Just as you thought you’ve read enough about the almighty “Trav Ball” carnage, think again. With the first Test of the Ashes wrapping up in only two days, this week has been a mammoth week for sports news, on and off the field.
The long-awaited Ashes finally kicked-off last Friday, in Perth. After a long seven years Optus Stadium finally got its first ever chance to host an Ashes test match. Unfortunately, for the stadium that has a capacity of 60,000, the match lasted all of two days, thanks to some phenomenal bowling, and a simply magnificent innings from fill-in Aussie opener, Travis Head.
Tasked with chasing 205 on a pitch that heavily favoured the bowlers and a freshly formed opening pair, no one gave the Aussies a sniff. In fact, Fox and its viewers only gave the Australians a 20 per cent chance of winning.
But in came a determined Head , who put on what can only be described as a white-ball masterclass. The South Australian belted 123 runs off a mere 83 balls to guide his side to a very handy one-nil lead in the series.
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Not only was this the first victory of the series, it was the first Ashes Test match victory for the Aussies with the big red W emblazoned on the front of the guernseys.
Welcome back to B&T’s Spotlight on Sponsors series, where we break down all the major sponsorship news from inside the sporting world.
Westpac weren’t the only ones having fun this week, Cronulla have finally got a new, fitting, stadium naming rights sponsor since Pointsbet announced its departure, The Bonds Flying Roos (co-owned by Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds) unveiled two major new partners, Basketball Australia, NBL and WNBL has partnered with Social Protect, an online safety platform and McGuigan Wines is giving a lucky cricket fan a once-in a lifetime opportunity to watch the Ashes and get paid for it.
Cronulla Sharks x Ocean Protect
The Sharks have finally named “Shark Park”, inking a three-year stadium naming rights partnership with Ocean Protect.
The incumbent, PointsBet, back in June, announced that it would not renew its naming rights sponsorship of the Cronulla Sharks stadium past the conclusion of 2024. The stadium was known as “Sharks Stadium” for the entirety of the 2025 season.
Over more than two decades, Ocean Protect has established itself as a solutions-driven organisation dedicated to stopping stormwater pollution from entering Australia’s oceans and waterways.
The partnership, commencing in 2026, is a natural fit given Ocean Protect’s commitment to safeguarding Australia’s coastal environments, including the iconic shores that are central to the Sharks community.
Ocean Protect was welcomed aboard with a media launch at Cronulla Beach on Tuesday. Marking the occasion were Sharks Group CEO Dino Mezzatesta; Ocean Protect CEO Michael Wicks; NRL head coach Craig Fitzgibbon; NRL players Blayke Brailey and Toby Rudolf; NRLW players Emma Verran and Jada Taylor; and Sharks Immortal and ‘Escape Fishing with ET’ host Andrew Ettingshausen.
Mezzatesta heralded Ocean Protect’s inclusion in the club’s corporate family as a milestone moment.
“It’s a significant day as we join forces with Ocean Protect, emphasising our commitment to collaborating with impactful and innovative organisations,” said Mezzatesta.
“Our stadium is surrounded by iconic waterways, so we feel strongly about Ocean Protect’s incredible work to ensure our beaches, bays and rivers are kept clean for all to enjoy.”
Kylie Lucas, Sharks general manager of partnerships and hospitality, added, “We look forward to celebrating plenty of on-field success at Ocean Protect Stadium throughout this exciting long-term partnership.”
”This is a full-circle moment for me and for Ocean Protect. I’ve been a lifelong Sharks supporter, growing up in the Sutherland Shire and playing in the junior rugby league for years, including some games at Ocean Protect Stadium,” said Michael Wicks, CEO of Ocean Protect.
”The company started here in the Shire 23 years ago, and to have our name on the stadium now feels surreal.
”This is a significant and meaningful milestone in Ocean Protect’s journey, bringing our love for healthy waterways together with the spirit of sport,” said Harout Tcherkezian, Director and General Manager (NSW & ACT) of Ocean Protect.
“I’m proud of our mission and even prouder to share it with the Sharks, whose passion and energy match our own.”
With signage to be unveiled imminently, Ocean Protect Stadium will be officially christened as the Sharks’ new home with a Round 1 NRL clash against the Titans on Saturday, March 7, 2026.
Earlier this week another iconic venue, The ICC, also picked up a new name.
Bonds Flying Roos x monday.com & Blueberry
The Bonds Flying Roos have unveiled two major new partners, with monday.com and Blueberry joining title partner Bonds in multi-year deals commencing at the Abu Dhabi Grand Final of SailGP. The partnerships mark a significant step in powering the team’s continued success as they chase their record fourth title in the global sail racing series.
To celebrate the team’s momentum on and off the water, the Roos have released a video with co-owners Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds.
The video features Jackman, Reynolds and Bonds Flying Roos Driver and CEO Tom Slingsby giving fans a primer on SailGP and Team Australia. It captures the speed, intensity and national rivalries behind SailGP’s 50-foot foiling catamarans, underscoring why the league delivers some of the most exciting racing in the world.
“We feel a tremendous responsibility to keep the Bonds Flying Roos on top of the SailGP leaderboard. With monday.com’s elite planning, Blueberry’s surgical trading precision and Bonds comfy and somewhat waterproof skivvies, we feel like we’re well-positioned heading into the Abu Dhabi Grand Finale. We have also been told the boat, team and captain matter so hopefully those work out as well,” commented new co-owners Jackman and Reynolds.
Software company monday.com joins as the team’s official global work management partner. Renowned for building products people love to use to manage the core of their work, monday.com will support the operational tempo of a team that moves people, equipment, and content production across continents. By unifying workflows across performance planning, team logistics, content production, repairs, and race-week execution, the AI-first platform will streamline collaboration and keep the Bonds Flying Roos performing at championship pace both on and off the water.
“Championship teams aren’t defined only by what happens on race day; they’re defined by everything they execute between events. The Bonds Flying Roos run one of the most demanding operations in sport, with performance data, logistics, and content all moving at incredible speed. monday.com brings all of that into one place so the team can stay aligned, move faster, and stay focused on winning,” said monday.com, chief marketing officer, Harris Beber.
“We’re thrilled to support them as they push for another title.”
Australian-founded online trading platform Blueberry enters as the official online trading partner of the team. With ambitious growth plans, Blueberry sees SailGP as the perfect arena to connect with global audiences that value precision, agility and high-stakes decision-making, qualities shared by the elite Bonds Flying Roos athletes and smart traders.
“Our partnership with the Bonds Flying Roos marks a major milestone for Blueberry as we expand our global footprint. As a proud Australian brand, we’re thrilled to team up with one of Australia’s most successful and dynamic sporting outfits,” added Blueberry CEO, Dean Hyde.
“The Bonds Flying Roos constantly demonstrate dedication, determination, and an unrelenting will to win, values we share at Blueberry. We look forward to this exciting journey together and to delivering memorable experiences for our clients worldwide.”
Founded in 2019 by Sir Russell Coutts and Larry Ellison, SailGP pits 12 national teams against each other in identical foiling F50 catamarans, hitting speeds over 100 km/h just metres from shore in iconic harbours worldwide. Under Slingsby’s leadership, Australia has dominated the Rolex SailGP Championship, with three titles in four seasons and now looks to cement a historic fourth championship as the BONDS Flying Roos with its new co-owners.
“To head into the Grand Final with the support of Bonds, monday.com, and Blueberry is something special for our team. We’ve worked hard all season for this moment, and we can’t wait to leave it all out there as we push for a fourth title for Australia,” said Slingsby.
The team will debut its new partners at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix 2025 Season Grand Final presented by Abu Dhabi Sports Council, from November 29–30, where Slingsby’s crew will compete for a place in the winner-takes-all Grand Final and a USD 2 million (AUD $3.1 million).
NBL & WNBL x Social Protect
The National Basketball League (NBL) and Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL), alongside Basketball Australia (BA), have partnered with Social Protect, an online safety platform helping athletes, teams and organisations protect themselves from social media abuse and harmful online interactions.
Social Protect will become the official online safety partner of the NBL and WNBL, providing players, coaches and officials with access to tools and education designed to monitor, detect and delete online harassment and abuse across social platforms.
Social Protect’s real-time platform automatically identifies and removes abusive comments across Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Discord by tracking over two million abusive words and phrases in more than 100 languages. It also provides individuals with a “Quarantine Zone” to review removed comments and escalate serious threats to league officials and/or law enforcement when needed.
Users can also create custom keywords and set filtering controls to tailor protections around personal preferences. The platform’s Education Hub further equips athletes with practical resources to strengthen digital security, manage privacy and engage positively online. Social Protect creates a safe space for fans to engage.
David Stevenson, NBL Group CEO, said the partnership reinforces the league’s commitment to player well-being and inclusion across all levels of the game.
“The well-being of our players and the wider basketball community is always our highest priority. Partnering with Social Protect allows us to proactively address one of the biggest challenges facing athletes today and provide real, tangible protection from online abuse. It’s a partnership that reflects our values as a league: inclusion, respect, and care for the people who make our sport what it is.”
Jennie Sager, WNBL CEO, said creating an online environment where athletes, especially female athletes, can express themselves knowing they have strong, proactive support behind them is important.
“Female athletes are targeted with nearly 20 per cent more online abuse than their male peers, and 85 per cent say it impacts their well-being. That’s a reality we refuse to ignore. Our partnership with Social Protect is a decisive step in standing up for our players. It gives them the tools, protection and confidence they deserve, so they can own their voice online, and not be silenced by those hiding behind keyboards.”
Shane Britten, founder and CEO of Social Protect, added, “Basketball brings people together, and social media should do the same. We’re proud to help the NBL and WNBL take a stand for player safety by creating digital spaces where athletes can connect with fans, share their stories and play their part in the community, free from the toxicity that too often shadows sport. This partnership is about empowering every player to feel safe, supported and in control online.”
The partnership extends across the NBL, WNBL and NBL1 competitions, ensuring athletes, coaches and referees throughout the NBL Group ecosystem are supported through Social Protect’s cutting-edge monitoring and well-being technology.
Cricket Australia x McGuigan Wines
The Ashes have returned to Aussie soil, and one cricket fan will land a job most people can only dream about: getting paid to watch the action, rate the atmosphere and raise a glass.
McGuigan Wines, the official wine partner of Cricket Australia, is on the hunt for an official Ashes vibe master—a once-in-a-lifetime role for one cricket and wine lover to attend both the Boxing Day Test at the MCG and the New Year’s Test at the SCG, plus a guest.
The successful applicant will compare Melbourne and Sydney, rating each city on atmosphere, energy, costumes, chants and celebrations before delivering their verdict on which crowd reigns supreme.
With Boxing Day tickets long sold out, the role offers a rare opportunity to step out from behind the barbecue and into two of Australia’s most iconic sporting moments, whilst getting paid for it.
The position includes a $1,000 salary, a $1,000 travel allowance, tickets for two to both Tests, access to the McGuigan Fan Zone and official merch to wear proudly in the stands.
All fans need to do to put their hat in the ring is simply explain in 100 words or fewer why they deserve to be the official Ashes vibe master.
“The Ashes isn’t just cricket; it’s the heartbeat of the Australian summer,” said Alyssa Kane, senior brand manager at McGuigan Wines.
“Tickets are like gold dust—for most fans, seeing it live even once is a bucket-list moment. We wanted to find out which city delivers the ultimate experience so that, if you only get to go once in your life, you know you’re picking the Test with the biggest atmosphere. From the roar of the MCG to the buzz of the SCG, this is about celebrating the fans who make it magic.”
This summer also marks McGuigan’s first Ashes series as the official wine partner of Cricket Australia, celebrating the rivalry with Fan Zone activations and a limited-edition Black Label Red featuring a co-branded Cricket Australia design, available nationally throughout the series.
“As partners of Cricket Australia, we’re not just celebrating the Ashes; we’re celebrating the Aussie fan,” added Kane. “From the limited-edition Black Label Red to the fan zones at the Tests, this is our way of saying: bring your voice, your team colours, your city pride, and we’ll bring the drop.”
“They say if you love your job, you’ll never work a day in your life. For this role, that might just be true. You’ll need stamina, strong opinions and sunscreen – and for once, you’re allowed to drink on the job.”
Think you’ve got what it takes? Apply now by heading to the McGuigan website.
