Kauto Star bidding for history
National Hunt racing is a tough sport but it’s real appeal lies in the sentiment that attaches to great horses that come back year after year.  None have ever done it quite like Kauto Star who lines up in the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup today at 3.20, five years and three years after his two previous wins but seemingly back to his best after winning the William Hill King George at Christmas.  He already lives close to the same sphere as Arkle in terms of achievement and popular acclaim.  Today could be the stuff of legend.
 
 
Zanardi adds F1 glamour to Paralympic Handcycling
Former Formula 1 and Indy Car driver Alex Zanardi was confirmed yesterday as part of the Italian Handcycling team for the London 2012 Paralympic Games.  Ireland is well represented in the sport with Mark Rohan (pictured left) going to London as the reigning World Champion.  Rohan made history in 2011 winning every race in the World Cup series.
The Irish Paracycling team will have five men and two women representing at the Paralympics.  This is a rapid progression from one in Athens 2004 and four in Beijing.
This year’s Paralympic Games is benefitting from greater exposure than ever before with athletes forming part of the major advertising campaigns of many of the Olympic partners.
Rohan was one of two Irish athletes, the other being Katie Taylor, that were chosen as ‘Olympic Scholars’ to be followed on their road to London by Sky TV.
The Irish Paralympic Squad is supported by Renault, Allianz, Vodafone, Cadbury, OCS and Topaz.  Sport for Business will be featuring opportunities for commercial partnership with Paralympic sport in the run up to and beyond the London Games in August.
Rugby Legends open massive weekend for the sport
Rugby features strongly on St Patrick’s Day tomorrow with England taking on Ireland across each of the four levels of RBS Six Nations for men and women, at U20 and at club level.  There is also a ‘Legends’ game featuring stars of the recent past such as Jason Robinson and Shane Byrne.
This event takes place at the Stoop Ground near Twickenham and will serve for many of the travelling fans as an ideal curtain raiser for the weekend.  The event provides a good example of how companies can ‘piggyback’ main events without impacting the value for main sponsors in the sport such as Ulster Bank, O2, Guinness and Puma.
The Legends event is supported by Validus Re, Greene King and Powerday.
Olympic Stadium to be officially opened by member of the public
In a move away from celebrity culture, the London Olympic Stadium will be officially declared open by a member of the crowd attending a pre games Colleges event designed to test the operation of the venue.
Tickets for the event, which will combine athletics and entertainment, will be made generally available.  It will be the first opportunity for the public to visit what will be the main arena for the Games in July and August.
One member of the crowd will be chosen to go into the centre of the arena and declare it officially open.
Budweiser to sponsor English non league soccer club
International giant Budweiser is to sponsor the English non league soccer club Wembley FC.  The deal will enable to club to upgrade its infrastructure and place it once more very firmly in the public eye.  Last year it featured in an early qualifying round for the FA Cup, sponsored itself by Budweiser, in the first sporting event to be streamed live over Facebook.
The deal is seen as an extension of support for grassroots sport and echoes some of the initiatives undertaken in Ireland by Ulster Bank as part of its Club force initiatives or AIB through its support of the GAA Club Championships.
The monetary value for Wembley FC will be only a tiny element of the overall Budweiser spend but as so often in sponsorship activation it is the small details that can make all the difference.
Virgin to provide free WiFi for London Tube users
Virgin Media has usurped London Olympic sponsor BT to provide free WiFi access at 80 London Underground stations this summer.  BT has funded a six month trial at one station to prove the concept and the appeal but lost out in a one year long tender process.
Virgin will offer the service free to visitors during the period of the Olympics and Paralympics and will then offer a subscription service thereafter.
Given the rise in experiential marketing around major events and the increased penetration of smart phones, WiFi access at major sporting venues will be of increasing importance to sponsors, spectators and sporting bodies.  O2 will provide free access in two London Boroughs around the Olympics this summer and Dublin City Council is tendering for the provision of free access in certain public spaces.  It is also considering event specific free WiFi access, possibly around the Dublin Tall Ships event in August.
Sport for Business will be announcing details shortly of a seminar looking at the value of technology for sport and sponsors in Ireland.