金融時報:橄欖球場上的馬云

所屬教程:金融時報原文閱讀

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2021年10月05日

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掃描二維碼方便學習和分享

橄欖球場上的馬云

這項讓人熱血沸騰的運動，能否抱住馬云的“大腿”，在中國變得流行？

測試中可能遇到的詞匯和知識：

rugby英式橄欖球['r?gb?]

multimillion數(shù)百萬[m?lti'milj?n]

tournament錦標賽，聯(lián)賽['t??n?m(?)nt]

off-pitch場外的

collaborate合作；勾結(jié)[k?'l?b?re?t]

sporadically零星地；偶發(fā)地[sp?'r?d?kli]

Alibaba's Jack Ma tackles rugby in China （395words）

By Tom Mitchell in Beijing

Alibaba chairman Jack Ma, a relatively recent investor in China's surging football industry, is now hoping to promote another English import after signing a development and sponsorship deal with World Rugby.

Under the agreement, announced on Sunday, the e-commerce group's sports division said it would make a “l(fā)ong-term multimillion US dollar investment in the development of rugby in China”.

“We encourage young people to join rugby to cultivate the spirit of being strong-willed, aggressive, acquisitive and unified,” said Zhang Dazhong, chief executive of Alisports.

The deal was announced at the annual Hong Kong Sevens, the world's premier seven-a-side tournament that is as famous for its off-pitch parties as it is for the on-pitch action.

In exchange for its support of the sport, Alisports will be given exclusive rugby broadcast rights for its internet platform. The partners will also collaborate to help China host more international rugby events.

Alisports was established by Alibaba in September with minority investors including Sina and Yunfeng Capital, a private investment vehicle controlled by Mr Ma.

“This deal will ensure an unprecedented platform for rugby to reach, engage and inspire new participants across China,” said Bernard Lapasset, World Rugby chairman.

Alibaba, the most famous of China's “big three” internet groups, is one of the country's most acquisitive companies, using its cash to snap up assets as diverse as Chinese football clubs and Hong Kong newspapers.

It owns 38 per cent of Evergrande Taobao FC, a successful club based in the southern city of Guangzhou. Recent investments by Chinese billionaires such as Mr Ma and Wang Jianlin, chairman of the Dalian Wanda property and entertainment group, have begun to change the face of international football.

Mr Ma, 51, is China's second-richest man with a fortune estimated at $22.7bn, according to the annual Hurun report. He was previously the country's richest man before being surpassed by Mr Wang, whose wealth grew by more than 50 per cent last year. In 2015, Mr Wang paid $52m for a 20 per cent stake in Spain's Atlético Madrid.

But it is far from certain that Chinese tycoons such as Mr Ma can do for rugby what they have done for football, given its much lower profile in the world's most populous country.

China has been represented only sporadically at the Hong Kong Sevens by teams that have often been beaten heavily by other minnows.

請根據(jù)你所讀到的文章內(nèi)容，完成以下自測題目：

1.Where is the birthplace of rugby?

A.America

B.England

C.China

D.Australia

答案(1)

2.How many players are on the court for Hong Kong Sevens?

A.15

B.5

C.7