The ingenious way in which rugby teams are using Tik Tok to gain millions of new young followers
A new platform has completely taken over the social media sphere for young people between the ages of 10-21. The name of that platform is Tik Tok. We look at the rugby teams which are dominating Tik Tok.
As of today, the platform has been downloaded 1.5 billion times. The platform is growing at a rate that is 5x faster than its leading competitor Instagram.
The platform is a video-only social media app where the app chooses what videos you watch. The algorithm works out the kind of videos that you like and it will show you content that it thinks that you will enjoy.
Recently, rugby teams and players have started to grow on this platform. Clubs have started showing fans behind the scenes videos of what goes on behind the team to try and appeal to this young fresh audience.
Some teams have certainly managed to crack this audience faster than others.
RugbyPass has a Tik Tok account which you can look at here.
We take a deep dive into the teams that are doing everything right with their Tik Tok accounts, getting thousands of new followers every single day.
The Blues
Followers: 25.5k followers
Likes: 179.k
The Auckland based team have without a doubt dominated the Tik Tok scene among the Super Rugby teams. The team has really ramped up the amount of posts that they have put out over the last two weeks, with posts featuring Beauden Barrett and Dan Carter.
@bluesrugbyteamTough first day back ? ##allblacks ##beaudenbarrett ##theblues ##superrugby ##sport ##rugby ##fyp ##foru ##foryou ##foryoupage? original sound – bluesrugbyteam
The post above shows them giving fans a behind the scenes view of the now-famous Bronco test where Beauden Barrett broke the club record.
The Blues have by far the biggest following of any of the Super Rugby teams on this platform.
England Rugby
Followers: 48.7k followers
Likes: 381.8k likes
The English rugby social media team has been a shining light on how to appeal to new audiences ever since the 2019 World Cup. Their approach to Tik Tok has been no different with the team giving previously unseen insights into how the men in white go about their day to day business.
This post below shows the kind of unprecedented access that the team is giving their young followers.
@englandrugbyAway days at Murrayfield ????? ##rugby ##foryou ##fyp ##sports? original sound – englandrugby
Of all the International rugby teams in the World, England rugby has the most followers. The average age of a Tik Tok user is 14-years-old. This shows how teams can really benefit from using the platform to appeal to an exciting new audience.
Toulon
Followers: 1953
Likes: 10.1k
The French galacticos have only recently started to establish themselves on the new video platform. However, the kind of content that they are releasing truly is incredible.
Their most recent video that they released shows World Cup winner Eben Etzebeth and his team celebrating in the changing rooms after the match. Whilst another post from last week portrays just how different training conditions are for players as they train in a post-lockdown world.
This video showing Anthony Belleau wiping down weights after a session has garnered 80,000 views.
@rctofficielAnthony Belleau et tous les joueurs du RCT respectent les consignes sanitaires lors des entraînements. ##rugby ##nettoyage ##sport ##respect ##tiktok? Maldon (La musique dans la peau) – Party Punch
Of all the Top 14 teams, Toulon without a doubt are putting out some of the best content that we have seen on that platform.
Ulster Rugby
Followers: 4085
Likes: 53.9k
Similarly to Toulon, the Pro 14 club have only recently got into the Tik Tok bubble. The club is already creating a unique brand for themselves on the app. Videos of Jacob Stockdale doing funny skits are getting hundreds of thousands of views.
@officialulsterrugbyReal heroes don’t wear capes ? ##ulster ##ulsterrugby ##stockdale ##rugby ##hero ##rugbylove ##rugbylife ##rugbyunion ##sports ##thisissports ##tiktoksports? Holding Out for a Hero – Bonnie Tyler
This remix of a Stockdale try-saving tackle has almost reached 300,00 views.
It truly illustrates the power of sharing video on this platform.
World Rugby
Followers: 399.6k
Likes: 8.1m
Without a doubt the biggest producer of rugby content on the social media app. World Rugby has been producing brilliant content on Tik Tok since just before the 2019 World Cup.
The organisation is close to accumulating 10,000,00 likes on the Chinese-owned app and there appears to be no signs of stopping them.
This post showing a Kenyan try from the World sevens Series has almost 500,000 views.
The video is just 20 seconds long.
@worldrugbyThe greatest ever celebration? ?? ##rugby ##celebration ##fyp ##sports? Delfino Plaza but progressive bass boost – .hacky
Comments on RugbyPass
Bold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
61 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
8 Go to comments