CPLG Sport will be showcasing a range of top sporting properties at BLE 2011 in the shape of the RFU, West Ham United, Fulham FC, St Andrews Links and Engage Super League.

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the governing body of Rugby Union in England and is responsible for the England Rugby brand. In a Rugby World Cup year the brand’s profile is huge - the tournament is attracting more interest than ever before and is by far the biggest sporting event of 2011, with a projected TV audience of over 4 billion. The team also competes in the annual RBS 6 Nations tournament as well as regular test matches against the southern hemisphere giants and has a massive following – the iconic 82,000-capacity Twickenham Stadium invariably sells out for England games, with millions more watching on television. The huge interest surrounding the team has enabled CPLG Sport to put together an extensive licensing programme, which currently includes over 30 licensees and covers a wide range of categories, including apparel, publishing, gift, toys & games, interactive, and food and drink. This ongoing success has led the RFU to renew CPLG Sport’s representation agreement beyond the 2015 Rugby World Cup, which will take place in the UK. CPLG Sport is currently seeking partners that will be able to exploit and maximise the significant commercial opportunity that hosting this massive event on home ground represents.

West Ham United is one of the UK’s best supported football clubs - renowned for fast, attractive football the club also has an international reputation for nurturing young talent through the West Ham United Academy. The team has a huge following with over 800,000 fans registered on the club’s database and a 35,000 capacity stadium at the Boleyn Ground at Upton Park, which is regularly sold out. This support base was instrumental in West Ham United being selected as the preferred club to move into the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 London Games, offering an increased capacity of 60,000. CPLG Sport has represented the club since 2006 and in that period has increased the number of licensees from nine to over thirty, with sales of licensed goods increasing ten-fold. A wide range of categories are covered and licensees include Aykroyds/TDP, Danilo, Home Win, Bafiz, Scoredraw and Grange. Product ranges recently added include personalised stationery and birthday product, souvenir seed gift sets and toiletries.

Fulham FC is another football club with a proud history and strong support; the club is based at one of the game’s most iconic venues – Craven Cottage next to the Thames – and has enjoyed an unbroken tenure in the top flight of English football that stretches back to 2001. CPLG Sport has been able to use the club’s prestige and popularity to build up an impressive programme, with several licensees already on board, including BrandCo for apparel, Refuel for headwear, Home Win for a core supporter range and DB Publishing in publishing. New deals are also in the pipeline for DVD’s, photographic prints and personalised birthday products.

St Andrews Links is acknowledged around the world as the Home of Golf – a venue where the game has been played for over 600 years and a brand unparalleled in the history of the game. CPLG Sport has developed an impressive commercial programme, which takes the brand to golfers across the world through official partner, supplier and licensee relationships. Licensed product categories currently include men’s and women’s apparel, timepieces, writing equipment, golf accessories, video games, golf simulators and mobile phone apps, with licensees including prestigious names such as Montegrappa & Elmo, Brooks Brothers and EA Sports.

The latest partner to join the programme is CMC Golf Europe Ltd, which has secured worldwide rights to produce a range of St Andrews Links-branded golf accessories.

Engage Super League is the elite division for Rugby League in Europe and features fourteen teams battling it out over the course of a 27-round summer season of fixtures to reach the eight-team play-off series. Attendances across the board have risen year on year since 2001 and with two games each week broadcast live on Sky Sports, the game reaches huge television audiences The play-offs culminate in the Grand Final, which is held every year at Old Trafford and is one of the most eagerly anticipated annual events in European sport. From a traditional power base in Northern England, Engage Super League is now strengthening its position through successful clubs in London and France and with the Rugby League World Cup being played in England and Wales in 2013, the licensing community is increasingly looking to tap into the competition’s popularity. CPLG Sport has worked with Super League to create a dynamic new licensing style guide and product already licensed has included gifts, celebration cakes and annuals.

CPLG Sport is proud to also represent the World Rally Championship, the Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team, French Football Federation, UK Sport, Scotland Football and the Fédération Equestre Internationale.

“We are bringing some real sporting energy to BLE 2011 and will be looking to talk with potential partners interested in taking advantage of commercial opportunities with our fantastic range of properties,” says Nicola Lord, Senior Commercial Manager, CPLG Sport.