Lancashire Cricket has formally taken control of the Farington site, marking the completion of the club’s new second home.
The handover from Eric Wright Construction has taken place just over two years after work commenced on the site in November 2023. Club officials have been joined by representatives from Lancashire County Council to mark the occasion.
Developed alongside Lancashire County Council, the new facility has been designed to bring elite and community cricket together in one location. It has been designated as a women’s centre of excellence for the North West region and has been built to help Lancashire Cricket continue to develop men’s and women’s cricketers of the future.
The facility features two cricket ovals, with the professional oval set to host men’s and women’s competitive matches. The second oval has been created to support community, recreational, and youth cricket. A pavilion building has also been constructed between the ovals, providing four changing rooms, fitness facilities, and net facilities for training.
Lancashire Cricket has stated its ambition to host two men’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup matches at Farington during the 2026 season, pending further preparation work.
Dame Sarah Storey, Interim Chair, Lancashire Cricket, said, “This is another landmark day for this historic project, as the Club officially takes control of Farington following the handover from our partners at Eric Wright Construction. Reaching this stage is a huge moment for Lancashire Cricket and reflects years of planning and collaboration alongside Lancashire County Council and the ECB.”
Welsh Fire have launched a new official website as part of an updated digital strategy
The platform has been developed by Yellow Panther, a UK-based digital agency specialising in sports websites and content management systems. Welsh Fire are co-owned by Glamorgan County Cricket Club and Washington Freedom, and compete in The Hundred, which features city-based men’s and women’s teams across England and Wales.
The website is built on Yellow Panther’s proprietary Hunt CMS and is designed to support matchday traffic and mobile-first usage. The platform includes fixtures, results and live updates, alongside news content, ticketing integration, hospitality information and supporter engagement tools.
The launch makes Welsh Fire the fifth cricket team to work with Yellow Panther. The update comes as The Hundred continues to expand its commercial and broadcast footprint in the UK, with matches shown live on Sky Sports and the BBC and attendances reaching more than one million across the competition in recent seasons.
Stuart Cope, Founder & COO at Yellow Panther, said, “Welsh Fire is a bold, modern team with a fanbase that brings serious energy, and their digital platform needed to reflect that.
“This launch isn’t just a new website , it’s the foundation for how they connect with fans now and as they grow. The site performs brilliantly on matchday and gives the team room to build something bigger.”
Freestyle Chess and the International Chess Federation have agreed to a broadcast deal with DAZN for the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship 2026.
DAZN has confirmed it will stream the event free-to-view worldwide, with the exception of Norway, and will provide English commentary for viewers.
Freestyle Chess is a variant of the game in which pieces begin in semi-random positions. This setup prevents players from relying on memorised openings, forcing them to strategise in real-time. This event marks the first time the world title has been awarded under a joint framework between FIDE and a private organiser.
Eight elite players will compete for a total prize fund of $300,000, with $100,000 awarded to the champion. The line-up includes co-founder Magnus Carlsen, Levon Aronian, Fabiano Caruana, Vincent Keymer, Arjun Erigaisi, Javokhir Sindarov, Hans Niemann, and Play-In winner Nodirbek Abdusattorov.
The competition format will open with a rapid round-robin stage, followed by knockout matches, and will conclude with the final.
Shay Segev, CEO of DAZN Group, said, “Freestyle Chess is growing fast and attracting a new generation of fans, and DAZN is the ideal partner to help drive that growth. Our platform reaches a global audience that is passionate about innovation in sport, and this Championship fits perfectly with that appetite. Adding the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship underlines our commitment to backing new tournaments and helping them reach global audiences.”
The International Skating Union (ISU) has agreed a strategic partnership with Deloitte Switzerland to accelerate the federation’s digital transformation.
The collaboration has been unveiled at the ISU’s Home of Skating venue during the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. Through this agreement, Deloitte has joined as a strategic partner to work alongside the federation in strengthening its digital ecosystem and enhancing fan experience.
As the governing body advances its Vision 2030 agenda, the ISU has looked to leverage Deloitte’s global experience in advising international sports organisations. The partnership has been designed to support the ISU’s long-term strategy to shape the future of skating through innovation and build upon an estimated global fan base of 330 million people.
Jae Youl Kim, President, International Skating Union, said, “Announcing this partnership here at the ISU Home of Skating and during the Olympic Winter Games, underlines the direction we are taking as a federation. Vision 2030 is about transforming how we grow and present our sports, and we are delighted that Deloitte will be joining us on that journey – making these sports more dynamic, engaging, and accessible for future generations of fans, while remaining true to our values.”
John Tweardy, Global Sports Leader, Deloitte, and Bernard Sinnaeve, Sports Leader, Deloitte Switzerland, said, “We are excited to support the ISU’s Vision 2030. Our partnership will focus on providing strategy and technology services to accelerate digital transformation and strengthen fan engagement, combining local expertise with global delivery. Our goal is to help the ISU build for the future, and we look forward to a successful collaboration.”
England Golf has announced a two-year agreement with competition website Caddy Comps regarding the iGolf Open Events.
Under the terms of the deal, Caddy Comps has secured the naming rights for the series. The schedule features six qualifying events and a season-ending Grand Final, making it the largest series to date.
Caddy Comps shares a commitment to supporting the growth of the game at entry level alongside England Golf. The sponsorship reflects a shared ambition to increase participation in the sport, enhance the experience for recreational players, and broaden golf’s reach among new and existing audiences.
Through this relationship, Caddy Comps aims to help introduce more people to the sport and encourage regular play. The brand also sponsors Peterborough United FC and the YouTube channel Golf Life, while utilising presenter Jimmy Bullard and former England cricketer Phil Tufnell as ambassadors.
Jonathan Lawrence, Managing Director, Caddy Comps, said: “We’re incredibly proud to be working with England Golf and iGolf. At Caddy Comps, one of our key focuses this year is getting more people into golf and encouraging more people to play the game regularly. Working alongside England Golf and iGolf allows us to support that mission at every level, helping to make golf more accessible, engaging and inclusive for players across the country.”
The Union Jack Classic has named Passyunk Avenue as its official hospitality and cultural destination ahead of the first-ever Division 1 college football game in the UK.
The Arizona State University Sun Devils will face the University of Kansas Jayhawks.
Passyunk Avenue, an Americana hospitality brand with five locations across London, has become the year-round cultural home for the event. Under the agreement, the venues will host activations, community events, and official team headquarters.
Passyunk has also launched official tour packages for visiting supporters to provide a cultural experience in the capital.
Thomas Hensey, COO, Union Jack Classic, said, “The Union Jack Classic is about showcasing the best of American college football and the culture that surrounds it to fans in the UK. Partnering with Passyunk is a natural extension of that mission and helps us bring an authentic taste of American football culture across the Atlantic. Passyunk’s venues provide an incredible atmosphere and a true sense of home for Americans abroad, and I’m excited to connect fans from America and the UK around the sport they love.”
Daniel Baczar, Partner & CCO, Passyunk Avenue, said, “At Passyunk, we’ve always celebrated American sports traditions as a way to bring people together. We’re proud to partner with the Union Jack Classic and create a year-round platform for community, culture, and connection. This is about much more than a single game. It’s about bringing the energy, spirit, and Americana lifestyle that surrounds college football to London in a way that feels authentic and inclusive.”
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