Brisbane Roar welcomes Westpoint Autos as Official Vehicle Partner

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Brisbane Roar and Westpoint Autos
Image credit: Brisbane Roar

Brisbane Roar have announced a partnership with Westpoint Autos to become their Official Vehicle Partner as the A-League season approaches.

Brisbane Roar and Westpoint Autos aligned their values, with both parties keen on providing a sense of service to the South-East Queensland community as well as being active in schools, sporting groups and charities.

The partnership means that Westpoint Autos will feature on the front of the Men’s shorts and is also a retailer of league partner, Isuzu UTE.

Brisbane Roar benefit from this deal by having access to several Westpoint Autos vehicles. This includes the whole club from the staff to the Men’s and Women’s players.

Established in 1988 and located across South-East Queensland, Westpoint Autos is regarded as one of Australia’s most accomplished and innovative automotive groups. They offer four services which are:

  • Car finance
  • Car servicing
  • Parts & accessories
  • Free car valuation

Westpoint Autos is a family-owned and run dealership operating with strong core values, a commitment to service, and care for the community. They have expanded to 10 locations across Queensland and continue to grow as a company.

Brisbane Roar CEO Kaz Patafta was delighted with the move to collaborate with a local company.

“I’m pleased to welcome Westpoint Autos to the Brisbane Roar family. A family-owned business with a strong focus on supporting its community and is a philosophy that closely resonates with the new vision for Brisbane Roar,” he said in a club press release.

“We’re pleased to partner with a business that sets the standards within their industry in Brisbane, and we look forward to a successful working partnership.”

Luke Hawkins, Dealer Principal at Westpoint Autos, spoke about the connection between the company and sport, adding via media release:

“Westpoint Autos is looking forward to joining Brisbane Roar as Official Vehicle Partner. We are avid supporters of Junior, Men’s and Women’s sports and are excited to see a range of our vehicles supporting the Roar staff, and players around Brisbane and beyond,” he said.

This partnership is a great move from both parties and a big chance to not only benefit each other with the collaboration perks, but to also work towards improving the sport scene in South-East Queensland which is an important goal set out by Brisbane Roar CEO Kaz Patafta in the 2023/24 strategic plan.

Strategic Plan 2023-2026 launched by Football West

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Football West Strategic Plan
Image via Football West

Football West recently announced the launch of their 2023-2026 Strategic Plan, a documentation affiliated with Football Australia’s One Football Strategy that will set the direction for football in Western Australia for the coming years.

The plan will see Football West improve the game under five essential departments:

  • Participants and Clubs
  • Elite Teams and Pathways
  • Fans
  • Unifying Football
  • Asia and the Sam Kerr Football Centre

Participants and Clubs

The first pillar has the aim to make Football the most accessible sport in Western Australia where everyone can play anytime, anywhere.

There are key targets set such as: Increase registrations by 5% per annum, increase participation by 3% per annum and have 95% of clubs and associations with a completed affiliation agreement (presently 82%).

Another key focus is the development of women and girls football which isn’t surprising after the recent Women’s World Cup success. Football West set a goal of 42,500 additional women & girls playing football across the three year plan.

Elite Teams and Pathways

This pillar focuses simply on the development of talent at all ages in a bid to improve the quality of the game in Western Australia.

The focus areas are Delivery of a state-wide Football West Academy program, Frequent and consistent talent identification opportunities and High quality coach development pathway

Fans

Football West is focusing on optimising the fan experience and grassroots to improve attendance numbers and social media engagement.

Unifying Football

They will develop a resourcing model that allows for the servicing of responsibilities between Football Australia and Football West, formalised in a Service Agreement

Asia and the Sam Kerr Football Centre

Football West will look to improve international exchanges with Asian countries and use the Sam Kerr Football Centre to secure sponsorships and play big matches there by 2026.

Football West Chairman Sherif Andrawes mentioned the vision that the federation has for the future of football across all levels.

“We are excited to present the Strategic Plan to the WA football community. This is a vision that will see football move forward in tandem with Football Australia but with a strong WA focus,” Andrawes said in a statement.

“Football is in a great position across the state. We saw during the FIFA Women’s World Cup and, more recently, when the CommBank Matildas played in Perth, that our sport is unique in its widespread appeal. This passion can be felt across all areas of the game.

“We want to be bold and ambitious, and the Strategic Plan gives us a strong base from which to deliver on that.”

Football West CEO Jamie Harnwell was excited to announce how the Strategic Plan would be implemented successfully.

“This Strategic Plan is a real statement of intent and one we are proud to deliver. Harnwell mentioned in a Football West statement.

“Football is more popular than it has ever been in Western Australia, in terms of participation, inclusivity and popularity, and we should all be proud of this. However, we cannot rest on our laurels.

“As a governing body, we want to make our game even more accessible, so we can inspire a new generation to love football. That comes through hard work, consultation and direction, all of which are key to the Strategic Plan.”

The Strategic Plan is well set out and focuses on the current struggles the federation is having at grassroots level. Partnering closely with Football Australia will help them achieve the ambitious goals set out to improve both the state and national foundation.

FIFA renews with Qatar Airways as Global Airline Partner until 2030

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Image via Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways has been extended as the airline sponsor for the FIFA Men’s World Cup in North America in 2026, as well as the event in Europe, Africa, and South America in 2030.

Initially, the state-owned airline had a two-tournament contract for the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The World Cup airline spot should become available again in 2034, when Saudi Arabia is slated to host the event. The Saudis intend to establish a second national airline, Riyadh Air.

The new Qatar Airways arrangement was not announced, although it is estimated to be valued hundreds of millions of dollars. The trophy and medal presentation helpers are dressed in the airline’s uniform at World Cup finals.

“Today I am very proud to announce the renewal of our partnership between Qatar Airways and FIFA. It is a great partnership that has brought a lot of success to FIFA, and of course as well to Qatar Airways,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said during the ceremony.

“We are excited to extend our partnership with FIFA as the Global Airline Partner. As an airline, we are committed to connecting the world, and this partnership allows us to reach millions of football fans. Football has the power to unite people across cultures and continents, and we are proud to continue to be part of this incredible journey,” said Group Chief Executive Officer Badr Mohammed Al-Meer.

In the 2019-2022 commercial cycle, the airline was one of seven top-tier men’s World Cup sponsors, earning over $2.7 billion in total marketing rights sales, according to FIFA. It comprises selected FIFA youth competitions as well as the 2027 Women’s World Cup, the host of which will be announced in May.

The 2026 World Cup will be the first to include 48 teams instead of 32, 104 games instead of 64, with players, supporters, and officials spread over 16 locations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The 2030 World Cup will feature greater long-distance travel than initially anticipated, with games taking place in six nations across three continents.

FIFA stated last month that it is only considering one offer — the long-favoured Spain-Portugal co-hosting plan, which was expanded this year to include Morocco and now includes South American neighbours Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay hosting one game each as part of a centennial celebration. Uruguay hosted the first World Cup in 1930.

Through a dedicated platform of Qatar Airways, football fans will be excited to hear the airline will in the near future have access to exclusive travel packages such including match tickets, flights and accommodation for selected FIFA tournaments.

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