic wheelchair rugby champions Stuart Robinson MBE and Kylie Grimes MBE as well as current English Premiership stars Chris Ashton, Alex Goode and Luke Northmore.
Sarah Webb, CEO of Wooden Spoon said: “Tonight is a wonderful example of the rugby community coming together with a common purpose: to raise funds for vulnerable children across the UK and Ireland through the power of rugby. We couldn’t have asked for a better start to our 40th anniversary celebrations and tonight I would like to thank our generous guests who all contributed to the phenomenal fundraiser. These donations will allow Wooden Spoon to continue making a difference in the lives of the vulnerable children who need us most.”
Warrington Wolves have signed Redwood Bank as a new sponsor ahead of the new Super League season.
Redwood Bank has signed a two-year deal with Warrington Wolves, whose logo will appear on the shirt sleeves of the first-team, reserves and under-19s.
Gary Wilkinson, CEO and co-founder of the Warrington-based bank commented: “We couldn’t be happier to agree this sponsorship with The Wire as they prepare to start a new season.”
Warrington Wolves CEO Karl Fitzpatrick added: “Their commitment to supporting and investing in the local community is consistent with our own values and we are grateful for their support. A great example of this is their generosity in donating 10 memberships to our Help a Child be Part of the Pack program which is fantastic to see. We look forward to working together this year.”
London-based agency CSM Sport & Entertainment (CSM) has appointed Karima Green as its Global Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI).
Green comes to CSM from Three, where she was Global Head of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & People Engagement.
Green has also created her own DEI expert network, The BRAVE Network, a community focused on defining best practices around organizational diversity and regularly speaking at events for notable organizations such as LinkedIn, Accenture and EY.
Green commented: “The essence of DEI work is to turn a challenge into an opportunity. That’s why I’ve always been pushed into new directions and why this role at CSM appealed to me. The company’s global nature, continued success and willingness to evolve are fertile ground for change and an industry leader. It is also in an area that I am passionate about and strongly believe can shape behavior and inspire change at scale.”