Ireland

Line Up, a new consultancy specialising in sports, media and entertainment, launched yesterday with offices in Dublin and London.

Telecoms company Vodafone has informed the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) that it will not renew its All-Ireland senior football championship three-year sponsorship deal.

Derry, the UK’s 2013 City of Culture, will be an official host port and will submit a city boat in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race in 2011-12.

Toyota Ireland has announced that it is extending its sponsorship of Munster Rugby. The new three-year deal will be worth €5.75 million over the next three seasons and includes the title sponsorship of the Munster team competing in the Magners League, Heineken Cup and British and Irish Cup.

Beer brand Carling will title sponsor the four-team football tournament involving Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland, organisers announced yesterday.

Mobile phone operator 3 has signed an agreement with the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) to become primary sponsor of the national team and support grassroots initiatives across the country.

Cycling’s Tour of Ireland, scheduled to take place from August 18-22 this year, has been cancelled due to a financial shortfall caused by a lack of sponsorship.

The Irish Rugby Football Union yesterday attacked government proposals for Six Nations and Heineken Cup rugby matches to be protected for free-to-air television.

German sportswear company Puma will enter a team in the next Volvo Ocean Race, in 2011-12, after finishing second in the 2008-09 competition.

The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), governing body of the Irish sports of hurling and Gaelic football, announced an increase in profits for the ninth consecutive year, despite gate receipts at Croke Park falling for the third year in a row.

Irish city Galway has beaten competition from Amsterdam and Stockholm to be chosen as the finishing port for the next Volvo Round the World Ocean Race in 2012.

Tiger Woods has turned down a $75 million, five-year sponsorship deal with Ireland-based bookmaker Paddy Power.

Swedish-based media rights agency IEC in Sports has signed separate agreements for the 2010 World Championships in Doha, from March 12-14, with ESPN UK and Setanta Ireland.

Media rights agency MP & Silva has hired the IMG agency to help it sell Italian football's Serie A and Serie B into the UK and Ireland, the Netherlands, Russia, Turkey, and countries in the Balkan region.

HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein, President of the Jordan Olympic Committee (JOC), and Marisol Casado, President of the International Triathlon Union (ITU), were elected as members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at its 122nd General Assembly in Vancouver on Friday.

Galway, Ireland will be the venue for the third round of the 2010 Powerboat P1 Superstock Championship.