The esports organisation of British Manchester United footballer Jesse Lingard – Jlingz Esports – have partnered with Australia and New Zealand esports organisation The Chiefs Esports Club.
The two-year-deal will be focused on ‘global growth and expansion of both brands, shared knowledge and collaborative efforts across some partners, and the development of an international esports academy pathway for aspiring esports talent’.
Initially, the two orgs will focus on partner collaborations. They currently share a mutual competitive title in Rainbow Six Siege.
Currently, The Chiefs are the back-to-back-to-back 3x title holders of the Oceanic National Championship and recently came first in the APAC Pro League: South Division playoffs, while Jlingz esports compete in the Rainbow 6 Siege UK Ireland Nationals Second Division, which yesterday was confirmed again for 2022.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs are currently competing against the top 16 teams in the world in the Six Sweden Major from November 8th to 14th.
Related article: Rainbow Six Siege Sweden Major: UK coach GiG to stand in for player at last minute
More details regarding the Esports Academy will be revealed in the coming months. Both parties are aspiring to develop competitive pathways for players, but also educational pathways for staff, recognising the lack of international opportunities currently available for other areas of esports management.
Jesse Lingard said: “I’m hugely excited for this partnership. Everyone knows I want to compete at the highest level in everything I’m involved in, and The Chiefs are perineal winners in the esports space so joining forces was an amazing opportunity.
“We’re both dedicated to the development of our teams on the international scene which will allow us to connect to global audiences and fans which for me is really exciting.
“We’re also committing to the development and creation of opportunities for young aspiring esports athletes at the grassroots level, so together we’ll be able to create and offer something previously not seen which we can all be proud of. It’s a really exciting time for both our organisations and I cannot wait to get started.”
“I’m hugely excited for this partnership. Everyone knows I want to compete at the highest level in everything I’m involved in, and The Chiefs are perineal winners in the esports space so joining forces was an amazing opportunity.”
Jesse Lingard, Jlingz Esports
“This partnership will open global opportunities for both clubs that will enable us to authentically connect with international fans,” added Nick Bobir, CEO of The Chiefs.
“We are very excited to combine the expertise from esports and elite traditional sports. For us this is a step towards bridging the gap between the two regions, and creating more opportunities for teams, players, and brands.”
Jesse Lingard’s esports team Jlingz Esports were formed a few months ago.
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
