Southampton reunite with Draper Tools after long time away

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Southampton and Draper Tools
Image credit: Southampton FC

After initially collaborating with Southampton FC 40 years ago, Draper Tools is coming back as a partner.

The Hampshire-based company will take on the role of the Saints Official Tool Partner, with its iconic emblem appearing on the backs of the women’s and men’s first teams’ shorts and shirts, respectively.

From 1984 through 1993, Draper Tools successfully sponsored the front of the shirt for nine years, during which time legendary players like Alan Shearer, Matthew Le Tissier, and Francis Benali made their Saints debuts. The next year, Draper Tools announced Saints Foundation as their community charity partner, and they kept working with the team until 2018.

The news came shortly after the team unveiled their home uniform for 2023–24, which pays homage to the team’s Draper Tools–sponsored 1987–89 kit. The 2023–24 version honours a different part of the club emblem, giving this timeless shirt a small touch.  A diagonal pattern of over a thousand tiny roses is tastefully put onto the 2023–24 home shirt to highlight the Hampshire rose. The Hampshire rose, which stands in for Southampton, is prominently shown on the shirt’s back. The uniform was introduced as part of the club’s “For the Badge” initiative, which aims to recognise and appreciate the crest’s heritage.

Charlie Boss, Chief Commercial Officer for Southampton Football Club said via press release:

“We’re delighted to welcome back Draper Tools as a partner. Their rich history with us makes this feel extra special as we embark on this new chapter together, particularly as we celebrate such an iconic shirt,” he said.

“We look forward to working with them over the course of the season and beyond to deliver a brilliant partnership.”

Draper Tools CEO Matt Sheen added via press release:

“We at Draper Tools are very proud to be one of the partners of Southampton FC men’s and women’s teams this season. As a family business, our local community has always been important to us, and we’ve never forgotten our history with the club,” he said.

“Recent years have seen us support the work of the club’s official charity, Saints Foundation, so it feels really special for our relationship with the club to enter this exciting new chapter. After a difficult last season for the men’s team, it’s now all about supporting them in what will be a very competitive EFL Championship. Being a lifelong fan, like many of my Draper colleagues, the nostalgia involved in this partnership feels great too.”

Southampton’s EFL Championship season gets underway against Sheffield Wednesday on August 5, 2023 AEST.

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IMG takes commercial lead on inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup

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Image Credit: Vietnam Football Federation

IMG has been appointed to lead the global commercialisation of the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup, giving the new Southeast Asian national-team competition an established international sports business partner ahead of its first edition.

Under the strategic partnership, IMG will manage worldwide media and sponsorship rights sales while also overseeing broadcast production for the tournament, which takes place from 24 September to 5 October across Indonesia and Hong Kong, China.

The inaugural competition will feature 14 national teams, including all 11 ASEAN members alongside guest nations, with matches split between two divisions. Division 2 fixtures will be played in Jakarta and Badung, while Division 2 matches will be played in Hong Kong.

The agency’s role will include selling sponsorship and media inventory internationally while helping establish the broadcast infrastructure required to present the tournament to audiences outside Southeast Asia.

The partnership builds on IMG’s existing strategic relationship with PT Garuda Sepak Bola Indonesia, which has been working with the Football Association of Indonesia since 2025 on areas including commercial strategy, media rights, production and digital development.

For FIFA, the tournament creates another international football property in a region with a large and increasingly connected football audience.

For IMG, it adds another major regional property to a football portfolio that already includes competitions and organisations across Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa.

The immediate challenge will be turning the inaugural tournament into a sustainable commercial property capable of attracting broadcasters and sponsors beyond its first edition.

If successful, the FIFA ASEAN Cup could provide Southeast Asian national teams with a recurring commercial platform while giving IMG another foothold in one of football’s developing markets.

GIS Sydney continues to connect students with Australia’s sports industry

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Image Credits: Global Institute of Sport

Following the launch of its Sydney campus in 2025, the Global Institute of Sport (GIS) is continuing to establish itself in the nation’s sports industry. A leading provider of degrees and executive education in sport, GIS provides students the chance to study at two of Australia’s biggest sporting venues: Allianz Stadium and the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

Programs such as Sports Analytics and International Sports Business are delivered in collaboration with the University of Newcastle, and feature the chance for students to gain exclusive access to the sports industry.

More than 50 guest speakers have shared their experience with students studying at GIS Sydney, representing organisations like FIFA, Red Bull, Cricket Australia, and the AFL. While learning about the regional and national sports industry in the classroom, students have also had the chance to gain an international perspective through GIS’ signature Global Sports Summits, which have given Sydney students access to iconic sporting venues around the world from London to Miami.

Outside of the iconic venues students can call their classrooms, the organisation prioritises the real, industry placements needed to put theory into practice by providing each student with 140 hours of relevant work experience throughout their studies. Included in this are several sporting organisations who are keen to welcome GIS students on board, including the Professional Football Scouts Association (PFSA), Football Coaches Australia, and Basketball NSW.

GIS also has a partnership with popular network and app Yakka Sport to connect students with paid employment opportunities while they study.

Behind these advancements at the GIS Sydney campus is an Industry Advisory Board which features a host of experienced figures from the world of sport. Included in the Asia-Pacific branch is Chair James Rosengarten, GM of the Melbourne Renegades; Kevin Jang, Managing Director of CAA Stellar Korea; and Brad Lloyd, GM of the Carlton Football Club.

Since launching, GIS’ Sydney campus has ultimately combined its locations and industry connections to provide the next generation of sports professionals with the knowledge, network, and confidence to tackle the rapidly evolving sports industry.

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