http://localhost/sports/index.php/site/index/ en jeff@partridgeltd.co.uk Copyright 2012 2012-05-21T03:07:50+00:00 http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/news/tanni_grey-thompson_launches_sport_england_disabled_sport_fund/http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/news/tanni_grey-thompson_launches_sport_england_disabled_sport_fund/#When:03:07:50Z Tanni Grey-Thompson, Britain’s greatest Paralympian, has teamed up with Sport England to launch an £8 million fund to get more disabled people playing sport. From today (May 21) a wide range of organisations will be able to bid for National Lottery funding from Sport England. The fund - called Inclusive Sport - will help tackle the opportunity gap that means just one in six disabled adults playing sport regularly, compared to one in three non-disabled adults. Currently 17.6 per cent of disabled people play sport at least once a week, up from 15.1 per cent in 2005/6 when the Olympic bid was won. There are a number of challenges facing disabled people wanting to take part in sport, including a lack of specialist equipment, transport issues and poor information about the opportunities available. “It is an uncomfortable truth that disabled people enjoy fewer opportunities to get involved in sport,” says Jennie Price, Sport England’s chief executive. “Sport England is committed to changing that and making it easier for disabled people to fit sport into their daily lives. “The Paralympic Games will put the sporting achievements of disabled people in the spotlight as never before. “I want to make sure that Sport England's £8 million Lottery investment is a catalyst to help more disabled people get involved.” Inclusive Sport aims to build on recent investments by Sport England to improve the expertise offered by the disability sport sector to other organisations that want to get disabled people playing sport. It also heralds a greater focus on disabled participation throughout the sport sector. A number of sports bodies are currently drawing up ambitious plans to increase participation levels among disabled people over the next four years. From football to fencing, any sport seeking public investment for its disability plans will be required to sign up to targets for raising participation rates among disabled people. News 2012-05-21T03:07:50+00:00 http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/news/women_desert_the_gym_for_the_great_outdoors/http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/news/women_desert_the_gym_for_the_great_outdoors/#When:13:38:26Z New research from Shock Absorber reveals there’s been a 52 per cent increase in women exercising outdoors since 2007The weather may be frightful, but an al fresco workout can be delightful, according to new research that reveals there’s been a 52 per cent increase in women exercising outdoors since 2007. 48 per cent of women are exercising outside three times a week, while 60 per cent cite expensive fees as the reason they’re not going to the gym. However, the study, conducted by sports bra brand Shock Absorber, reveals the benefits of the great outdoors are more than financial - 34 per cent of women felt they achieved a better workout because they were inspired by the surroundings and 50 per cent love the fresh air. According to Dr Jo Barton, leading researcher in green exercise at the University of Essex, 88 per cent of people experienced an overall improvement in mood after exercising outdoors, compared to 45 per cent of people whose mood worsened after exercising indoors. Shock Absorber has partnered with Dr Jo Barton to identify the UK’s top 10 inspirational green exercise hotspots, chosen for their balance of green space and water, stimulating views and proximity to wildlife. They are: • White Cliffs of Dover, England. • Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve, England. • Lunan Bay & Red Head, Scotland. • Brecon Beacons, Wales. • Killarney National Park, Republic of Ireland. • Hampstead Heath, England. • Loch Tay, Scotland. • Downhill, Northern Ireland. • Forest of Dean, England. • Powis Castle, Wales. The study showed running (48 per cent) and cycling (26 per cent) were the most popular outdoor activities, but newer fitness trends such as buggy fit and British military fitness are helping to drive the uptake of green exercise, with eight per cent taking part in each. Shock Absorber has launched its ‘#Get Out There’ campaign to promote the benefits of exercising in the great outdoors and encourage women to share their inspirational places to train. By uploading photos to the campaign’s Facebook page, people can be inspired by others experiences and try new locations for themselves. Shock Absorber’s Kirsty Kothakota says: “Many women have their favourite exercise location, which gives their workout that extra boost. “The aim of our #Get Out There campaign is to provide a nationwide picture of inspirational and accessible green exercise places.” You can view further inspirational locations and participate in the campaign by visiting getoutthere.shockabsorber.co.uk Top Story 2012-05-17T13:38:26+00:00 http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/hotproducts/wrexham_rugby_club_has_new_image_for_the_21st_century/http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/hotproducts/wrexham_rugby_club_has_new_image_for_the_21st_century/#When:12:58:30Z The Under-11 team at Wrexham Rugby Club will be taking to the pitch in style in future, wearing brand new dye sublimated GFORCE shirts created in the team’s own colours of green, red and white. These shirts are proving such a hit with the team that some of the parents have even ordered one for themselves in an act of unequivocal parental sporting support. Team Coach Geraint Davies says: “I felt it was time that the club had a new image - the old one was looking a bit washed out. “I found GFORCE on the internet and Sean Newell came to see us. He was excellent at explaining the potential of the range and the options for dye sublimation. “I sketched out what we were looking for and Gymphlex delivered. “The kids love it - as do the coaches, who are lucky enough to have the new kit too.” Wrexham’s new shirts have been part funded by its sponsor, local company Link-a-Bord, which has its logo emblazoned on the reverse of the shirt. On the front, the club has chosen to have its club badge, player’s name and number. The dye sublimated Rugby Shirts from GFORCE enable clubs of all sizes to easily create a bespoke image for their team. They have the option of including whatever they like, including badges, names, numbers and personalised designs of any description. As GFORCE is available on minimum orders of just 10, it is the perfect teamwear solution for clubs of all sizes. For further information on GFORCE call 01507 523243 or visit http://www.gforcesportswear.co.uk. Product News 2012-05-16T12:58:30+00:00 http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/news/asics_grows_european_business_despite_challenging_2011/http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/news/asics_grows_european_business_despite_challenging_2011/#When:12:48:43Z ASICS Europe has continued its growth across the continent by delivering a net sales increase of 15.3% for last year. The brand performed particularly well in the running category, with footwear sales growing 22 per cent and performance apparel 26 per cent. ASICS also reported double digit growth in tennis footwear, a triple digit increase in tennis apparel and a double digit rise in indoor footwear. All regions across Europe contributed to the revenue growth, while income from ASICS’ own retail outlets increased by more than 50 per cent. “In a challenging 2011, ASICS has performed well and delivered an outstanding 15 per cent rise in revenues,” says Alistair Cameron, CEO of ASICS Europe. “We saw growth in all true performance categories, with the launch of our natural running series - ASICS 33 - and accelerated growth in trail running playing an important role. “Our heavy investment in apparel is also paying off, where we moved up to the number four performance running clothing brand. “With the establishment of a separate business unit for lifestyle under the Onitsuka Tiger label, this segment is forecast to contribute to our growth next year. “The consumer demand is driving high sell through for retailers and the ‘Made of Sport’ brand campaign, which is being advertised in all major markets, is contributing to this. The brand continues to be in great shape for 2012.” News 2012-05-16T12:48:43+00:00 http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/news/intersport_uk_makes_visual_merchandiser_appointment/http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/news/intersport_uk_makes_visual_merchandiser_appointment/#When:08:18:05Z INTERSPORT UK has appointed Sophie Orr (pictured) as a visual merchandiser. Orr has valuable retail experience in the fashion sector, having worked for Zara and Ted Baker. Her role is to provide INTERSPORT members with visual merchandising presentation assistance at store level and coordinate the activation of brand campaigns across the group in line with its marketing plan. INTERSPORT is growing with new members joining and reports increasing support from brands, with exclusive product campaigns in store. News 2012-05-16T08:18:05+00:00 One of the Paralympic movement's greatest pioneers receives Lifetime Achievement AwardSir Philip Craven MBE, one of the Paralympic movement's greatest pioneers, received the Lifetime Achievement Award sponsored by Monitor Quest at the Sport Industry Awards ceremony on May 2 in recognition of his decades of dedication to sport. The president of the International Paralympic Committee received the award from his former teammate, Armand 'Tip' Thiboutot, and NBA legend John Amaechi to a standing ovation from an audience of 1,750 key figures from across the entire spectrum of British and European sport. Sir Philip has served as the President of the IPC since his election in 2001. During that time he has led the development of both the Paralympic movement and the IPC itself in the ‘One Bid, One City’ era of Olympic and Paralympic cooperation, striving to ensure that the Paralympic Games fulfil their role as an equal partner to the Olympic Games. As part of that ongoing achievement, he has served as an International Olympic Committee and British Olympic Association member since 2003 and on the board of LOCOG since 2005. The Bolton-born athlete made his Paralympic Games debut in 1972 competing in two sports - swimming and wheelchair basketball - and went on to represent Great Britain at wheelchair basketball at a further four Paralympic Games between 1976 and 1988. Even before the end of his own competitive career, he had played a crucial role in the development of Paralympic sport, campaigning for the introduction of a new classification system in wheelchair basketball that would no longer force athletes to depend on medical examinations. Adopted in 1982, the new classification system has since seen wheelchair basketball develop into one of the Paralympic movement’s flagship sports, with crowds and TV audiences continually on the rise. In 1988 Sir Philip was named chairman of Wheelchair Basketball at the International Stoke Mandeville Games Federation, the former governing body of Paralympic sport. His fierce campaign for self determination in the role was vital to the 1993 creation of the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation, and he served as the organisation's first president until 1998. He was then named the IPC's second president in 2001. During his time as IPC president, the Paralympic Movement has enjoyed significant growth and now boasts over 200 members, including 174 National Paralympic Committees across the globe. As an athlete, among a host of medals and honours, he helped Great Britain win the Wheelchair Basketball World Championship in 1973 and played a key role as his team secured European gold in 1971 and 1974 and Commonwealth gold in 1970. He was awarded an MBE in 1991 for services to wheelchair basketball and knighted in 2005. Presenting the award, Tip Thiboutot told the room: "Wheelchair basketball was first played in 1946 by World War II veterans with spinal cord injuries, primarily for rehabilitation purposes. “It soon caught on and, bizarrely, before long the same physicians who had encouraged veterans to play the sport were trying to stop them, as they felt the sport was becoming too physical. “Some even suggested lowering the baskets to make the sport easier. The veterans refused. “By continuing to play the sport they invented, those veterans gave birth to the concept of self determination through sport for individuals with physical impairments. Sir Philip Craven is today the living symbol of self determination through sport. "It is the sign of an exceptional individual when you consider that even though Sir Philip has been identified as one of the five greatest wheelchair basketball players in the history of the sport, he is now better known for his actions off the court. “By his words, by his actions and as a result of the astounding achievements of athletes he has encouraged, he has succeeded in diminishing the negative implications of the expression 'the disabled'. “He has stated that: 'Disabled is a negative word invented by others to marginalise a group of people.' That is rehabilitation, not only for athletes and individuals with impairments, but also for those individuals who are not impaired. “Sir Philip Craven has not, and will never, lower the baskets.” Sir Philip Craven commented: “This award is recognition of where the Paralympic movement has come, particularly during the last 10 years. “As Tip Thiboutot kindly said, I’ve worked very hard to get rid of that ‘D-word’ - it’s not disabled sport, it’s sport. “Sport is for everybody - whether Paralympic sport or Olympic sport. And if this is a recognition of that, I’m happy. “It makes me feel even younger than I did before and I’m just looking forward to seeing what we can achieve in the next 10 or 20 years.” The full list of Sport Industry Awards 2012 winners: Best Sponsorship of a Sport Team or Individual Sponsored by Nolan Partners Winner: British Airways - Team GB: ‘They Will Fly’ Sport Participation Event of the Year Winner: Manchester’s Great Day of Sport Best Use of Digital Communications in Sport Sponsored by Late Night London Winner: NIVEA FOR MEN - The Great Football Experiment The Community Programme Award Winner: Premiership Rugby - HITZ Project Best Sponsorship of a Sport Event or Competition Sponsored by Icon Winner: NatWest - The NatWest Cricket Club Sport Website of the Year Winner: Manchester City Football Club Best International Sport Marketing Campaign Sponsored by Battersea Evolution Winner: Castrol EDGE - Castrol EDGE Presents ‘Ronaldo Tested to the Limit’ Best TV Sport Commercial Sponsored by Eurosport Winner: O2 - O2 ‘Get up for England’ Best Use of PR in a Sport Campaign Sponsored by Action Images Winner: Betfair - Trash Your Tevez Shirt Sport Brand of the Year Sponsored by Pinsent Masons Winner: Sky Sports Best Integrated Sport Marketing Campaign Winner: O2 - O2 ‘Get Up for England’ Sport Governing Body of the Year Sponsored by The Daily Telegraph Winner: British Triathlon Sport Agency of the Year Sponsored by Colouration Winner: M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment Lifetime Achievement Award Sponsored by Monitor Quest Winner: Sir Philip Craven MBE The Kantar Media Sport Business Achievement of the Year Award Winner: The Olympic Delivery Authority 2012-05-15T13:17:36+00:00 http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/news/fspa_reports_step_to_it_challenge_success/http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/news/fspa_reports_step_to_it_challenge_success/#When:12:59:56Z The Federation of Sports and Play Associations says it’s delighted with the success of its ‘Step To It’ challenge, which saw more than 41.6 million steps walked by 388 employees from 30 member companies over the six-week campaign duration. The challenge was launched as a result of the FSPA signing the government's ‘Change4Life’ Responsibility Deal pledge to encourage increased physical activity in the workplace, as the national federation firmly believes that although public health is everyone’s responsibility, the sport and play industries have a key role to play in reducing the obesity epidemic. During the campaign, which began on March 27, participants recorded a total of 41,653,618 steps, approximately 20,827 miles and equivalent to walking more than three quarters around the world at the Equator. The overall aim of the Step To It challenge was for participants to increase their daily step total by 500 each week, thus over the six-week period participants were aiming to improve their average daily step total by 3,000 steps. Only seven per cent of those who took up the challenge managed to achieve the 500-per-week increase, with 34 per cent beating their initial baseline total each week. The FSPA made the challenge available to its total membership base comprising 600 member companies across 18 trade associations, offering free challenge packs that included pedometers, scoreboards and leaderboards. All individual and company step totals were recorded online with a Twitter campaign and regular updates and weekly leader board scores. The campaign received positive feedback, with Jim Robert of ATA member Daiwa Sports stating: “On behalf of Daiwa Sports, I would like to thank the FSPA for this fun challenge, which has been really well received by our employees who have expressed their hope that this can become an annual event.” Highlighting the benefit of wearing a pedometer as a catalyst for increasing your daily activity when at work, Lianne Kelly of Jupiter Play added: “It has been an eye opener for us all how much your step totals can change daily.” The results identify the relatively sedentary working life the majority of us have and highlight the need to keep on the move while at work. Based on the success of this challenge and the excellent member feedback, the FSPA will look at holding future challenges going forward. The FSPA would like to thank all participating members for their time and effort taking part in this challenge. Weekly winners can be seen at http://www.sportsandplay.com/steptoit/scoreboard and full results found by visiting http://www.sportsandplay.com/steptoit/overview. News 2012-05-15T12:59:56+00:00 http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/news/inov-8_gets_cash_injection_from_private_equity_investor/http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/news/inov-8_gets_cash_injection_from_private_equity_investor/#When:12:41:40Z Performance sportswear brand inov-8 has received a significant cash injection from ISIS Equity Partners. Selling to customers in 58 countries across the globe, the brand’s major markets include the US, UK and Europe. The investment by ISIS, a private equity investor, will support the business with continued expansion into new markets and further develop its track record of ground breaking new product development. In addition, Mark Advani and Adam Holloway from ISIS will join the inov-8 board. Both Advani and Holloway, a 2010 English fell running team gold medal winner, previously held board seats at cycling e-tailer Wiggle, which was sold to Bridgepoint in December 2011 in a deal worth £180 million. Says inov-8 founder Wayne Edy: “The management team and I are delighted to welcome our ISIS partners to the board. “Their expertise in working with dynamic, rapidly growing young businesses will be invaluable to the management team as we scale up our operations to meet growing international consumer demand. “Finding an investment partner that understands the opportunities and potential created by new technology and innovative thinking in all areas of the business was crucial to accelerating our growth plans.” News 2012-05-15T12:41:40+00:00 http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/news/olympic_spirit_results_in_165_increase_in_new_members_for_london_social_spo/http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/news/olympic_spirit_results_in_165_increase_in_new_members_for_london_social_spo/#When:12:26:43Z London 2012 has resulted in an upturn in new members for London ‘social sports club’ Go Mammoth, says its founder and managing director. The club, which runs leagues at over 20 venues across the capital, has already formed 10 new leagues this year to cope with a 165 per cent increase in new members compared to the same period last year. At least another 20 more new leagues are expected before the end of the year. Says founder and managing director Luke Mohr: “In the last six months we’ve seen a huge increase in demand for our sports leagues across the board. “When we ask new members what made them want to join, there’s obviously a myriad of responses, from getting fit to meeting new people, but a huge number are also telling us that the increasing buzz of the Olympics has inspired them to go out and get active, rather than just heading straight to the pub when 5:30 comes.” Over 65 per cent of new members at Go Mammoth stated that living or working on the doorstep of the Olympic village had been either the main or a contributing factor in their decision to join one of the sports leagues. Mohr adds: “Our netball and five-a-side football leagues are always popular, but our less traditional sports like dodgeball, volleyball and ultimate frisbee are also experiencing significant growth. “We see this as a sign that the Olympic spirit has really started to grip Londoners. “Its great to see new members who may not have played any sport since their PE lessons at school getting involved, trying out new things and getting fit in the process.” Go Mammoth (http://www.gomammoth.co.uk) is based on a concept Mohr saw working successfully in North America before founding the London club in 2010. Starting with just four leagues and one member of staff, the club now has thousands of members who take part in weekly leagues of indoor and outdoor sports, including football, netball, touch rugby, basketball, dodgeball, beach volleyball and softball. News 2012-05-15T12:26:43+00:00 http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/news/rugby_star_goes_digital_with_new_sports_injury_store/http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/index.php/content/news/rugby_star_goes_digital_with_new_sports_injury_store/#When:08:08:53Z Roger Wilson launches Sports Injury Warehouse in collaboration with specialist retailerIrish International rugby player Roger Wilson has teamed up with a specialist sports injury retailer to offer physios and sports enthusiasts an online one-stop shop for sports injury and rehabilitation gear. Wilson, currently a number eight forward with Northampton Saints, says: “I have been lucky enough to play professional sport for over 10 years now and have had a few knocks. 

 “I’ve learned a thing or two about rehabilitation and the great work physios do piecing us professionals back together, so I thought it would be a great idea to offer them a one-stop shop where they can purchase all the equipment they need with just a few clicks and also to provide the growing number of sports enthusiasts with a convenient online resource for specialist gear.”

 Allan Withers, managing director of First Response Supplies, who is collaborating with Wilson, adds: “More and more people are turning to sports such as running and we hope to provide these people with a convenient, affordable online shopping destination for products that they might need from time to time. 

 “Roger’s knowledge of sports injuries and rehabilitation, coupled with my emergency care experience, means we are well placed to source high quality products. “They have been hand-picked to ensure they are the best available and we will continue to grow the range to respond to the needs of our customers.” Top Story 2012-05-15T08:08:53+00:00