Details of Ireland’s bid to host the Rugby World Cup in 2023 will be revealed at a briefing to take place at the Aviva Stadium later today.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness will be on hand alongside bid Chairman Dick Spring, Brian O’Driscoll and others as the bid campaign steps up a gear.
Italy withdrew from the race to host the tournament earlier this year leaving Ireland, France and South Africa as the three contenders.
O’Driscoll’s profile will be a major boost for the campaign which will involve persuading World Rugby decision makers of the benefits of bringing the tournament to the one major rugby nation yet to host it.
Stay ahead in the commercial world of Irish Rugby by becoming a member of Sport for Business
He was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame yesterday as the sport’s major annual conference takes place in London.
Reflecting on rugby in 2016, World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont used his opening address at the event to touch on the ‘halo effect’ that rugby’s return to the Olympic Games after a 92-year hiatus has had on the sport.
Sevens Time
Giles Morgan, HSBC Head of Global Sponsorship spoke of how it is time for rugby sevens to shout louder as a sport about its undoubted qualities. “I do think rugby sevens needs to be less humble and back its own superstars,” he said.
“If you look at the television audience at the Olympics it’s probably the biggest seen in rugby – in any tournament or code, because it was the Olympics.”
“It is really important that we showcase and celebrate the brilliance of the players, men and women, so that they become more household names. This is the year to do it because they have been on the truly global stage.”
A new study conducted by Nielsen Sports on behalf of World Rugby has found that the number of rugby fans in the six markets surveyed has grown by 16.83 million as a result of the sport’s inclusion in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and the excitement generated in both the men’s and women’s events.
Social Media
Rugby sevens was also hailed as the perfect fit for the social media age. World Rugby’s You Tube channel got 60 million video views in the 2015-16 series alone, while Twitter engagement has gone through the roof.
Lewis Wiltshire, Senior Director of Media Partnerships for Twitter UK and Africa, told the Conference that Twitter is a great way of connecting fans with their heroes. “Pre-Twitter I remember tennis players at Wimbledon talking about people asking them what they did for the other 50 weeks of the year, it was a bit of a standing joke. Now that’s not a factor because fans can follow players and get a sense of what they are doing throughout the year. In a way, you became a better fan,” he said.
“Real-time communication during a game is a wonderful opportunity to drive engagement during a game, because news during a game is old news by the end of the game,” added Lawrence Dallaglio.
“It’s quite risky and that’s why, if you are a sports brand, you need to know your role within the sport. You have got to have the same behaviours and pick the right behaviours through the right channels.”
“If you are a brand and involved in sponsoring an event, you can’t just dip in and out of a conversation. You have to be there with regularity,” he added. “It is a bit like a friend who doesn’t phone you very often or doesn’t answer their phone, they stop being a friend.”
“There are smart ways of engaging with fans, content and context is key. We can all do quirky and funny things but does it achieve your objectives? After all, sport is all about results. Fans want experiences, it’s not just about the 80 minutes of a game anymore.”
Join us tomorrow when we will be looking at what the World Rugby Conference heard about the growth and potential of Women’s Rugby
