Ryder Cup director Richard Hills confirmed that representative organisations in Austria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Turkey had lodged an interest in hosting the golf extravaganza by the August 31 deadline.

Official bids are now due to be submitted by February 16 and the host nation is expected to be confirmed next autumn.

“We are absolutely delighted at the level of interest we have received from across Europe in respect of hosting the 2022 Ryder Cup and we welcome each and every one of the seven letters of intent, each received through the respective national golf association, in accordance with bidding regulations,” Hills told reporters.

The Ryder Cup implemented a bidding process for the historic Europe versus USA team tournament for the first time for the 2018 event, which was secured by France ahead of rival bids from Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.

“The implementation of this kind of formal bidding process for the 2018 Ryder Cup marked a new era for us all at Ryder Cup Europe, and this take-up for 2022 shows that the introduction of a fair, transparent and objective methodology has been welcomed across the continent,” Hills added.

“Not only that, we feel it is a process which befits a sporting event of the stature of the Ryder Cup and, as we have consistently stated, the key criteria in place will enable us to evaluate each bid equally on both its sporting and commercial merits while, at the same time, allowing us to judge each bid fairly, thoroughly and on a level playing field.”

The biennial event rotates between Europe and the US, with the UK and Ireland having staged all of the European matches so far apart from in 1997, when Andalusia in Spain was the host.

The 2014 Ryder Cup will take place at Gleneagles in Scotland from September 26-28. In the US, Minnesota’s Hazeltine Golf Club and Whistling Straits in Wisconsin will hold the 2016 and 2020 editions, sandwiching the event’s debut in France in 2018 at Le Golf National in Paris.

The first edition of the International University Beach Games will take place from November 30 to December 8 and feature athletes from across the world.

The CBDU national university body in Brazil will work alongside FISU in helping to organise the event, which will attract athletes between the ages of 17 and 28 years old.

The event will feature six sports – beach volleyball, beach football, beach handball, beach rugby, beach triathlon and surfing – with some places reserved for Brazil-based students. Other places will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis and the organisers will accept more than one application per country.

All participants and guests will be accommodated at the Hotel Ritz Lagoa da Anta. Maceio is situated about 100km south of Recife and is the capital and the largest city of the coastal state of Alagoas.

FISU is a member of SportAccord, the umbrella organisation for more than 100 international sports federations and bodies.

SportAccord is planning to launch a beach event of its own next year as part of its strategy to expand its multi-sport events division. Brazil is also understood to be in the running to host the inaugural SportAccord World Beach Games next year, with the United States and United Arab Emirates also interested.

Earlier this week, FISU launched the bidding process for the 2021 Winter and Summer editions of the Universiade, the governing body’s flagship biennial event.

Interested parties have until March 1, 2015 to submit their bidding forms and bidding fees before working sessions are held with the applicant cities from April 1 to September 30 and the final bid books are delivered to FISU next autumn.

The summer edition of the Universiade will take place in Gwangju, Korea in 2015, Taipei City in Chinese Taipei in 2017 and Brasilia in Brazil in 2019. The Winter Universiade will be held in Granada, Spain in 2015, Almaty, Kazakhstan in 2017 and Krasnoyarsk, Russia in 2019.

Members of the Commission recently completed a visit to the country to check on progress ahead of the event. In addition to touring competition venues, the visiting party also observed presentations from a number of BEGOC representatives.

“There is a fantastic team here in Baku and this visit has given us an opportunity to meet many of the new members of staff who are all working hard to make the inaugural European Games a world-class event,” Commission chairman Spyros Capralos said.

“Significant work has been achieved over the past year and a half and the continued efforts to innovate, particularly with regards the sports programme, is very impressive.”

The programme for the Games has been wrapped up, with the martial art of sambo being added to complete the 20-sport schedule.

Capralos added: “The European Games will make history for European sport and it is vital that BEGOC continues its excellent progress in preparing for Europe’s first continental multi-sport Games.”

During the visit, BEGOC chief executive Azad Rahimov, who is also Azerbaijan’s Minister of Youth and Sports, officially opened the new Baku 2015 headquarters.

“We can sense the growing levels of excitement and anticipation here in Baku,” he said. “We are confident that each and every venue at next year’s Games will host enthusiastic fans enjoying the experience of elite European sport.”

In June, the European Olympic Committees’ president, Patrick Hickey, described the “scale and pace of development” in Baku as “remarkable”.

The European Olympic Committees Coordination Commission will make its final visit to Baku to check on preparations in February 2015.

The Games will run from June 12 to June 28 next year.

The company was selected following an international tender process.

Under its partnership with Rio 2016, Eventim will provide a ticketing platform for Brazilian and international customers. The company has previous Olympic experience having served the 2006 and 2014 winter Games, in Turin, Italy and Sochi, Russia, respectively. 

Rio 2016 runs from August 5-21, with the Paralympic Games following from September 7-18. A total of nine million tickets are expected to be issued across the event’s sporting programme.

Eventim said: “In its partnership with Rio 2016, Eventim will continue to contribute to the Olympic and Paralympic movement by providing a robust, state-of-the-art ticketing platform, building on those which have been delivered for Torino 2006 and Sochi 2014 and embracing technological and operational know-how.

“Through their cooperation, Eventim and Rio 2016 shall ensure the delivery of a fair and transparent system for the distribution of tickets for Brazilian and international customers.”

Rio 2016 last month marked the two-year countdown to the opening of the Olympic Games by vowing that the delays and cost overruns which hit preparations for the 2014 Fifa World Cup will not be repeated.

Brazil’s staging of the World Cup was widely judged to be a major success, but the build-up saw significant delays in the delivery of stadia and price increases in preparing the venues.

This led to fears over Rio 2016, but local organising committee chief executive, Sidney Levy, told the Bloomberg news agency: “The time has come for the Brazilian people to deliver something on time, on budget, with full transparency. We can always fail, but that’s what we are willing to do.” 

Rio 2016 said construction across the four competition zones stood at 55 per cent completion on August 5.

In advance of his presentation at HOST CITY: Bid to Win, Carlos Nuzman says Rio’s regeneration will outshine that of any previous host city.

For more information about attending HOST CITY: Bid to Win, visit www.bidtowin-hostcity.net

Under the capital city’s proposals, Berlin would utilise its Olympiastadion – the centrepiece when it last hosted the Games in 1936. Elsewhere, plans focus on the use of land at the still-operational Tegel airport, which will close down when Berlin’s new international airport opens.

Tefel is about a 15-minute drive from the north-west of Berlin city centre, while land at the centrally located and defunct Tempelhof airport would be used alongside a selection of existing sports venues.

Hamburg’s proposal focuses on the Kleiner Grasbrook area, roughly a 10-minute walking distance from the city centre. A newly-built Olympic stadium would be downsized to a 20,000 capacity after the Games and the Athlete’s Village would serve to address Hamburg’s housing shortage.

DOSB president Alfons Hörmann said that the decision to pursue the Olympic Games would have to accommodate any possible bid by the German Football Association (DFB) to host the Uefa Euro 2024 national team championship.

“Following the discussion process we will decide if we apply with Berlin or Hamburg and, where appropriate, at what time for the Olympic Games,” he said. “This will be done in close coordination with our affiliates, for example because of the possible application of the DFB for the European Championship in 2024. It is important to again be aware that we are at the beginning of a long process, whose clear aim is to bring the Olympic Games to Germany. But the crucial prerequisite for this is clear approval of the affected citizens and all social groups.” 

A bid from Germany would join a potentially strong field for the 2024 Olympic Games, with Paris, Rome, Baku, Doha, Dubai and Istanbul primed to enter the race alongside a South African bid. The US Olympic Committee is set to put forward one of Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco or Washington D.C. from its candidate cities.

Munich hosted Germany’s last summer Olympics in 1972, with Berlin having previously hosted in 1936. Berlin entered a bid for the 2000 Games, but was eliminated in the second round of voting with Sydney eventually awarded the event. Hamburg had put itself forward for the 2012 Games only for Leipzig to be chosen as Germany’s candidate. Leipzig was then defeated as the event went to London.

The DOSB has yet to announce a deadline over a decision on which city to back or if Germany will target the 2024 Games or the next edition in 2028.

The companies, which were involved in the UAE’s bid to host the historic exhibition, are currently undertaking site readiness activities, and will advise the Dubai Expo 2020 Higher Preparatory Committee in a number of areas.

The Committee said that the two companies had been appointed due to their “successful involvement” with the original masterplan, their detailed knowledge of the project and experience of working on other major events.

The host location will be a 438-hectare site that stretches from Dubai Trade Centre to Jebel Ali and comprises a 150-hectare Expo area plus hospitality, logistics and accommodation facilities.

HOK and Arup will work on the Expo masterplan comprising the urban design and engineering, landscaping, signage, overlay, sustainability, transportation, logistics, facility management and event operations.

Construction work will begin when the Bureau of International Expositions, the governing body of the World Expo, approves the plan, with a decision expected by November 2015.

The plans will correlate with Dubai’s ‘Smart City’ agenda, with the Expo site being designed to serve as a prototype for information and communications technology innovations, particularly in education and entertainment.

The exhibition site is designed to accommodate up to 300,000 visitors, with average week-day attendance expected at 153,000.

“Expos have been home to some of the world’s most landmark structures, from the Crystal Palace in London to the Eiffel Tower in Paris,” the Committee’s Managing Director, Reem Al Hashimy, said, according to Gulf Business.

“Dubai is committed to building on this tradition and making the entire site an experiential environment that fully embodies the essence of our theme ‘connecting minds, creating the future’.”

Committee Member Helal Almarri added: “The masterplan design and execution is driven by a clear vision for its legacy, integrating sustainable urban development with opportunities to foster economic and social development for the emirate, for the country and for our region.”

Dubai overcame Ekaterinburg (Russia), Izmir (Turkey) and Sao Paulo (Brazil) to secure the hosting rights in November last year.

The exhibition site will be designed to accommodate up to 300,000 visitors, with average weekday attendance at the six-month event, which will run from October 2020 to April 2021, likely to be about 150,000.

Cities around the world are currently expressing their interest in hosting future World Expos, with the hosts of the International Exposition in 2023 and Universal Exposition in 2025 expected to be determined over the next two to three years.

Uefa, football’s European governing body, will announce the host cities for the Euro 2020 tournament following a meeting on September 18 in Geneva, Switzerland.

The tournament will be staged in multiple cities across Europe, with widespread reports indicating that Wembley will be allocated the most prestigious package comprising the competition’s three biggest games.

England’s main rival for the top package had been Germany, but the latter is reportedly considering dropping its attempt to secure the top games at Euro 2020 in favour of launching a bid to host the Euro 2024 edition in its entirety.

Now Horne has suggested that England would be interested in following up hosting the finale of Euro 2020 by staging the full tournament in 2028 for the first time since 1996.

“We're really confident with our bid,” Horne said, according to the Daily Mail newspaper.

“We know what the Germans have been saying. We know that they're thinking about 2024, but nothing has been confirmed.

“I'm not going to dwell on their politics. I'm expecting that they're not going to push very hard for 2020. They've made it very clear they want 2024.
“I wouldn't rule out looking at Euro 2028 for a full tournament bid.”

Wolfgang Niersbach, the head of the DFB, the sport’s governing body in Germany, said: “We still have the two options – to host the final rounds or four matches in the group stage. Our decision is open.

“We have a wonderful relationship with the England FA, but I am totally convinced that we will have both Wembley and Munich on the land map for Euro 2020.”

England lost out to Germany in bidding to host the 2006 Fifa World Cup and then crashed out in the first round of voting for the hosting rights to the 2018 World Cup, which was ultimately secured by Russia.

Germany’s anticipated bid for Euro 2024 is likely to be challenged by Turkey, which withdrew its bid for Euro 2020 games in April and announced that it would focus on the following edition of the event in 10 years’ time.

The International Rugby Board, which has governed Rugby Union under that name since 1886, is to be known as World Rugby from 19 November as part of a rebrand that underlines the organisation’s commitment to global inclusivity. 

The rebrand is linked to the governing body's stated mission “to build a stronger connection with fans, players and new audiences worldwide.”

"In a crowded global entertainment and sporting marketplace, the role of the IRB has evolved from Game regulator to Game inspirer," said IRB Chief Executive Brett Gosper.

"With this we must continue to appeal to those who know and love the sport and its heritage, while attracting, engaging and inspiring those who have no connection with the sport across multiple cultures and languages around the world.

"World Rugby collectively has the ingredients and tools to do just that. Rugby’s global appeal is founded and positioned on its unique character-building values and inclusive ethos and we want everyone to feel connected with the sport and Rugby’s ongoing success story." 

Further details of the new brand, including the new logo, will be revealed at the IRB World Rugby Conference and Exhibition, which takes place in London on November 17-18. 

"This move is more than just a name change, it is a mission statement,” said IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset. 

"Rugby continues to thrive, reach out and engage new audiences and participants in record numbers and the IRB has been at the heart of that growth. We are committed to furthering that growth beyond our traditional family and fan base with a public that expects to be entertained, informed and interacted with.”

Worldwide participation in rugby is has tripled to reach 6.6 million players over the past four years. The IRB cites the Rugby World Cup and the inclusion of rugby sevens in the Olympic Games as contributing factors, coupled with development strategies and record investment.

The rebrand also opens the opportunity for launching new event properties. "World Rugby clearly aligns our name with our mission and allows us to organise new and existing consumer facing properties in a way that they will be more impactful and more appealing to the sport's growing global fan base," said Lapasset. 

The branding and positioning of Rugby World Cup 2015 will remain unchanged. 

To read an exclusive interview with IRB / World Rugby CEO Brett Gosper, register to receive the next issue of HOST CITY magazine for free. 

To register for the 2014 World Rugby Conference and Exhibition at the Hilton Metropole, London, visit www.irb.com/confex

A new golf tournament in Mauritius will become the first tri-sanctioned event to be endorsed by the sport’s European, Asian and Sunshine Tours.

The three Tours, which are all founding members of the International Federation of PGA Tours, have confirmed that the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open will take place at the Heritage Golf Club on the island from May 7-10, 2015.

The 138-man field, comprising at least 40 professionals from each of the participating Tours plus qualifiers and local invitees, will compete in a 72-hole stroke play championship, with the results counting towards the individual Tours’ orders of merit and world ranking points.

The tournament illustrates the improving relationships between various Tours, which have increasingly explored co-operations since the European Tour began co-sanctioning tournaments with the Sunshine Tour – then called the South African PGA Championship – in the mid-1990s.

Next month, the European Tour and PGA of America will co-sanction the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles in Perthshire, Scotland.

One of the benefits of co-sanctioning events is that such an approach can boost a tournament’s prize fund, and the total €1 million ($1.34 million) purse on offer for the Mauritius Open is likely to attract a string of top golfers.

Selwyn Nathan, executive director of the Sunshine Tour, described the deal as “groundbreaking” while Asian Tour Chief Executive Officer Mike Kerr said that the tournament would represent a “milestone” for the Tours.

European Tour chief operating officer and director of international policy Keith Waters said: “Golf is a major part of Mauritius’ tourism strategy and through the support of the sponsors the tournament will showcase the island to a worldwide television audience as part of the 2015 Race to Dubai.”

The Heritage Golf Club, which will host the event, is operated by Rogers Group, which operates extensively in the local tourism industry and has about 4,000 employees.

AfrAsia Bank has signed up as the title sponsor of the event.

Berlin and Hamburg are interested in bringing the Summer Olympics to Germany for the first time since Munich hosted the 1972 Games, and the former has confirmed that it will submit its answers to a questionnaire sent out by the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) by the end of this week.

“We will answer the questionnaire of the DOSB and will then unveil our concept on September 1,” Wowereit told a press conference. “I am confident that we will answer those questions well. After that there will be a vote for all Berliners to decide. We want the widest possible support for this.”

The DOSB questionnaire contains 13 questions covering aspects such as venue locations, event goals, finances and transport infrastructure.

However, Wowereit will not oversee the possible realisation of Berlin’s Olympic ambitions after confirming at the press conference that he will step down as Mayor on December 11 after 13 years in office.

Wowereit, who has been widely criticised for delays and the spiralling cost of developing the unfinished Brandenburg Airport in Berlin, added: “I am leaving voluntarily and I'm proud to have made my contribution to the positive development of this city.”

It is unclear whether the departure of Wowereit may influence Berlin’s potential bid for the Games, but a spokesperson for his office told HOST CITY: “It was unexpected. We are all very surprised here.”

Berlin previously staged the summer Olympics in 1936, but failed in a bid for the 2000 Games after being eliminated in the second round of voting, with Sydney in Australia ultimately emerging victorious. The DOSB also opted to support Leipzig rather than Berlin for a tilt at the 2012 Olympics, although London in Britain eventually secured the hosting rights.

Other potential bidders for the 2024 Games include Baku (Azerbaijan), Doha (Qatar), Dubai (UAE), Istanbul (Turkey), Paris (France) and Rome (Italy) with South Africa also mulling over a possible bid and the US set to select an applicant city from a shortlist comprising Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington DC.