Friday News Summary

AFL

• JLT Series: St Kilda d Port Adelaide: Crowd: 5,363 @ Etihad Stadium

• LIVE: AFL: JLT SERIES: ST K V PORT ADEL

  FOX FOOTY

  87,000

• GWS claims 15,706 GIANTS 2017 Members, up 82 per cent increase on the same time last year. The club reports 3,356 members are based in Canberra.
• Richmond have signed Bang & Olufsen as its official Audio-Visual Partner, in what is the brand’s first-ever AFL partnership. Bang & Olufsen will have logo presence on both the AFL and VFL Tigers’ home and away match-day shorts. The brand will also be integrated throughout the Club’s video and social media channels, and have a match-day presence in Richmond’s changerooms
• AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan has revealed prospective plans for the AFLW grand final should it be played between two Melbourne teams, with Ikon Park to be the likely venue. The league boss insisted that the grand final — no matter where it was played — would still be free of charge to the public.

Rugby Union

• Super Rugby: Blues d Rebels: Crowd: 10,265 @ AAMI Park

• LIVE: SUPER RUGBY: REBELS V BLUES

  FOX SPORTS 1

  41,000

• Rebels owner Ashley Cox believes Australia must almost immediately abandon Super Rugby and move to a series in­volving home-and-away matches against every New Zealand and Australian franchise
• NSW Waratahs have inked a renewal with their major partner financial services company CMC Markets for a fourth consecutive year. CMC Markets will have in-stadia signage as well as its branding being visible on the playing sleeves of the Waratahs squad.
• Melbourne Rebels have signed technology provider Interactive for one season. The IT company’s branding will be visible on the front of the Melbourne Rebels’ playing shorts, the club’s laptops, LED signage at home games and also manage and administer the franchise’s website.
• Melbourne Rebels have signed a new partnership with La Trobe University. La Trobe will be the Rebels official tertiary education partner, supporting partner of the Rebels Community Program and both partners will collaborate in research, sports science and education.
• Queensland Reds have signed a three-year sponsorship deal with business services provider Smartgroup. The partnership will see the logo of Smartgroup subsidiary Smartsalary appear on the playing shorts of the Reds.

NRL

• Phil Rothfield says NRL clubs lost a staggering total of $53.4 million last year, according to a secret financial document obtained by The Daily Telegraph on the eve of the season kick-off. Only two clubs — the Queensland powerhouses the Broncos and the Cowboys made profits.
• The Australian reports that the NRL has given its first indication it may be willing to budge on the issue of revenue sharing, following a historic meeting involving the 16 club captains which prompted some of the biggest names in the game to suggest they were finally feeling the love from the governing body.
• The Australian also reports that Brisbane’s reputation as the NRL’s financial juggernaut has been reinforced by revelations the club generated revenue of more than $42 million last year – and a profit in excess of $2.8 million.

Soccer

• The Age reports that Victorian taxpayers will see little change out of $10 million for the privilege of watching the SuperClasico between Argentina and Brazil at the MCG on June 9 and the match between the Socceroos and the Brazilians at the same ground on June 13. The Age also notes there is a very real possibility that Argentina could stay on and play another match, sources say, with an Asian team flown in to provide opposition to help them prepare for their final round of World Cup qualifiers in August, September and October
• The Advertiser reports that West Ham United s are set to be confirmed as Adelaide United’s sparring opponents in another coup for SA just weeks after the Socceroos host Saudi Arabia in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier on June