Dubai Wasps Agree To Three-Year Naming Rights Deal With Energy Consultancy Xodus

The Dubai Wasps have become the first UAE rugby club to "surrender naming rights to a corporate sponsor after changing their name to Xodus Wasps," according to Paul Radley of THE NATIONAL. The three-year-old club has "agreed a deal with the energy consultants." First-team hooker and club Chair Craig Gibson said, "It is definitely a seminal point in the club's short history." As a consequence of the deal, the Wasps "will now train at Repton School." Investment in the upstart domestic rugby team "is designed to maintain an awareness of the company's name throughout the three seasons in which the initial deal will run." Despite the cash injection, Gibson "cautioned against the idea of the club considering paying players." The main objective "is to break into the cross-border Gulf Top Six competition next season as one of the four best teams in the UAE" (THE NATIONAL, 7/15).