Inspiring the Next Generation of Rugby Players

     With the 2015 Rugby World Cup less than a year away, the head of the IRB Brett Gosper, who is also the Rugby World Cup Limited managing director, emphasized that next year's event, "is building into a very memorable event, but not just memorable, it will be record-breaking right across the board". With a 30 per cent increase on the total ticket sales from those in New Zealand, and an expected 20,000 hours of action screened in more than 205 territories, the 2015 RWC is hoping to attract a new generation of young players. According to Brett Gosper, Not only will it be "the most connected and engaging Rugby World Cup", it will also "deliver record financial return for reinvestment into the game" and become "the very first World Cup to have a clear and dedicated legacy program". Established by the IRB in partnership with the Rugby Football Union and Rugby Europe, this legacy program, targeting the massive television audience, is working to attract and retain one million new players, coaches and referees across Europe. 

     This new mindset from the RWC and involved organizations is a step to increase publicity and viewership for the World Cup, but also to extend the passion for the game to the next generation. While general viewership is essential to financial success, it is important that the rugby community expands the number of active participants in the sport. Without a new generation of players, there will not be a Rugby World Cup in the future. 

     Do you think this legacy program is the correct move for the RWC, or is it an attempt to solely increase revenue? Does simply increasing broadcasting locations actually inspire a new generation of players, or must the RWC do more? 

Sources

http://www.insidethegames.biz/sports/summer/rugby-sevens/1022614-irb-chief-confident-rugby-world-cup-2015-will-be-a-record-breaker

Potential Economic Impact of the Rugby World Cup on a Host Nation

As the world’s third largest major sporting event, the Rugby World Cup offers the possibility of major economic benefit for the host nation. However, is there always a positive impact? As we have recently seen with the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, and numerous other major sporting events, hosting an event of this caliber can do more economic damage than improvement. Is this the case for the Rugby World Cup as well? According to The Sports Business Group at Deloitte, the Rugby World Cup may offer a better chance for economic benefits. In their analysis, the Sports Business Group concluded that the Rugby World Cup only requires limited stadium development, a major factor in maintaing low costs, and reducing financial risk. The RWC's unique advantage in limited investment in infrastructure, is the main reason the event is expected to provide a positive economic impact. 

Besides the events cost advantage, other reasons for a

positive economic impact include;

• The RWC tends to attract more supporters in the higher socio-economic groupings, who have a greater propensity to spend
• The event is held over a 44 day period, making it one of the longest durations for a major sporting event 
• The RWC has one of the largest paying attendance's of any sporting event
• The RWC offers the largest number of international visitors, other than the FIFA World Cup and Olympics 

While it remains to be seen if the 2015 Rugby World Cup will provide a positive economic impact, based off this information the UK should have high expectations. 

Do you agree with the Sports Business Groups findings? Is there sufficient information to make this assumption? What are other possible factors to be considered in determining the economic impact on a host nation?

Sources

https://www.deloitte.com/assets/Dcom-UnitedKingdom/Local%20Assets/Documents/UK_SBG_IRB2008.pdf 

Focus on Customer Service

          

          In Gloucester, England hospitality personnel will be able to polish up their customer service skills free of charge in preparation for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. WorldHost is the company putting on the half and full day training session and has been used in the past for the 2012 London Olympic Games. England is putting a huge emphasis on this program in order to create a better experience for the fans attending the 2015 World Cup but also as a way to market the city of Gloucester so it is more appealing for future events. 
          Do you think this is a necessary preparation for the 2015 Rugby World Cup or is it just an unnecessary cost for the city of Gloucester? There is not a big focus on customer service in Europe (especially Spain) so will the fans even appreciate this? Should they be putting more focus on the games? Is this pushing the tournament into more of a business than a sport?

Sources:

http://www.gloucestercitizen.co.uk/Customer-service-polished-Gloucester-ahead-2015/story-23346925-detail/story.html

http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/6_l-MqLLfCj/London+2012+UK+Landmarks+Gloucester+Cathedral/YLqp6wKC2I9

http://www.heart.co.uk/gloucestershire/news/local/hartpury-college-chosen-as-world-cup-base/

Hit or Miss Ticket Pricing?

 

                                Photo from Stubhub.com 

      The pricing strategy for the 2015 Rugby World Cup is a bit different than most events of this size. The International Rugby Board has offered tickets as low as 10£ (12.44 euro) for the early matches of the tournament. This has already caused some issues with people purchasing the tickets and then reselling them on sites such as StubHub for as much as a 568% price increase. They offered tickets at this price so children could attend games as well as a way to attract new fans. Tickets at this price are only offered for the early games and so fans will have to dish out big bucks to attend games later in the tournament. Games at Twickenham Stadium, where the championship game will take place, could cost a fan around 7,080£ (8808.85 euro). 

Do you think this pricing strategy will attract new fans? Will their interest die out once they can no longer attend games for low prices? How could they improve their ticket pricing strategy? 

Hall, Joe. "How Do I Get a Rugby World Cup 2015 Ticket? Fans Who Miss out in Official Ballot Could Face Prices 400pc Higher." City A.M. N.p., 3 Oct. 2014. Web. 15 Oct. 2014. <http://www.cityam.com/1412328539/rugby-world-cup-2015-tickets-fans-who-miss-out-official-ballot-could-face-prices-400pc>.

Rugby World Cup Marketing Opportunities

          Following the success of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, marketing opportunities have continued to rise for many of the worlds top companies in the sport of Rugby. As the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England is fast approaching, twenty teams are set to play 48 games across the country, with a predicted 2.9 million spectators, including 400,000 overseas visitors and 4.2 billion fans expected to tune in on television. Hoping to seize the attention of this large, and continuously growing fan base, MasterCard, Land Rover, Heineken, and Emirates have all invested large sums of money into becoming partners of the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Having had previous success in other major world sporting events, these major corporations are hoping to profit from next years Rugby World Cup. Will this move pay off? it is too early to tell. However, if the numbers of predicted viewers is relatively accurate, it is likely that these companies will have great brand exposure.   

Sources

RFU, "Rugby World Cup 2015", http://www.rfu.com/thegame/competitions/rugbyworldcup 

Rugby World Cup 2015, "Worldwide Partners", http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/partners/partner=HEINEKEN.html

Prince Harry: The Honorary President

          Jonny Wilkinson. Most had not heard of him before the last post about the "Buy Official" campaign. But Prince Harry, who hasn't heard of him? Both are pictured above but one has a bigger presence outside of Europe, specifically the United States. 

          In September 2014, marking the one year countdown to the 2015 Rugby World Cup, Prince Harry was named the Honorary President of the England World Cup. Prince Harry is a well known figure all over the world, especially with women, which makes him the perfect Honorary President. Viewership for the 2011 Rugby World Cup was 45% women, up 20% from the 2007 World Cup. I believe that by appointing Prince Harry to this position the Rugby World Cup organizing committee is hoping to increase their viewership.  

          Another reason to bring Prince Harry into the Rugby World Cup is because he is so well known in other countries. He may increase overall viewership of the World Cup and bring more attention to the sport of rugby in countries where participation and spectators may be struggling with numbers. 

Do you think it was a good idea for them to give Prince Harry this position? Does it decrease the Rugby World Cup's legitimacy? Who do you think would be better suited for a position like this/linked to the Rugby World Cup to increase viewership? 

IRB Rugby World Cup 2015. "Record Broadcast Levels for RWC 2011." Official RWC 2015 Site. N.p., 27 Apr. 2012. Web. 13 Oct. 2014. <http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/home/news/newsid%3D2061899.html>.

"Prince Harry Is World Cup President." BBC Sport. BBC, 17 Sept. 2014. Web. 13 Oct. 2014. <http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/rugby-union/29236922>.

Expanding the "Buy Official" Campaign

          Rugby World Cup Limited (RWCL) and tournament organizers England Rugby 2015 Limited recently increased efforts to expand their "Buy Official" campaign with the launch of a new video "Kick it Like Wilko". This video is the latest attempt to encourage fans to buy tickets, hospitality, supporter tours and merchandise only from official sources.

          Hoping to strike a chord with the fans, this video featuring a Jonny Wilkinson lookalike, attempts to alert possible consumers to the growing number of counterfeit products. In addition to this video, the Rugby World Cup 2015, has recently introduced a new product verification page on its website. By visiting www.rugbyworldcup.com/buyofficial  fans can access a dedicated official checker that will enable them to verify whether their Rugby World Cup 2015 merchandise, tickets and hospitality source are official. In addition to the official checker, there is also an official guide that provides advice on what to look for when buying RWC 2015 merchandise and also includes a list of official sources. While counterfeit products offer consumers the ability to purchase similar products at a lower cost, it often comes at the expense of a quality product. Beyond the sale of counterfeit merchandise, counterfeit tickets usually are confiscated at the gate, and the owner is not admitted entrance. Don't make this mistake. Understand the possible consequences, and verify your Rugby World Cup 2015 merchandise, tickets, and hospitality services. 

Sources: 

Rugby World Cup 2015, "RWC 2015: General Ticket Sales and Updates", http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/home/news/newsid=2073130.html#rwc+2015+general+ticket+sales+update  

History and Structure of the International Rugby Board (IRB)

          The International Rugby Board (IRB) is the governing body for rugby and was established in 1886. The headquarters are situated in Dublin, Ireland. The IRB states on its website that their duties consist of:

• "Governance of the Laws and Regulations and their enforcement
• Tournament owners and managers
• Global game development through Member Unions funding via grants and Strategic Investment programmes, and delivery of Education & Development programmes
• Game promotion" 

International Rugby Board. "IRB Organisation." International Rugby Board. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2014. <http://www.irb.com/aboutirb/organisation/index.html>.

The IRB consists of the Council, Executive Committee, Council Committees, and IRB Staff. 

• Council-- The supreme legislative authority in the IRB. They have the power to make decisions on matters such as the mission, consider alterations to bye-laws and approve international matches. 

• Executive Committee-- Role consists of approval of the annual business plan and budget, evaluate performance of the CEO, approve audited financial statements. 

• Council Committees-- Consists of committees such as the Anti-Doping Committee, Audit and Risk Committee and the Referee Selection Committee. 

• IRB Staff--  Consists of departments such as Legal, Finance, Communications and Rugby World Cup. 

What do you think of this structure? Do you think it is sustainable? How do you think American sports organizations could benefit from a model like this? 

International Rugby Board. "Bye-Laws." INTERNATIONAL RUGBY BOARD-Bye-Laws (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 12 Oct. 2014. <http://www.irb.com/mm/Document/AboutIRB/IRBConstitution/02/03/02/20/2030220_PDF.pdf>.

The American Student's Quick Guide to Rugby

          It all began at the Rugby School, an English boy's school in 1823. One of the student's, William Webb Ellis, was playing an early version of European Football and decided to pick up the ball and run with it rather than just kicking it and thus the game of rugby was born. 

          The first club was established in 1839 at Cambridge University in England. Six years later in 1845 the first set of rules were created by three students from the Rugby School. A more formal set of rules, the 59 Laws of Rugby, were established at the first meeting of the Rugby Football Union in 1871. Soon after, rugby spread to countries all over the world and has continued to rise in popularity since. 

A few quick rugby facts:

• 15 v 15 (most commonly played) or 7 v 7 (Sevens, which is a faster and more agile game) 
• The field is 144 x 70 meters
• A 'try' is worth 5 points 
• Players cannot pass the ball forwards 
• Games have 40 minute halves
• The Rugby World Cup trophy is called the Webb Ellis Cup after rugby's creator 
• Richie McCaw is one of the greatest players  

Here's a short video explaining the rules of rugby:

Sources:

A Guide to Learning About Rugby. Dir. Videojugsport. Www.youtube.com, 21 Apr. 2011. Web. 11 Oct. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiCiehJAFSg>.

"SportsKnowHow.com - RUGBY HISTORY- Page 1 of 3 " History of Rugby - Page 1 of 3 - SportsKnowHow.com. Internet Marketing Unlimited, Corp, n.d.11 Oct, 2014
http://www.sportsknowhow.com/rugby/history/rugby-history.shtml