Insurer Aviva "has extended its title sponsorship" of England's Premiership Rugby through '17. The renewed commitment to rugby union comes after Aviva ended its 13-year sponsorship of British athletics at the end of '12. The company "is also cutting 2,000 jobs as part of a cost-savings drive" (REUTERS, 5/24). ... Hitachi has agreed a one-year extension to its shirt sponsorship contract with Brasileiro club Ponte Preta (SOCCEREX, 5/24). ... China car manufacturer Chery Automobile and World Badminton Federation have signed a partnership agreement that the two sides described as a "win-win cooperation." The agreement will see Chery become an "official partner of BWF" for major badminton events, the Thomas and Uber Cup, Sudirman Cup and World Championships in four years (XINHUA, 5/24). ... Ferrari and luxury champagne maker Veuve Clicquot have agreed to a sponsorship. The deal includes planned global events featuring classic cars and Ferrari's new models at racing shows (Veuve Clicquot). ... After an FC Barcelona jersey was hung on a Christopher Columbus statue in Barcelona last week, La Liga Espanyol President Joan Collet said his club is considering doing the same thing with a statue of Rafael Casanova, a prominent figure in Spanish history. Collet: "We will probably ask the price to know what it would cost to put an Espanyol shirt on this monument during the day" (LIBERTAD DIGITAL, 5/27).
