Rugby Union: Sleepwalking into a PR Disaster

Rugby union is often described as ‘a hooligan’s game played by gentlemen’, yet it is enjoyed by millions across the planet. It has gifted us some iconic sporting memories, think that Jonny Wilkinson drop goal in 2003, and Nelson Mandela handing Francois Pienaar the World Cup trophy in 1995. It brings countries together and unites nations, all with one purpose, cheering on their team.

However, over the past few years rugby has entered a period of flux. Financial troubles, greed, poor governance and old-fashioned practices are seeing the sport speed towards a crisis. This not only hurts the sport in the present, but also in the long-term, failing to attract the next generation of talent (and future fans). So, where did it all go wrong for rugby?

Within the last 12 months, three of English rugby’s best-known clubs – Worcester, Wasps, London Irish – have all been booted out of the top league for financial woes, while Jersey Reds in the Championship has now been wound up too. Given the average annual losses per club last year were around £4m, you can see where the trouble starts. As a business, it is not sustainable and certainly not profitable. There needs to be a total restructuring, and the clubs need to work more closely with Governing bodies to ensure change happens, and happens fast.

Away from the lack of leadership shown by the Premiership clubs, as well as the complacency, and basic lack of revenue, rugby also has a brand problem. It simply isn’t seen as one of the major sports in the UK. Broadcast revenue is only £40 million a year, this barely compares with the £1.6 billion per year for Premier League football. This, alongside health concerns and rule changes is hurting rugby at a grassroots level. Losing three top teams in the space of just 12 months, as well as their passionate fanbases, certainly doesn’t help matters either. This lack of publicity and local teams to support is leaving stadiums half-filled, reaffirming the image many have of the sport – it’s not worth getting into.

For those who love the game, this is difficult to hear. Perhaps PR is the solution the world of rugby needs to be looking at to save it and futureproof it.

There are so many areas that rugby needs to refresh and revitalise, but the most fundamental is better understanding (and growing) its audience – Where are the current and potential fans? How do they consume their news? What challenges/pain points/interests do they have? By knowing this, the clubs, the RFU, World Rugby, have a starting point. They know where to reach people, what to say and how to say it.

With the future in mind, a key audience for rugby will be new, younger followers. Getting them watching games, playing grassroots rugby, and generally engaging with the sport will be a valuable first step. And PR can help achieve this. Decisionmakers across the sport need to be using the media, but they also need to explore all that social media has to offer. Across these channels they can show what rugby is all about, and start changing rugby’s elitist image to one that welcomes everyone, of all shapes, sizes, genders, ethnicities, backgrounds.

If the success of Formula 1’s Drive to Survive series is anything to go by, rugby’s upcoming Netflix show could be a catalyst for this change. Launched in 2019, Drive to Survive has drawn in new, younger audiences – particularly in the US – massively widening Formula 1’s reach and transforming its image. Which bodes extremely well for rugby. Landing next year, Netflix is releasing a documentary following the 2023 Six Nations. On paper, this sounds incredible for the sport. Hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of new viewers. But sitting back and hoping for the best won’t be enough. At national, club and grassroots level, everyone within the sport should be planning how they’ll grasp this opportunity with both hands. Brand building, media campaigns, social media activity, influencer marketing – rugby needs to make the most of all the new eyes coming its way. This is a chance to capture a completely new audience, and a chance to grow the sport.

Another positive omen for the future of the sport has been the World Cup in France. It’s become a stepping stone for a new era of rugby. Suddenly rugby has topped of the news agenda, England were (almost) a success story, and interest in the sport was peaking. In fact, over the quarter final weekend, there were more mentions of ‘rugby’ on social media that ever before, with more than 240 million rugby videos being viewed. What is interesting about these numbers is that TikTok generated more than half of all views. Not only does this mean the Rugby World Cup started to inspire a younger audience, but the way fans are following the sport is changing. When everyone within the field of rugby understands how and where to speak to fans, imagine the audiences that could be reached.

As well as enticing this exciting new group of fans to the sport, PR can help tidy up the sport’s existing reputation, through strategic digital activity and crisis management. Some of the bad publicity the sport has faced over the past year has been very damaging, and the way it has been handled in the public domain has often made things worse. Brands only have one reputation. You can’t simply buy a new one. You need to look after a reputation, work on it, improve it and build up an audience that respects and trusts you because of it. Rugby failed to do this, but over time, confidence, loyalty and belief can be reignited, and with the right people doing and saying the right things, rugby can make itself the powerhouse it once was.

The last few years have been nothing short of a nightmare for rugby. Financial troubles, reputation in tatters. It’s all gone wrong, and it’s abundantly clear that change is needed. If the gameplan doesn’t change, the sport’s future could be in doubt.

But if those within rugby seize this opportunity for a rehaul, a strategic approach to PR could help tackle its problems. Crisis communications, reputation management, brand building and amplification are PR’s bread and butter… and they’re exactly what the sport needs. With a little bit of help, rugby could transform its image – and its future.

There’s definitely a comeback on the cards.