Beyond the Tryline: How Rugby Can Revolutionize Your Brand

June 9, 2023

In the competitive arena of corporate marketing, sports sponsorship emerges as a particularly effective brand-building strategy.

This method not only promotes the brand on a global platform but also provides the opportunity to forge an emotional bond with the audience, thereby amplifying the impact and recognisability of the brand itself. This type of involvement creates a powerful connection that can transcend the simple visibility of the brand, leading to deeper and lasting recognition.

Within the spectrum of sports sponsorships, rugby emerges as a particularly promising discipline.

This sport enjoys unprecedented popular ascension on a global scale, thanks to its combination of physical intensity, tactical skill, and deeply rooted team values. Sponsorship in rugby, therefore, offers access to a wide and passionate fan base, making it possible for significant expansion of the brand’s reach.

Today, we will delve into the world of rugby to unveil the multiple opportunities that sponsorship in this sport can offer.

Whether it’s supporting emerging or established rugby teams, investing in prestigious tournaments, or sponsoring standout athletes, the possibilities are diverse and interesting.

We will explore in detail the distinctive advantages of each of these areas, illustrating how a sponsorship in rugby can become a powerful driver for business success.

A Spotlight on Your Brand

Sponsorships in rugby can act as a powerful accelerator to increase the visibility of your brand.

This visibility extends well beyond the boundaries of the rugby field, reaching into the homes and devices of millions of sports fans worldwide.

Imagine your company’s logo on a rugby team’s uniform: it’s not just a static symbol, but an emblem that moves with the team, becoming a reference point during the most intense and memorable moments of the game.

This visibility is amplified every time a match is broadcast on television or streamed online, reaching a global audience. Your company will not only gain visibility but will be linked to the adrenaline and passion that characterize every match of this sport.

Billboards on the sidelines provide an additional opportunity for visibility. During matches, cameras often frame these billboards, ensuring that your brand is consistently visible to the millions of viewers tuned into the match.

A concrete example of how a sponsorship in rugby can maximize corporate visibility is that of Heineken.

As the official sponsor of the Rugby World Cup, Heineken’s logo appeared on both uniforms and billboards, reaching a global audience during the event. This exposure not only brought the Heineken brand into the homes of rugby fans but also associated the brand with the prestigious competition, consolidating its image as a global player in the landscape of sports sponsorships.

Respect and Integrity: Rugby Strengthens Corporate Image

Rugby is a sport that represents a series of fundamental values: respect, integrity, loyalty, and passion. We find these values in every aspect of the game, from player behavior on the field to interactions between fans.

Sponsoring rugby offers the opportunity to associate your brand with these values and this not only improves the corporate image but also its public perception. When a company aligns itself with the values of rugby, it implicitly communicates that it shares and promotes the same principles, which generates an emotional connection between the brand and its audience, reinforcing customer loyalty and creating a competitive advantage.

Take the example of Land Rover, a car company known for its resilience and durability. Through the sponsorship of rugby, Land Rover has underlined and reinforced these aspects. Rugby is a sport known for its physicality and endurance, and associating with it has allowed Land Rover to reinforce its image as a manufacturer of rugged and reliable vehicles.

Beyond the Field

Rugby events attract a diverse audience, from fans to businessmen.

Sponsoring such events can create networking opportunities, leading to potential business partnerships.

During the 2019 Rugby World Cup, for example, Mastercard organized exclusive networking events for its clients and partners.

Moreover, many rugby tournaments offer sponsors the opportunity to interact directly with fans through promotional booths, product sampling, and contests. This can lead to an increase in sales, improve customer loyalty, and collect valuable feedback. Emirates, for example, as a sponsor of the World Rugby Sevens Series, took advantage of these opportunities to promote its services.

Rugby Sponsorship as a Key to the Success of Your Brand

In the increasingly competitive landscape of contemporary business, making strategic investments is crucial to secure an advantage. In this context, sports sponsorship, and particularly that in rugby, stands out as a particularly fruitful investment, capable of offering a series of benefits on multiple levels.

A sponsorship in rugby exponentially increases brand awareness, as it is a sport followed by millions of enthusiasts worldwide, representing an exceptional platform to introduce your company to a wide and diversified audience.

Associating your brand with the extremely positive values of rugby helps improve the corporate image, strengthening it and making it more attractive to consumers.

Moreover, sponsoring rugby means opening the door to many networking opportunities. Matches, especially international tournaments, attract a wide and diverse audience that may include potential business partners, customers, or investors.

Lastly, rugby can offer numerous direct marketing opportunities, allowing companies to interact directly with customers through promotional events, product sampling campaigns, and similar activities.

Companies that take advantage of the benefits of rugby sponsorship can make a significant leap forward, positioning themselves for lasting success in the modern business landscape.

Sponsorships in rugby are not just an investment, but a strategic move to build a bright future for your business.