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BRIEFING PACK
RUGBY UNION
C
caytoo
CONTENTS: RUGBY UNION BRIEFING PACK
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3
WHAT IS RUGBY UNION? 7
FACTS AND FIGURES 9
FINANCIALS 11
PARTICIPATION 13
ATTENDANCE 17
MEDIA COVERAGE 19
COMMERCIAL PARTNERS 21
RESEARCH AND INSIGHT 24
CLUBS 27
ATHLETES, REFEREES, COACHES 31
GOVERNING BODIES 39
COMPETITIONS 42
NEWS STORIES 46
3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 Rugby’s rich pickings for brands Rugby Union has been increasing in popularity, partly off the back of the success of the England national sides, the men famously lifted the World Cup in 2003 (and were runners-up in 2007) as did the women in 2014 (and runners-up in 2017). The England’s men’s team is currently ranked 4th in the world, the women 2nd. According to Sport England’s Active Lives Report, Rugby Union is the fifth most popular team participation sport in the country (behind football, cricket, basketball and netball) with 246,200 adults aged 16+ playing twice a month. A World Rugby report says there are 382,154 registered players in England. Premiership Rugby reported that 23 million people engage with rugby in the UK alone, as either players, coaches or spectators. Women’s rugby is also one of the fastest growing sports in the world. HSBC’s Future of Rugby report said that 500,000 new women were picking up the sport annually. Even if this growth were to slow slightly, it would mean that by 2026, 40% of those playing Rugby Union will be women. Rugby Union is also an extremely popular sport within higher education - 16% of players in England are 18-24 years old, a figure higher than both football and cricket. It’s also extremely popular in schools, partly due to the RFU’s All Schools programme, an initiative founded off the back of the 2015 World Cup, which sees 750 state schools getting involved. The scheme also aims to get children involved with local clubs, and is sponsored by commercial real estate and investment firm CBRE. CBRE is just one of a multitude of financial-related firms who use the sport as a vehicle because it tends to attract a higher-income demographic than other major team sports. Investec, Old Mutual Wealth Management (now Quilter) and Natwest have been sponsors of the sport’s governing body, the Rugby Football Union (RFU). American risk management and insurance group Gallagher recently secured a multi- year business and marketing partnership with Premiership Rugby (the elite men’s league), which includes a title sponsorship deal. They took over from Aviva Insurance while Allianz sponsor current men’s and women’s champions Saracens. These themes continues in international tournaments. The Royal Bank of Scotland and Natwest have been sponsors of the sport’s biggest annual tournament - the Six Nations (contested between England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, France and Italy). HSBC has been the title sponsor of the World Rugby Sevens Series since 2014. The likes of QBE Insurance Group, Ernst & Young and Aberdeen Asset Management have been
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5 involved with the British & Irish Lions - a tour, every four years, made up of the best players from the home countries, which is considered a career pinnacle. However, it’s not just financial brands who tap into rugby. Guinness, IBM and O2 have been RFU sponsors. Ricoh, Land Rover and Citizen are Premiership sponsors while crisp brand Tyrell’s sponsor the Women’s Premiership and beer brand Greene King IPA sponsor the men’s Championship. Heineken sponsor the European Cup (known simply as the Heineken Cup), the sport’s version of football’s Champions League, while Land Rover and DHL have also been involved with the Lions. In a similar vein to cricket, and unlike football, the international scene dominates the sport rather than the club game, with viewing figures reflecting this balance. Around 4.41 million people watched live Premiership matches on BT Sport during the 2016-2017 season - a 13% rise on the previous one. In contrast, 12.6m people tuned in to watch France v England in the 2016 Six Nations competition, aired on BBC One. The women’s 2017 world cup final between England and New Zealand attracted 2.6m viewers on ITV prime-time. For broadcasting international games, the BBC own the rights for the men’s Six Nations while ITV will broadcast the 2019 men’s World Cup. For domestic Premiership games, BT Sport has a deal that runs until 2021 but Channel 5 shows five games a season. Channel 4 outbid Sky Sports to show 2018-2019 Heineken Cup games in a free-to-air deal that sees them share coverage with BT Sport. Another opportunity to tap into Rugby Union’s increasing appeal comes from the “Sevens” form of the game - a much shorter, faster and intense version involving just seven players and seven-minute halves. Seven million play this version globally, which puts a premium on athleticism and pace, and in 2016 it was included in the Olympics. This has seen the sport reach countries that otherwise wouldn’t participate in rugby and it is calculated that $100m is to be released in funding for the sport globally. Despite the growth of the game and the abundance of premium sponsors, the sport’s finances are far less assured. The RFU made a whopping £29.4m in 2017 through sponsorship from brands and, following the 2015 World Cup on English soil, the body had a nice financial cushion. However, according to their 2017 annual report, the RFU was £6m in debt and reports suggest there could be up to 100 redundancies in the summer of 2018. The RFU is not the only ones facing financial difficulties. Despite the big deal with Gallagher, many of the Premiership clubs are teetering on the edge of a financial fallout, many clubs have posted debts, with Saracens (current men’s and women’s
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 6 champs) reportedly £45m in the red and Worcester reporting an £8m loss for the last tax year. Exeter are reportedly the only team not “haemorrhaging” money. This is despite the clubs having a large number of sponsors, partners and suppliers. In terms of player’s pay, unlike football, the salary paid for both club and country is similar. The average salary for a Premiership rugby player is £200,000, whilst England test match fees are between £17,000 - £22,000. This year also saw the return of contracts to the women’s XV players. Whilst the pay will not be the equivalent to the men’s, this is a huge step in levelling the playing field as the RFU decided to withdraw the women’s contracts in the build up to the 2017 World Cup. The rising popularity of rugby, particularly the women’s game, its relative lack of controversy and scandal compared to other sports, and the potential financial issues, mean there’s plenty of opportunities for other brands to join and help the party, not least through CSR initiatives - as highlighted by CBRE and the All School’s campaign. Another opportunity recently emerging is the idea of a single club diversifying into other sports. Wasps rugby team is setting up a netball team to compete in the domestic game’s premier competition - the Vitality Superleague. If this is to become more common place, it offers a real opportunity for brands to become involved with two, or more, sports through one club.
7 WHAT IS RUGBY UNION?
WHAT IS RUGBY UNION? 8 Description Rugby Union is played by two teams of 15 players. The aim of the game is very simple - use the ball to score more points than the other team. You can run with the ball, kick it and pass it, but passing forwards is not allowed. Rugby Union is a contact sport, so you can tackle an opponent in order to get the ball, as long as you stay within the rules. There is a referee, aided by two touch judges (one on each side of the pitch), to decide how the rules should be applied during a game. There are several ways to score points: • Try - five points are awarded for touching the ball down in your opponent’s goal area. • Conversion - two points are added for a successful kick through the goalposts after a try • Goalkick - three points are awarded for a penalty kick or drop goal through the posts If both teams score the same amount of points, or no points are scored, then the match is a draw. In some cases, extra time is played to decide who wins. Players • Men • Women • Disability (including Wheelchair) Formats • 15-a-side • 7-a-side • 12-a-side • 10-a-side • Beach Rugby The rising popularity of rugby, particularly the women’s game, its relative lack of controversy compared to other sports, and the potential financial issues, mean there’s plenty of opportunities for brands to harness. Alongside this, the game itself has adapted to provide an alternative faster, more exciting version for the less die-hard rugby fan - Sevens - which became an Olympic sport in 2016. There’s also Wheelchair Rugby, played indoors on a regulation-size basketball court by teams of four, which is a popular Paralympic sport.
9 FACTS & FIGURES
FACTS AND FIGURES 10 Global • 15 million - players around the world within a decade, most coming through sevens. • #1 - New Zealand are the top ranked men’s and women’s team • 2nd - England women world ranking, England men are 4th World Cup • 2.47 million - 2015 tickets sales - a record for the tournament • 2 - Wembley Stadium recorded two consecutive Rugby World Cup attendance records in 2015 • 20 - teams, 19 match officials, 6,000 volunteers, 11 host cities, and 13 match venues in 2015 Olympics • 12 - teams will compete for medals in both the men’s and women’s competitions at Tokyo 2020. • Silver - won by GB Men in 2016, Fiji won gold, and South Africa claimed bronze. • 2016 - Women’s competition was won by Australia, Canada won bronze and New Zealand silver. England and the other home nations have a strong presence in the world of Rugby Union. Both the England men’s and women’s teams have won the World Cup within the last 15 years and both are currently in the world’s top five teams. Excitement about rugby will continue to mount ahead of the men’s World Cup in September next year in Japan.
11 FINANCIALS
FINANCIALS 12 Global • World Rugby delivered a record investment in women’s 15s and sevens in 2016 • Better-than-forecast revenues were achieved by World Rugby in 2016, in line with financial targets through to 2020 • £266m - is anticipated to be invested between 2016 and 2019 • £69m - a record investment during 2017 to support strategic development and performance programmes, including support of tier two unions on the road to Rugby World Cup 2019. GB • £12.6 million - invested by Sport England into the RFU in 2017 • £6m - RFU operating loss in 2017, reflecting the RFU’s commitment to invest all profits into rugby. • £99.6m - RFU record investment in rugby as a whole, rise of 11% over previous year • 100 - redundancies expected in the summer of 2018 at the RFU to cut costs • £50 million - turnover generated by Scotland Rugby for the first time in 2016/17 • £200,000 - Average Premiership salary, 15% more than the PRO 14 (2016/17) • £17,000 - £22,000 - England players Test Match appearance fee - the highest in international rugby (bonuses on top) • £52,800 - player bonuses if Wales had reached the 2015 World Cup final with £39,900 in guaranteed earnings • £5,300 - Welsh players earn per game with image rights payment of £1,500 per player There’s been an increasing amount of revenue coming into the sport over recent years - particularly due to the World Cup being held in England in 2015 culminating in the RFU investing almost £100m into rugby in 2017. Scotland Rugby had a record turnover in 2016/17 and the elite professionals are earning more than at any point in the history of the game. However, financial fragilities are apparent with the RFU’s loss and redundancies and many Premiership clubs in debt.
13 PARTICIPATION
PARTICIPATION 14
Top 10 Participating Countries
2.1M
164K
ENGLAND
SCOTLAND
634K
190K FRANCE
IRELAND
191K
FIJI
1.7M
USA
138K
ARGENTINA
669K
AUSTRALIA
467K
SOUTH AFRICA
150K
NEW ZEALAND
0-250K 250-500K 500K+
NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS
SOURCE: WRU (2016)PARTICIPATION 15
Playing Percentage
of Countries
Countries based on top 10 IRB Men’s Rankings
3%
ENGLAND 3%
SCOTLAND
1%
4% FRANCE
IRELAND
2.3%
WALES
20% FIJI
0.5%
ARGENTINA
2.7%
AUSTRALIA
1%
SOUTH AFRICA
3%
NEW ZEALAND
0-2.5% 2.5-5% 5%+
POPULATION PERCENTAGE
SOURCE: WRU (2016)PARTICIPATION 16 Global • 2017 - A record number of girls and boys were introduced to rugby • 9.1 million - men, women and children playing the sport in World Rugby member unions worldwide. • 25%+ - of participants are women and girls • 500,000 - Women’s rugby is a fast growing sport adding • 6 million - female players by 2026, 40% of all players • Rapid growth in emerging rugby markets such as China, Colombia and Belgium • 2026 - rugby could be played in over 150 countries Britain and Ireland • 246,200 - played at least twice a month (2016/17) • 49,265 - registered players in Scotland in 2016 • 946 - female players aged 11-25 introduced to the sport since Scottish Rugby’s #BeTheBestYou campaign in 2017 • 139% - rise in competitive girls’ fixtures • 101,922 - registered in Ireland in 2016 • 83,120 - registered in Wales in 2016 Rugby is now played in more countries around the world than ever before, boosted by record funding through various global initiatives. In fact each continent is represented in the 10 nations with the most registered rugby players. Domestically, the sport has seen huge increases in participation, particularly among women and children and it’s now the fifth most popular team participation sport in the country (behind football, cricket, basketball and netball).
17 ATTENDANCE
ATTENDANCE 18 World Sevens Series • 734,000 - fans attended World Cup Sevens 2018, San Francisco • 100,000+ - fans attended Rugby World Cup 2015, England • 51,621 - average attendance Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017, Ireland • 45,412 - people attended over 30 matches, with 17,115 attending the final Six Nations • 72,000 - Average attendance per game in the 2015 season - with a total attendance of 1,080,000 over the 15 games. Women’s Six Nations • 17,440 - world record crowd attended France Women’s clash with England in Grenoble (2018) Gallagher Premiership • 22,879 - highest average attendance (Leicester Tigers 2017/18) • 14,191 - average attendance (2017/18) Tyrrells Premier 15s • 2,057 - Final (2018) PRO14 • 10% - rise in attendances (2017/18) • 46,092 - record attendance at 2017/18 final According to a report by UEFA, Rugby Union accounted for two of the four biggest global sporting events by average attendance per game - the Six Nations (top at 72,000) and the World Cup (4th at 51,621) - with the NFL and football’s World Cup being the other two.
19 MEDIA COVERAGE
MEDIA COVERAGE 20 Gallagher Premiership • 2015 - BT Sport agreed a four-year broadcast extension deal until 2020-2021. • 4.41 million - had viewed the first half of the 2016/17 Premiership season on BT Sport Greene King IPA Championship • 2020 - Broadcasted on Sky Sports Tyrrells Premier 15s • 2017/18: Broadcasted on Sky Sports PRO14 • 147 - all regular season matches will be shown live, in addition to the play-offs and tournament final (2018) • Premier Sports have UK rights • Eir Sport have Ireland rights Six Nations • 2016-2021 - BBC and ITV share rights • 1.3 million - viewers for Ireland’s grand slam victory over England (2018) • 125 million - live viewing figures (2016) • 8,341,487 - Average viewing per game (2016) • 140 million - audiences watching on television and on-line (2015). Increase of 12% on 2014 Women’s Six Nations • 2.2 million - record viewers across TV and streaming over first two weekends in six countries (2017) • 15 - matches broadcast in 100 countries around the world (2017) The Six Nations is one of the few remaining premier sporting events still on terrestrial TV and will remain that way until at least 2021 on BBC and ITV. Channel 4 outbid Sky Sports to show the 2018-2019 Heineken Cup games in a free-to-air deal that sees them share coverage with BT Sport. Despite being on BT Sport (Channel 5 does show five games a season), Premiership matches still have good viewing figures and were rising 13% annually at the end of last season. And it’s not just the men, the women’s 2017 world cup final between England and New Zealand attracted 2.6m viewers on ITV prime-time.
21 COMMERCIAL PARTNERS
COMMERCIAL PARTNERS 22
Governing Bodies
RFU
• Quilter, O2, Canterbury, Sky Sports, Vitality, Guinness, Mitsubishi Motors, IBM,
NatWest, Secure Trading, Pennyhill Park, Adidas, Britvic, Tyrrells, Virgin Active,
Eden Park, Gilbert, Rhino, Bollinger, Dove, CBRE, Greene King
IRFU
• Vodafone, Canterbury, Guinness, Ulster Bank, Aviva, Sport Ireland, Aer Lingus,
PwC, Volkswagen, Aon, Intersport Elverys, Aldi, Dove Men+Care, DHL, Eden
Park, Gilbert, Black Rock Expert Services, Women In Sport, Glenisk, LeasePlan,
Tipperary Crystal, Kelkin, Vivomed
WRU
• Isuzu, Principality, Under Armour, Admiral, Dove Men+Care, Heineken,
Guinness, Brains, BBC Sport, S4C, ACE: Feet in Motion, Brogue Trader,
PAS PRO ISO, Gilbert, Peter’s Foods, Prince’s Gate, Rhino, T.M. Lewin,
Sinclair Mercedes-Benz, Ticketmaster, Gullivers Sports Travel, Seatwave,
Events International Ltd
SRU
• BT, Macron, Royal Bank of Scotland, BBC Sport, Tennent's Lager, AG Barr,
Guinness, Crabbies Alcoholic Ginger Beer, Eden Mill, Vitality, Dove Men+ Care,
News Scotland, Gilbert, G4S, Gullivers Sports Travel, Elior, Healthspan Elite,
Cashback 4 Communities, SportScotland, Smile Plus Dental Care,
Spire Murrayfield Hospital, Mitsubishi Motors, Roseberry Tailoring, iPro Sport
Financial-related sponsors pile into the sport because it tends to attract a higher-
income and well-educated demographic than other major team sports, however,
the likes of automotive and alcohol brands are also well-represented. But it’s not
just global sponsors, rugby club’s close links with their local communities means
regional and locally-based firms can also benefit from the association with a
hard-fought and honourable game.COMMERCIAL PARTNERS 23
Gallagher Premiership
Sponsors 2018/2019
Who is sponsoring the top 12 rugby teams?
CONSUMER GOODS HOME APPLIANCES
BUILDING
LOGISTICS
BANKING
DIGITAL SERVICES
AUTOMOTIVE
SOURCE: GALLAGHER PREMIERSHIP.24 RESEARCH & INSIGHT
RESEARCH AND INSIGHT 25 “An evaluation of the effectiveness of rugby event sponsorship: a study of Dove Men+Care and the Welsh Rugby Union” Robert James Thomas (2014) Content: The aim of this work is to evaluate rugby fans’ attitude towards financial sponsorship, specifically event sponsorship and Dove Men+Care and its association with the Welsh Rugby Union. Key Insight: • Lack of brand awareness on the part of the participants • A collective perception of the sponsor as incongruent • Demonstration of enmity arising from rival sponsorships by the sponsoring brand • A reluctance to consume the sponsoring brand in either the short or long term • ‘The findings enable marketing brand managers to effectively evaluate events against the backdrop of strategic fit, as well as fan/consumer expectations, their needs and wants and willingness to engage.’ “The Future of Rugby: An HSBC Report” (2016) Content: Predictions until 2026, including the new audiences, players and countries in rugby. Key Insight: • In the next decade rugby is expected to continue to grow, particularly in sevens and womens rugby - World Rugby has seen a 60 per cent increase in participation globally since 2013, with females now making up a quarter of all players worldwide. RFU Annual Report 2017 Content: 2016/17 highlights, a strategic report, directors’ report, financials, and values. Key Insight: • 2.5 million enjoying rugby, 2,000 rugby clubs, 1,350 secondary schools playing competitive rugby, 110 colleges playing competitive rugby, 130 universities playing competitive rugby, and helped by a volunteer workforce of over 100,000. • Values: Teamwork, Respect, Enjoyment, Discipline, and Sportsmanship • Strategic Priorities: Protect, Engage, Grow, and Win (innovation, people, and technology are recognised as ‘enablers’)
RESEARCH AND INSIGHT 26 RFU Gender Pay Report 2018 Content: The difference in pay between male and female RFU employees. Key Insight: • This report is part of the RFU’s strategy introduced in July 2017 in which Diversity is prioritised • ‘We are confident the pay gaps are not an equal pay issue – men and women are paid equally for equivalent roles at each level of the organisation.’ • ‘Our pay gaps are due to a higher concentration of men in our senior roles – and in particular in our elite rugby senior coaching and management roles.’ Various initiatives have been underway by rugby bodies around the world to drive participation and interest in the sport as well as organising itself more effectively on a commercial and marketing basis. The general consensus is that these have been a success and the sport will continue its rise, particularly as more women and children get involved and the sevens version brings the sport to a wider base.
27 CLUBS
CLUBS 28
Premiership 2018/19
Teams for the upcoming season
Bath Bristol Bears
Promoted 2017/18
Exeter Gloucester
Harlequins Leicester Tigers
Newcastle Falcons Northampton Saints
Sale Sharks Saracens
Winners 2017/18
Wasps Worcester WarriorsCLUBS 29
Tyrells Premier 15s 2018/19
Teams for the upcoming season
Bristol Ladies Darlington Mowden
Park Sharks
Firwood Waterloo Gloucester-Hartpury
Ladies Women’s RFC
Harlequins Ladies Loughborough Lightning
Richmond FC Saracens Women
Winners 2017/18
Wasps FC Lades Worceter ValkyriesCLUBS 30
Greene King IPA
Championship 2018/19
Teams for the upcoming season
Bedford Blues Cornish Pirates
Doncaster Knights Ealing Trailfinders
Hartpury College Jersey Reds
London Irish London Scottish
Nottingham Richmond
Coventry Yorkshire Carnegie
Promoted 2017/18
Saracens have been dominant in European rugby in recent times, having won two
of the last three editions of the Champions Cup. North London-based Saracens
are also the current men’s and women’s champions in the elite English leagues.
Another opportunity recently emerging is a single club diversifying into other
sports. Wasps rugby team is setting up a netball team to compete in the domestic
game’s premier competition - the Vitality Superleague. If this is to become more
common place, it offers a real opportunity for brands to become involved with
two, or more, sports through one club.31 ATHLETES, REFEREES & COACHES
ATHLETES, REFEREES AND COACHES 32
England Men’s Rugby Squad
Test Series squad selection in South Africa (2018)
Elliot Daly Mike Brown Jonny May
25k 56k - 146k 122k - 27k -
Henry Slade Owen Farrell (C) George Ford
27.2k 73.8k - 185k 197k - 63.6k 104k -
Ben Youngs Mako Vunipola Jamie George
93.7k 66.4k - 42k 56.6k - 20k 46.5k -
Kyle Sinckler Maro Itoje Nick Isiekwe
10.3k 28.2k - 50.7k 148k 10k 1.9k 8.2k -
Chris Robshaw Tom Curry Billy Vunipola
240k 136k 392 2k 7.4k - 48.6k 80.6k -
Luke Cowan-Dickie Joe Marler Harry Williams
12.3k 13.4k - 47k 31.6k - 2.1k - -
Brad Shields Nathan Hughes Ben Spencer
6.1k 18.2k - 6.9k 50k - 5.8k 5.6k -
Piers Francis Danny Cipriani Denny Solomona
1.6k 4.5k - 163.1k 175k - 9.2k 22.4k -ATHLETES, REFEREES AND COACHES 33
England Women’s Rugby Squad
Six Nations squad selection against France (2018)
Ellie Kildunne Abigail Dow Rachael Burford
979 3.5k - 199 - - 8.2k 7.5k -
Amber Reed Danielle Waterman Katy Daley-Mclean
3.3k 1.2k - 10.5k 6.7k - 2.3k 7.3k -
Leanne Riley Vickii Cornborough Amy Cokayne
1.5k 1.5k - 0.5k 0.5k - 1.1k 1.3k -
Sarah Bern Abbie Scott Tamara Taylor
1.2k 1.2k - 1.2k 2.4k - 4.6k 1.2k -
Poppy Cleall Marlie Packer Sarah Hunter (C)
0.8k 2.5k - 5.2k 3.2k - 9.8k 3.3k -
Lark Davies Rochelle Clark Justine Lucas
0.3k 0.8k - 2.5 - - 1k 1.1k -
Rowena Burnfield Izzy Noel-Smith Caity Mattinson
- - - 2.6k 1.2k - 0.7k 0.9k -
Lagi Tuima Charlotte Pearce
0.9k 0.5k - 0.2k 0.5k -ATHLETES, REFEREES AND COACHES 34
England 7s Women’s Rugby Squad
World Cup squad selection in San Francisco (2018)
Holly Aitchinson Claire Allen Jess Breach
- 2.2k - 4.6k 2.5k - 1.1k 3.5k -
Abbie Brown (C) Heather Fisher Vicky Fleetwood
3.7k 7.3k - 10.2k 6.5k - 6.4k 21.7k -
Deborah Fleming Natasha Hunt Alex Matthews
0.7k 2.4k - 6.6k 4k - 2.6k 1.4k -
Sarah McKenna Emily Scarratt Amy Wilson-Hardy
1k 1k - 12.6k 8.3k - 4.4k 10k -ATHLETES, REFEREES AND COACHES 35
England 7s Men’s Rugby Squad
World Cup squad selection in San Francisco (2018)
Phil Burgess Alex Davis Richard de Carpentier
3.3k 2.1k - 1.7k 1.9k 1.4k 2.3k 2k -
Will Edwards Mike Ellery Harry Glover
0.8k 0.3k - 1.8k 1k - 0.2k 1.5k -
Ollie Lindsay-Hague Ruaridh McConnochie Tom Mitchell (C)
6k 4.5k - 1.2k 2k - 8.1k 8.1k -
Will Muir Dan Norton James Rodwell
0.4kk 1k - 13.2k 12k 3.2k 8k 1.6k 0.7kATHLETES, REFEREES AND COACHES 36 English Award Winners • England Men’s Player of the Year 2018 - Mako Vunipola (Saracens) • RPA Young Player of the Year 2018 - Marcus Smith (Harlequins) • England Women’s Player of the Year 2018 - Danielle Waterman (Wasps) • Men’s Sevens Player of the Year 2018 - Ruaridh McConnochie (Bath) • Women’s Sevens Player of the Year 2018 - Alex Matthews (Richmond) • Premiership Winners 2018 - Saracens • Premiership Player of the Year 2018 - Vereniki Goneva (Newcastle Falcons) • Premiership Top Try Scorer 2018 - Vereniki Goneva (Newcastle Falcons) • Premiership Top Points Scorer 2018 - Owen Farrell (Saracens) • Tyrells Premier 15s Winners 2018 - Saracens Women • Tyrells Premier 15s Top Try Scorer 2018 - Marlie Packer (Saracen Women)
ATHLETES, REFEREES AND COACHES 37
Top Men’s Coaches
Eddie Jones Simon Amor
England England Sevens
Rob Baxter Chris Boyd
Exeter Chiefs Northampton Saints
Mark McCall Paul Gustard
Saracens Harlequins
Dai Young Alan Solomons
Wasps Worcester
Dave Walder Pat Lam
Newcastle Falcons Bristol Rugby
Matt O’Connor Johann Ackerman
Leicester TIgers Gloucester Rugby
Todd Blackadder Steve Diamond
Bath Rugby Sale SharkATHLETES, REFEREES AND COACHES 38
Top Women’s Coaches
Simon Middleton James Bailey
England Women England Sevens
Kim Oliver Justin Loveridge
Bristol Ladies Darlington M.P Sharks
Giles Hegarty Susie Appleby
Firwood Waterloo Gloucester-Hartpury
Ladies Women’s RFC
Gary Street Rhys Edwards
Harlequins Ladies Loughborough
Lightning
Jonathan Griffin Roy Davies Giselle Mather
Richmond FC Worcester Valkyries Wasps FC Ladies
Top Referees
Joy Neville
Nigel Owens Wayne Barnes
2017 World Referee of the Year
There are plenty of top male and female performers that could be utilised by a
brand to enhance their image and attract potential customers. And, unlike many
other leading team sports, there tends to be little off-field controversy, making
it a more risk-free environment for brands. The strength of women’s rugby is
exemplified here by the awards for female players, separate coaching staff for
women’s teams, and the first female winner of the World Rugby Referee Award,
Joy Neville, in 2017.39 GOVERNING BODIES
GOVERNING BODIES 40
Structure
GLOBAL
IWBF
REGIONAL
RUGBY AFRICA RUGBY AMERICAS NORTH RUGBY EUROPE
ASIA RUGBY SUDAMERICA RUGBY OCEANIA RUGBY
BRITAIN AND IRELAND
WELSH RUGBY UNION IRISH RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION
SCOTTISH RUGBY UNION ENGLISH RUGBY FOOTBALL UNIONGOVERNING BODIES 41 RFU CEO/MD: Stephen Brown Key Contact: Simon Massie-Taylor (Chief Commercial Officer) Email: rfu@therfu.com Phone: +4402088316699 or 0871 222 2120 Facebook: @OfficialEnglandRugby Twitter: @EnglandRugby Instagram: @englandrugby IRFU CEO/MD: Philip Browne Key Contact: Padraig Power (Director of Commercial and Marketing) Email: info@irfu.ie Phone: +353 (0) 1 647 3800 Facebook: @irishrugby Twitter: @IrishRugby Instagram: @irishrugby WRU CEO/MD: Roger Lewis Key Contact: Craig Maxwell (Head of Sales and Marketing) Email: info@wru.co.uk Phone: +442920822201 or 0844 249 1999 Facebook: @WelshRugbyUnion Twitter: @WelshRugbyUnion Instagram: @welshrugbyunion SRU CEO/MD: Mark Dodson Key Contact: Toni Blackhurst (Head of Marketing & Sponsorship) Email: feedback@sru.org.uk Phone: +441313465000 Facebook: @scottishrugby Twitter: @Scotlandteam Instagram: @scotlandteam
42 COMPETITIONS
COMPETITIONS 43
Global Competitions
Competition Gov.Body Gender National/Club Date
HSBC World Rugby Both National Oct 2018
Sevens Series
Rugby World Cup Men National Sept-Nov 2019
Olympic Games
Both National July-Aug 2020
Sevens
Women’s Rugby
Female National 2021
World Cup
Commonwealth Both National 2022
Games Sevens
Sevens Rugby
Both National 2022
World CupCOMPETITIONS 44
Regional Competitions
Competition Gov.Body Gender National/Club Date
PRO14 Men Club Aug-May 2018
European Rugby
Champions Cup Men Club 2018/19
European Rugby
Men Club 2018/19
Challenge Cup
European Beach Five
Both National 2018/19
Rugby Championships
Six Nations Both National Feb-March 2019COMPETITIONS 45
English Competitions
Competition Gov.Body Gender National/Club Date
Gallagher Premiership Men Club Aug-June 2018
Tyrells Premier 15s Women Club 2018/19
Greene King IPA
Men Club Aug-April 2018
Championship
Premiership 7s Men Club July-Aug 2019
Rugby Union’s season is very similar to that of football, running from August to
June and there is an impressive range of national, regional, and global rugby
competitions, each offering a wide array of sponsorship opportunities covering all
budgets. For example, the Premiership has at least eight partners including title
sponsor Gallagher. Indeed, one of the biggest issues facing the sport today is how
to manage the increasingly cluttered calendar of matches that players face.46 NEWS STORIES
NEWS STORIES 47 Women’s rugby in Scotland on the rise July 2018 read more The rugby team kit with 18 sponsors, and other strange cases of sport branding July 2018 read more Premiership Rugby set for revamp with US insurance giant as new title sponsor April 2018 read more World Rugby: Governing body announces reforms to add more women on council Nov 2017 read more Rugby is still missing a trick in way it engages with commercial partners if it is to become more relevant to the next generation Nov 2017 read more The Business of Rugby: What can business leaders learn from Premiership Rugby? Oct 2017 read more Why don’t brands want to sponsor the Six Nations? Sept 2017 read more World Rugby wants more sponsors to reduce dependence on Rugby World Cup Sept 2017 read more Scottish Rugby generates £50million turnover for first time Aug 2017 read more
NEWS STORIES 48 Welsh Rugby Union signs ‘biggest shirt partnership in its history’ June 2017 read more ‘Football is overcrowded’ says Heineken as it toasts 27 years of sponsoring rugby May 2017 read more How Fiji became the world’s most exciting rugby team April 2017 read more Six Nations: World-beating crowds to flock to rugby Feb 2017 read more Six Nations 2017: Georgia - a coming force in world rugby Feb 2017 read more Asia leads record Rugby World Cup viewership growth May 2016 read more
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