news and press

13/11/2008 5th November 2008 Essentially Group has entered into...

Essentially Group has entered into a joint venture with the Fast Moving Signage Company Limited. more

10/11/2008 Acquisition of rugby player management business in South Africa

Essentially Group Limited today announces that it has acquired the management contracts and management team of 40 South African rugby players. more

04/11/2008 Masters Appoints Essentially Group as Exclusive Commercial Marketing Agency

Essentially Group Limited today announces that it has been appointed by Masters Historic Racing (Masters) on an exclusive basis, to develop its commercial strategy and sponsorship opportunities. more

29/10/2008 "The Sun" reports Essentially''s acquisition of Arundel

Sun City 3rd September 2008 more

29/10/2008 International Rugby Board (IRB) extends Essentially event management contract for a further 4 years

Essentially has had its event management contract for the prestigious IRB Awards extended until 2012. more

29/10/2008 Essentially Group acquires Arundel Promotions Limited

Essentially Group Limited has acquired Arundel Promotions Limited, one of the leading cricket and football sports personality and event management businesses in the UK. more

20/10/2008 Essentially Australia – Adam Cooney

Essentially Australia is proud to announce that Adam Cooney has taken out the Australian Football Leagues most prestigious award for 2008: The Brownlow Medal. more

06/10/2008 Red Hot Penny Shares – October 2008 article

"[Essentially’s] record so far bodes well and with the shares on such a low rating I rate them as a buy." more

30/09/2008 IRB Awards Press Release

2008 sees the IRB Awards Ceremony returning to London... the highlight of the rugby calendar. This year tables are available for sale... more

25/09/2008 Essentially client Dan Carter touches down in Perpignan

Link to French language video news report. more

02/09/2008 Essentially acquires Arundel Promotions Limited

Essentially Group Limited ("Essentially" or the "Group"), the AIM listed full service sports marketing, media, management and professional services Group, today announces that it has acquired Arundel Promotions Limited ("Arundel"), one of the leading cricket and football sports’ personality and event management businesses in the UK. more

21/08/2008 Captain''s Christmas Lunch

Following the success of last year’s Sportsman’s lunch featuring Alec Stewart and Jason Leonard, Arundel Promotions, which is now a part of Essentially Group, are busy planning this year’s event and would like you to note this event in your diary as one that is not to be missed... more

11/08/2008 Essentially Group''s delight at Nicole Cooke''s Gold

Essentially Group Ltd (AIM: ESN.L), the full service sports marketing agency is please to announce that its long term client Nicole Cooke kicked off Great Britian’s medal haul on Sunday by taking the 200th GB Gold medal in a rain soaked Women’s road race in Beijing. Cooke is managed by the Essentially Group Management Division alongside clients such as New Zealand Rugby Union star Dan Carter. more

12/05/2008 Invesco Perpetual Appointed IRB Junior World Championship 2008 Principal Partner

The International Rugby Board and Welsh Rugby Union have announced the appointment of leading fund management firm Invesco Perpetual as principal partner of the inaugural IRB Junior World Championship in Wales from June 6-22. more

08/04/2008 The Professional Jockeys Association Appoint Essentially

The Professional Jockeys Association (PJA) announces the appointment of Essentially as exclusive sponsorship agency. more

11/02/2008 11/02/08 Essentially benefits from IPL and change in the Idian cricket market

Essentially Group (RIC: ESN), the AIM-listed provider of sports marketing, management and media services, through Athletes 1 Group, part of its athletes management division, with offices in London, Mumbai and Melbourne, is pleased to announce the signing of 14 of the 50 players to the BCCI controlled Indian Premier League 20/20 cricket competition for 2008 and beyond. more

23/01/2008 23/01/08 Sponsorship deal for ING Renault F1 team gauteng provincial government contract

Essentially Group Ltd (AIM: ESN.L), the full service sports marketing agency, is pleased to announce that it has brokered a partnership (the "partnership") between the ING Renault F1 Team, a high profile client of Essentially,and the Gauteng Provincial Government ("Gauteng"), South Africa’s largest province incorporating Johannesburg and Pretoria. more

07/01/2008 Essentially Group Welcomes Macarenhas and Finn

Essentially Group is pleased to welcome on board Dimitri Mascarenhas and Steve Finn as clients of the athlete Management division. more

07/01/2008 Canadian Tourism Commission announces official partnership with Cirque du Soleil

The Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC), has announced that it will partner with Cirque du Soleil’s™ newest show Varekai™, premiering at London’s Royal Albert Hall this Tuesday, the 8th January, 2008. more

20/11/2007 HSBC to be Principal Partner to British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa in 2009

HSBC will be the Principal Partner to the British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa in 2009; it was formally announced at a function at HSBC’s global headquarters in Canary Wharf, London today. more

14/11/2007 Cockspur Rum

Cockspur Rum to become Official Spirit of English Test Match Grounds and extend Cockspur Cup sponsorship with ECB more

21/09/2007 Frontiers Group announce National Trust and Yorkshire Bank sponsorship agreement

Frontiers Group have announced that Yorkshire Bank has been unveiled as the National Trust’s ’Outdoor Programme’ sponsor, supportingEurope’s largest conservation charity by funding environmental initiatives and projects in its gardens. more

07/09/2007 Rugby World Cup

Essentially Group’s Accelerate subsidiary is managing the Rugby Town facility under the Eiffel Tower in Paris. more

05/04/2007 Jockey Sponsorship deal for Dan Carter

Essentially, the AIM listed full service sports marketing and media group, announces that its wholly owned subsidiary Global Sports Management ("GSM") has negotiated a major new sponsorship deal with more

05/02/2007 Motorsport Business Restructuring

Essentially Group, the AIM listed provider of sports marketing, management and television production services, today announces the restructuring of its motorsport business that includes a name change and the appointment of a Chief Executive Officer. more

18/01/2007 Accelerate to advise Lions

Essentially Group, the AIM listed provider of sports marketing, management and television production services, announces that its wholly owned subsidiary Accelerate Sport and Music has been appointed as exclusive broker and manager to represent the commercial interests of the British and Irish Lions ("the Lions") on their forthcoming tour to South Africa in 2009. more

Essentially acquires Arundel Promotions Limited

About Arundel
Established in 2004 by Alec Stewart OBE, England’s most capped cricketer, and Alan Smith, a highly respected former football manager and coach, Arundel provides management services to leading sports personalities, predominantly in the sports of cricket and football. Cricket clients of Arundel include Paul Collingwood MBE (England and Durham), Ian Bell (MBE England and Warwickshire), Ashley Giles (MBE England and Warwickshire), Matt Prior (England and Sussex), and Sajid Mahmood (England and Lancashire). Football clients of Arundel include Gareth Southgate (ex-England and now manager of Middlesborough FC), Chris Coleman (ex-Wales, ex-Fulham FC and now Coventry City FC manager) and John Salako (ex-England and Charlton FC). In addition Arundel create and own bespoke corporate events, including the JLT Twenty20 City Masters, England XI v Rest of the World at the HAC Club.

Reason and Consideration for the Acquisition
Arundel is one of the leading sports consultancies in cricket and football and compliments Essentially’s existing high profile cricket management business, which includes clients such as Graham Smith, Mark Boucher and Jacques Kallis (all South Africa), Ricky Ponting (Australia), Justin Langer (Australia), Chaminda Vaas (West Indies), Dimitri Mascarenhas (England), Liam Plunkett (England) and Daniel Vettori (New Zealand). Alec Stewart’s stature in cricket and the quality of Arundel’s client list will combine with Essentially’s global network and client services to increase Essentially’s market leading position in cricket, a sport which has developed rapidly into a highly commercial international business through successes including the development of the IPL league in India and the Stanford Twenty20 competition. In addition, the involvement of Alan Smith provides Essentially with a platform in football and compliments Essentially’s growing roster of football clients which include Rory Delap (Stoke City), Ryan Taylor (Wigan Athletic), Freddie Sears (West Ham) and Aaron McLean (Peterborough United). Both Alec Stewart and Alan Smith have signed 3 year agreements with the Group to manage the successful integration and help grow the enlarged Essentially business.

Commenting on the acquisition of Arundel, Bart Campbell, CEO of Essentially, said:
"We are delighted to welcome Alec Stewart and Alan Smith to Essentially – we strongly believe that their offering is complimentary to our existing structure and global reach in international cricket. This transaction further consolidates our position as one of the world’s leading cricket businesses and we look forward to maximising the opportunities in what is rapidly becoming a very high profile sport with the rise of Twenty20 and the increase in cricket’s global appeal to sponsors and broadcasters alike. We remain on course to build Essentially into a significant marketing and media company in our core areas of undoubted sports business expertise."

Alec Stewart, Director of Arundel, commented:
"Essentially’s position and strength in the commercial and management world makes a perfect partner for Arundel Promotions. With the ever increasing interest of Twenty20 cricket and the Ashes contest series in 2009, the opportunities for the business, and most importantly for our present and new clients, are very exciting."

For further information please visit http://www.essentiallygroup.com or contact:

Essentially Group Limited
Bart Campbell, Group CEO
Alec Stewart
Tel: +44 (0)20 7820 7000

Notes to Editors:
About Essentially
Essentially is listed on AIM (RIC: ESN) and is a leading independent sports marketing, media, management and services agency. The business is split into three divisions: sports marketing comprising rights sales, consultancy and events management; athlete management; and professional services which includes tax, image rights and other related services. Strong and focussed positioning in its core sports of expertise including rugby union (clients include the 2009 British and Irish Lions, the Magners League, Rugby World Cup 7’s 2009, Welsh Rugby Union) and cricket (clients include all Test Match Grounds, MCC, the Professional Cricketers Association), provide a strategic platform for growth and market expertise. Essentially also enjoys a strong reputation in Formula One motorsport working for and with the ING Renault team, Red Bull racing and Williams f1.