Sports Ticker (15 February 2023) – Tackle law changes, Man City financial breach allegations and Ford's return to F1 – a speed-read of commercial updates from the sports world

In a fortnight which saw Kansas City Chiefs defeat the Philadelphia Eagles in a thrilling 38-35 Super Bowl contest, Chelsea's spending spree continue with the signing of Benfica’s Enzo Fernández for British record £106.8m fee, and the completion of Jim O'Toole and James Sandford's purchase of Worcester Warriors (and the various back and forth on what that means for the future of Worcester or Sixways RFC), we bring you updates on Ford's re-entrance into F1, the RFU's decision to seek club guidance on tackle law changes, and more.

As always, if there are any issues on which you'd like more information (or if you have any questions or feedback), please do let us know or get in touch with your usual contact at RPC.

Tackling tackle laws – RFU to consult clubs on tackle law change

Rugby Football Union council members are to seek guidance from rugby clubs after a decision to change the law on tackle heights across English community rugby was met with controversy. The decision would see tackle height restricted to below the waist in rugby matches for levels below the Premiership, Championship and Premier 15s, aiming to increase safety in the sport. However, the discontent has largely focused on the level of engagement prior to the RFU's decision being communicated. Several RFU councillors have conceded that failing to communicate with the community was a mistake, but now intend to consult with clubs to ensure that the wording of the new law creates the correct outcome. Whilst the law will not affect professional rugby, the Rugby Players' Association said that it was "broadly in agreement" with the "direction of travel" of the law in reducing risk of head injuries, but that it should have been better communicated, and that extensive consultation with players would be needed if similar changes were to be made to the professional game.

Manchester City alleged of foul play

The Premier League has charged Man City with breaching relevant financial regulations on more than 100 occasions between 2009 and 2018. The club is alleged to have breached rules requiring provision "in utmost good faith" of "accurate financial information that gives a true and fair view of the club's financial position". The accusations levelled at City include allegedly inflating its sponsorship revenue in order to meet spending rules and using so called shadow contracts to distort its salary books. An independent commission will now decide the outcome of the charges. If found guilty, the club faces potential expulsion from the league. The charges come at a defining moment in the governance of top-flight English football, with the UK government exploring plans to appoint an independent football regulator and a growing number of complaints from other European domestic leagues around the financial hegemony of English football.

UK High Court takes AIM at Supponor for ad-tech patent infringement

Sports advertising company AIM Sports has won its patent infringement case against competitor Supponor, following a ruling from the High Court at the end of January that AIM's patents were valid in the UK. AIM, which is based in Switzerland, works with European football clubs to supply virtual advertising technology that uses digital overlays to display regionally targeted pitch-side adverts. The technology (for which AIM holds a number of European patents) allows each unit of physical pitch-side ad space to be sold multiple times to advertisers in different regions. The High Court decision follows a similar ruling against Supponor in Germany last year, which ordered the company to discontinue sales of its perimeter board ad-tech product. Supponor has released a statement that it will appeal the decision in the UK, but that it has discontinued sales of the infringing product, and released a new service for virtual pitch-side advertising.

Ford-ula 1 – a return to racing

After a two decade absence from the sport, Ford will be returning to F1 to team up with Red Bull to part-fund its engines. Behind Mercedes and Ferrari, Ford is the third most successful engine manufacture in F1 having been a staple name in the sport between the 1960s through to the early 2000s. The partnership between these two companies centres on the development of new power trains, harnessing electric and fossil fuels as part of the new F1 rules to become more eco-friendly. The partnership will formally begin in 2026 and will last until at least 2030. Ford are also providing their expertise to Scuderia AlphaTauri. Ford hopes to tap into the lucrative advertising opportunities F1 presents, in part generated by increased public interest due to the success of the 'Drive Formula 1: to Survive' Netflix series and also due to the sport's expansion in the US, with races in Miami and Texas and soon Las Vegas.

F1 driver and EA Sports join hands for sponsorship deal

Formula One two-time world champion Max Verstappen has agreed a personal endorsement deal with games producer Electronic Arts Inc. (EA Sports). During the upcoming 2023 F1 season, the chin of his helmet will feature EA Sports branding and he will also feature across EA Sports channels for various content-creating opportunities throughout the year. EA Sports has published Formula One's official video game since 2021, through its acquisition of Codemaster, which previously held the rights. The Red Bull Racing driver owns his own esports outfit, Team Redline, and is known for his love of gaming in motorsports. Andrea Hopelain, senior vice president of brand for EA Sports, said "we are excited to collaborate with him as one of the best athletes in the world to bring more fans together through our EA Sports experiences".

Extra time...

...and finally, Wrexham AFC has been unveiled as the 9th team in the Soccer Tournament, a winner-takes-all, seven-a-side tournament taking place this June in Cary, North Carolina with a US $1 million prize pot. Wrexham, which will eventually feature amongst 31 other teams, will field a squad made up of club legends, including those featured in the recent 'Welcome to Wrexham' Netflix documentary. Other teams include Team Dempsey, managed by former US international Clint Dempsey, Liga MX side Club Necaxa, a group of former United States Women’s National Team players, and popular British nonleague and esports club Hashtag United. If Wrexham win the tournament, Shaun Harvey, advisor to the club's board, has said that half of the prize money would be used to support the club's ongoing community work, which featured prominently in the documentary...