Exclusive: Oxford Fits London Welsh Marketing ‘model’ & no Plans to Leave Kassam Stadium
April 3, 2013
Premiership rugby club London Welsh have no desire to move from the Kassam Stadium in Oxford, no rx because the area fits the team’s marketing model, according to the CEO.
London Welsh share the Kassam with League Two football club Oxford United, but CEO Tony Copsey believes that the area is perfect for a Premiership rugby club.
Speaking exclusively to iSportconnect, Copsey said: “The Kassam is perfect. It is a great stadium and the market place of Oxfordshire is great for us. I am a great believer in market places and this fits the model within this club. The economy in Oxford is also good and strong and there are a lot of good local businesses.
“The other thing is if you look at London Welsh’s attendances, from averaging less than a thousand last year in the Championship, to now averaging crowds of well over five thousand, it goes to show the level of support in the area.
“Of the five thousand, around 75% are from the Oxford area, so there is definitely an appetite for rugby, so there is much better marketing with these strategies in place.
“It is a great area where I think a Premiership rugby club can be successful.”
The Exiles have had a tough first season back in the Premiership and were recently docked five points for fielding an illegible player, a decision that Copsey described as ‘harsh.’
The team now have three games to secure their Premiership status and they are currently bottom of the league standings.
Tony Copsey spoke at length with iSportconnect about the points deductions, marketing strategies, battles with the RFU and more. Read the full interview here >>
