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Brett Gosper: Why World Rugby’s strategic mission is bearing fruit on all fronts

August 22, 2017

When talking to fans, the media and potential commercial partners, I am often asked to explain what World Rugby’s strategic mission is and where I see the sport heading in the next decade.

World Rugby’s strategic mission is to grow the global rugby family. To put it simply, that means that we are on a mission to attract new fans, new participants and unlock new commercial opportunities in order to ensure that the sport can continue to thrive in a congested and competitive marketplace.

I believe that we have the vision and the tools to do just that. For the first 120 years of its existence, the IRB (as we were known) was a game regulator, deliberating over law or regulator disputes, while approving fixtures and arranging referees.

Now, that is perhaps a little over-simplistic and does not do justice to its exceptional work in delivering a strong, financially secure sport. But as the digital age advanced and fans, consumed with social media, demanded greater interaction with sports, the IRB was less relevant. It was an acronym, without personality and it certainly was not inclusive.

Rebranding

We undertook a rebrand in 2014 because the international federation’s role needs to be much more than a regulator. We need to be ‘game-inspirers’ and lead by example. We wanted fans, players and indeed everyone involved in rugby to be a part of the movement, join the conversation and have their say.

Therefore, the launch of a dynamic new brand and a new name, World Rugby, was logical. The name reflects the character and ambition of the sport, but above all it reflects its universality, inclusivity and values – it is a common bond between all.

The results have been exciting. Coupled with a new content strategy and a more dynamic PR approach, we have seen global participation grow by a third to 8.5 million, while our social media fanbase has grown to 8.2 million and is second only to FIFA in volume, but arguably the most engaged in sport, reflecting the great content we have across 7s and fifteens. It is also estimated that

300 million people globally are fans of the sport and that figure is growing annually. Rugby is in an exciting place with record participation, fan and commercial growth globally. There are more men, women, boys and girls playing than ever before, while the sport continues to attract new audiences in new markets, driven by the combined success of fifteens and 7s.

Emerging Markets

Over the next four years, we will be investing a record £245 million in rugby worldwide to sustain record growth and enable the sport to really take root in emerging markets. This investment represents a 22 per cent increase on the previous 2012-2015 cycle and will enable us to strategically target high-potential markets.

Why? To sustain growth and become a truly global sport, we need a more geographically competitive men’s and women’s fifteens and 7s environment, with greater potential for new nations to challenge for top honours. This will take time, but the seeds of investment are beginning to take root and Chairman Bill Beaumont and Vice Chairman Agustin Pichot are passionate about this strategy.

Bill Beaumont, Chairman of World Rugby, and Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, pose with the Webb Ellis Cup

Last year we announced details of a wide-ranging partnership with Alisports in China. This deal will see an unprecedented investment of $100 million (US) by the e-commerce and broadcast giant by 2020 to enable the foundations to be implemented to unlock the potential of the world’s most populous nation.

Investment in community, school and high performance programmes, coupled with ensuring the best rugby content is available on Alisports’ digital platforms to inspire new fans, will be at the core of a strategy to win hearts and minds. We are already planning for a major event to be hosted in China and rugby is already making impressive strides in schools and universities thanks to governmental partnerships.

The US Takes Centre Stage

Next year, the eyes of the rugby world will be on the US – and specifically Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 in San Francisco – where the world’s top men’s and women’s players, including our recent Olympians, will be vying to be crowned World Champions.

This will be a big moment for the US on the global rugby stage. In successfully hosting the All Blacks and Ireland in Chicago, the potential is there. NBC believes in the product and the sports giant will be the home for the major international competitions over the next four years, importantly with a large free-to-air commitment.

The US athlete development programme is also beginning to bear fruit. More and more young players are coming through rugby-specific pathways, while there is an ambition to ensure that the men’s and women’s teams ‘own the podium’ in 7s. A quarter-final at Rugby World Cup 2023 is also an ambitious, but achievable target.

Rugby growth takes investment, commitment, passion and leadership, but above all it takes a clear strategy. These are exciting times for our sport and, in partnership with our unions and regional associations, World Rugby continues to drive forward on the world stage to ensure a sport that is appealing and relevant to new and existing fans.

By Brett Gosper, CEO of World Rugby

Brett Gosper iSportconnect diaries Rugby Women's Rugby World Cup 2017 World Rugby