The ambition of the new United Rugby Championship for Clubs and provinces from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy and South Africa has been to reach beyond the traditional rugby audience and an exciting new partnership announced this morning promises to do just that.
A strategic consulting partnership with Roc Nation, the world’s leading entertainment company has been unveiled which will lead to a revolution in the promotion of the sport.
According to the launch announcement this will be “Built on a foundation of clear purpose and identity,” and will be “a partnership that strives to provide a platform that embraces and celebrates difference, capturing the imagination of the next generation of rugby fans and talent.”
“With both brands built on a strong notion of entertainment, the partnership has been designed to drive innovation, community and integrity, reaching new audiences via purpose-driven initiatives and creative activation.”
Roc Nation Sports is a sub-division of Roc Nation, launched in spring 2013.
The business was founded by Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter and based on the work which the parent company had done in advocating and representing artists in the music industry.
The focus is on “elevating athletes’ careers on a global scale both on and off the field.” This has included marketing and endorsement deals, community outreach, charitable tie-ins, media relations, and brand strategy.
Roc Nation Sports’ roster includes premiere athletes such as Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Leonard Fournette, Robinson Cano, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Kyrie Irving,, CC Sabathia, Saquon Barkley, Dez Bryant, Danny Green, Juju Smith-Schuster, Todd Gurley, Justise Winslow, LaMelo Ball, Jaire Alexander, Ronnie Stanley and Michael Vick.
It will assist in the development of a Player Advisory Group as part of its step into Rugby, offering players a seat at the table to voice opinion and share their views on the promotion and marketing of the game.
“Roc Nation is at the cutting edge of sports, entertainment and culture, and we believe there’s no better partner to help us reach new audiences and develop new experiences for fans,” said Martin Anayi, CEO of The United Rugby Championship.
“We are looking forward to this partnership helping us achieve our ambitions of becoming a strong, purpose-led league where players and fans can have a voice and an influence.”
“With an unparalleled network in the world of entertainment and a track record in building strong connections between sporting heroes and their communities this is an opportunity to build towards the ambitious future we have for the United Rugby Championship. We believe that rugby holds a unique inspirational quality and alongside Roc Nation our goal is to inspire the next generation of players and fans from all walks of life to keep growing the game.”
“Roc Nation is thrilled to embark on this unique partnership with the United Rugby Championship, as they kick start an exciting new chapter in their history, guided by a clear blueprint for success,” added Michael Yormark, Co-CEO of Roc Nation Unified.
“Leveraging our subject-matter experts across our international offices we are confident that the United Rugby Championship will continue to attract some of the biggest names in world rugby with its modern and collaborative approach to player management and re-define the concept of live entertainment on-and-off the field. Roc Nation is excited to be on this journey with the league.”
This is exciting. It may be more so for the players and the younger generation of fans than for those sitting in the premium seats or around the Committee Room table but maybe that’s not a bad thing.
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