A Black Country sports agency has expanded its international presence by opening a third office. Sporting Group International has opened a new base in Dublin to work alongside its HQ in West Bromwich and team in New Delhi.
The agency works with a host of brands including Aston Villa sponsor Cazoo, gambling website betting.bet and sports news website DafaNews. The new office in Dublin will lead the company's European business and be led by group chief executive Adrian Wright who will shortly be joined by a new European head of sponsorship.
Sporting Group International says the expansion follows recent deals for six front-of-shirt commercial partnerships for football clubs in leagues across Europe.
Mr Wright previously spent 12 years in senior commercial roles with West Bromwich Albion and Birmingham City and also served as president of Black Country Chamber of Commerce for a two-year tenure.
He said: "We're proud of the strong progress Sporting Group International has made in the last two years. With the business supporting several global brands and multiple top tier football clubs across the European leagues, it's essential that we expand our presence across the continent.
"The Dublin office is our first expansion since the development of the office in India six years ago but we have big ambitions to expand into other markets and to develop the Sporting Group International work around the world."
In India, the agency has supported the development of Super League football by brokering several club commercial partnerships, delivering managerial appointments and undertaking management services for professional footballers.
The group also delivers grassroots football projects in New Delhi that support 700 children each week. Earlier this year, the firm completed the purchase of fourth tier India football club Sporting Club Bengaluru, with former India striker Robin Singh recruited to support its challenge for promotion.
Mr Wright added: "The development of football in India is an incredibly exciting proposition. Not only is there huge popularity in the English Premier League but the sport is being used as a vehicle to support positive change due to the ease of participation.
"The Super League has a huge part to play in widening the profile of the sport."
