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The new advertisers come on board following Scrum.com's appointment of Sports.com as its exclusive ad sales and sponsorship partner. Sports.com will receive a share split of ad revenue generated.

The deal has attracted other key brands, including HSBC-owned bank First Direct, to run ad slots on Scrum.com, while Land Rover is using placements on the site as part of an online push for its new Range Rover model (Revolution, 8 May, p8).

"This deal gives us excellent access to all the clients and agencies involved in the sporting world,

said Paul McFarland, chief executive at Scrum.com. "From an advertiser's point of view, Scrum.com is very targeted. Rugby has always had quality brands associated with it."

Scrum.com's partnership with Sports.com is part of a revitalisation of the site being put into action by McFarland after he bought the company from Sportal in January for less than £100,000 (Revolution, 16 January, p5).

McFarland was previously managing director at Scrum.com until early-2000, when Sportal bought it outright.

Sports.com has similar advertising sales and sponsorship deals in place with the online properties of European football club giants including Manchester United, Juventus and Real Madrid CF.