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In the wreckage of a postponed World Cup, there is opportunity
Of course, we were all devastated to learn that the 2021 Rugby World Cup had been postponed. Players and fans alike often arrange their lives around the tournament, with some even using it as a basis to make huge life decisions. However, in light of some major developments announced by World Rugby regarding the format of the competition, now set to take place in 2022, it is possible that this devastation could be transformed into opportunity.
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This week, World Rugby announced a complete restructure of the competition. These changes include an extension to the playing window, a promise of no game clashes and all fixtures to be played on the weekend.
RWC 2021 played in 2022 – what you need to know about today's announcement… pic.twitter.com/48dQAowL8M
— World Rugby Media (@worldrugbymedia) May 11, 2021
In addition to this, Eden Park will host the final match, becoming the first rugby stadium to host both a men’s and women’s Rugby World Cup final. This marks a stark difference to the recent Six Nations final, which saw England play France at the Stoop as opposed to Twickenham. A decision that did not go unnoticed by fans.
Following World Rugby’s decision to guarantee five-day rest periods between fixtures for the men’s World Cup in 2023, the women have also been afforded the same benefit. As a result, the tournament next year will follow an easier schedule, with all games evenly spaced.
Had the tournament gone ahead this year we would have seen up to six games scheduled on the same day, with fans having to live stream matches simultaneously; something which Allianz Premier 15’s rugby fans are unfortunately already well acquainted with.
But what does this mean for the tournament, and how does it translate into success?
In order to build a solid and committed fan base, fans must have access to the sport. Viewing accessibility, and the level of ease that comes with it, is essential to developing an engaged audience.
Growing the women’s game, across all sports, largely depends on gaining high viewership when matches are afforded the opportunity to be shown via televised broadcasting or live streaming. In short, you must make it as easy as possible for a fan to be a supporter of the sport to enable it to thrive.
With World Rugby committing to no fixture clashes, and with all matches set to be played on a weekend, this new format will hopefully make it easier for fans to support the game. Creating a prime opportunity to attain high viewership figures and grow the women’s fan base in a positive and sustainable way.
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It is no secret that broadcasting sport on mainstream TV serves as a massive boost to grow engagement of the game. World Rugby’s Chief Executive, Alan Gilpin, makes it clear that broadcasting logistics are high on the agenda: “We’re able to really make the schedule work for broadcast.”
Hopefully, with a more attractive schedule, fans will find it easier and more tempting to tune in and support the women’s game.
With a longer tournament, comes more attractive sponsorship opportunities. The tournament will now run over 43 days, as opposed to 35. This offers lucrative sponsorship opportunities for brands who want to engage with the women’s rugby fan base. From a brand perspective, they will receive increased access to fans who are positively engaged with the sport. This, paired with the fact that the audience size should be huge due to a well-managed broadcasting schedule, suggests that businesses should be chomping at the bit to get involved with this tournament.
However, like anything in life there is another side to the story. A longer playing window will demand greater time commitments from players. And with some international women not on full-time, professional contracts, they will be forced to take a longer period of leave from their day jobs. This said, it will be interesting to see how teams manage these expectations, particularly following the flood of criticism aimed at Wales following their women’s teams ranking last in this year’s Six Nations tournament. The argument and necessity for full professional contracts in the women’s game is huge, but that is a topic I will save for another day, because a few sentences on it quite frankly would be an injustice to the bigger debate that needs to be had.
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I would also like to draw attention to Alice Soper’s initial reaction to the delay of the tournament. Her video below garnered a fair amount of support on social media and for good reason. In the 56 second clip, Soper explains how we now have a window of opportunity to build momentum, get excited and grow the game properly. She sums it up perfectly in her tweet “If you are feeling disappointed, wonderful, you care about our sport. So, what are you going to do in the next year to build a better World Cup?”
So our World Cup is delayed by one year. A lot of challenges that present but also a window of time to build this audience right.
Let’s stop sitting on our hands and start getting hype for the women’s game! pic.twitter.com/spNfVG8PAT
— Alice Soper (@alicesoapbox) March 2, 2021
I would echo her thoughts, and in light of this week’s announcement also encourage others to reframe their thinking of this tournament. If all elements are executed in the right way, there is potential for this to have a massive impact on the future of women’s rugby. Imagine the possibilities of growth within the game if this tournament is given its chance to shine. The number of young girls watching the games alone would serve to grow the grassroots game almost overnight.
To be taken seriously as a sport, we have to ensure we are building a high-quality product to showcase on a global stage. We have now been given the global stage; we just need to ensure that the product provided is as good as we know it can be.
We have this opportunity, to build momentum in the run-up to what looks like a well thought out and organised competition. We have the chance to do this, and to do it properly – so forgive me if I am premature in my expectations, but I think we have some seriously good things coming in the women’s rugby space.
Comments on RugbyPass
It will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
1 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
6 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
6 Go to commentsBilly's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
3 Go to commentsIt’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
2 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
28 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
2 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
3 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
2 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to commentsAnd the person responsible for creating a culture of accountability is?
3 Go to commentsMore useless words from Ben Smith -Please get another team to write about. SA really dont need your input, it suck anyway.
264 Go to comments