Shorts: Hampshire Cricket, Scotland Hockey, Birmingham City – Sport Industry Group

Utilita Bowl, the home of Hampshire Cricket, has partnered with SUEZ in a three-year deal.
The agreement aims to enhance the venue’s sustainable ambitions and move towards becoming the world’s greenest cricket ground.
A new waste and recycling system has been integrated across the Utilita Bowl site.
SUEZ will also send representatives to the England vs West Indies T20 match to provide educational tips and advice on using the new system.
James Cole, Operations Director, Utilita Bowl, said, “This partnership will transform the way we manage waste, delivering a zero-waste-to-landfill solution and significantly reducing the environmental impact of our major events.
“This is an exciting partnership, which will make a real and immediate impact and underpin our strategic vision to create a sustainable future for our industry.”
Net World Sports has renewed its partnership with Scottish Hockey, continuing as the Official Coaching and Training Equipment Partner.
The extension has seen Net World Sports retain its role supplying training and matchday equipment to hockey clubs, schools, and national teams. The Wrexham-based company has provided products including goals, sticks, balls, and training aids through its FORZA Hockey range.
Scottish Hockey has continued to focus on expanding participation across the country and preparing its national teams for international competition. The ongoing partnership has aligned with this growth strategy, supporting grassroots development and elite training environments with equipment provision.
The governing body has worked to ensure that facilities across Scotland remain well-equipped for the sport’s evolving demands, and Net World Sports has continued to supply products used by athletes and coaches at all levels.
The renewal has come as Scottish Hockey builds towards upcoming international tournaments, including qualification routes for the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup.
Damon Traverse, Marketing Manager at Net World Sports, said, “Hockey in Scotland has gone from strength to strength, and we’re proud that our equipment has played a part in that progress. We’re excited to keep supporting players and coaches with the tools they need to succeed on and off the pitch.”
Birmingham City FC’s planned new stadium has received a significant boost after funding for a new West Midlands Metro tram line extension was confirmed.
The project, which will extend the network to East Birmingham, has been made possible as part of a £2.4b Government investment into the West Midlands transport network.
The funding has followed discussions between the Government, the Mayor, and Birmingham City FC owner Tom Wagner, whose company Knighthead is set to inject billions of pounds into the area through his Sports Quarter project.
Central to the Sports Quarter project is a new 60,000-seat stadium for Birmingham City FC, planned for the Birmingham Wheels site in Bordesley. This will be accompanied by a sports campus featuring training facilities, a new academy, and community pitches, all intended to be served by a direct Metro tram route.
The East Birmingham Metro Extension will provide fans with a fast and reliable connection between the city centre and the new stadium.
Richard Parker, West Midlands Mayor, said, “This investment unlocks a nationally significant infrastructure project that will transform East Birmingham and North Solihull into one of the UK’s key growth corridors – driving thousands of new homes and jobs and bringing opportunity to communities that have been held back for too long.”
Ospreys have now made the official planning application submission for the redevelopment of St Helen’s to Swansea Council.
This development comes as Ospreys and Scarlets remain in a dispute with the WRU regarding future funding.
The two professional sides did not sign the new Professional Rugby Agreement (PRA) by the deadline of 8th May.
The WRU has since announced it will move away from a model of four evenly funded professional sides, resulting in a new tiered funding system.
The agreement has been signed by Dragons and Cardiff, with Cardiff recently taken over by the WRU after temporarily entering administration. Ospreys and Scarlets have stated they sought assurances that the takeover would not disproportionately benefit Cardiff and disadvantage the independent clubs.
Lance Bradley, Chief Executive, Ospreys, said, “We are still talking with the WRU about the situation and if we were not confident of a positive outcome that would make things a lot more difficult.”
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