RUGBY EXPO: A LANDMARK SUCCESS
Under the gaze of Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament, a landmark moment happened on Monday and Tuesday this last week. At the Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre the first Rugby Expo, “the global convention for the business world of rugby”, took place, 13 years after rugby union went professional. Coinciding with the Carnegie Review of Rugby, the convention gave both codes of rugby much reason to be positive about the future, as the rough edges of the pre-professional era continue to be smoothed and polished.
“It is the meeting place for the rugby industry,” stated the brochure blurb, “bringing together the top decision makers in both union and league with key contacts, sponsors and suppliers to network, do business and learn from industry leaders in a comprehensive conference programme.”
Though the timing was unfortunate, with the ripples of the credit crunch continuing to be felt, former Test greats – ambassadors like Martin Bayfield, Raphael Ibanez, Kenny Logan and Alessandro Moscardi – coaches, CEOs and administrators (mostly from union, it has to be noted) turned out in force, to beef up Rugby Expo’s aims of developing grass roots rugby and disseminating the games to the emerging nations while boosting commercial power.
The International Rugby Board were also in attendance, and Chairman Bernard Lapasset had given his blessing, saying: “The appeal of rugby stretches far and wide – it is more than simply a sport … I wish this inaugural event every success.”
Over 1,200 delegates attended, wandered about the 45 exhibition stalls – which ranged from charities providing equipment to African children, to the Professional Rugby Players' Association, to rugby clubs and, of course, to breweries – and networked in between 13 seminars spread over the two days.
The 45-minute conferences, each packed with a four-strong panel of experts and moderated by familiar faces such as Sky Sports’ Alex Payne and Andy Steggall, and the BBC’s Ian Robinson and Mary Rhodes, included topics such as: ‘Rugby as a growing global business’; ‘Migration of players – good or bad?’; ‘Player welfare – life during and after rugby’; ‘Developing the emerging nations’; and ‘What does rugby need to do to become an Olympic sport?’
Former Bath and America No8 Dan Lyle, who now is tournament director of the 7s in his home country, hailed the convention as a success, saying: “It is very important that world rugby collects together now and finds a way to communicate, particularly commercially, while being true to the values of the game at the same time. It is about time something like this happened.”
Dan Jones, head of the sports business group at Deloitte, agreed, but conceded that football is some way ahead in terms of market share. There are over 32,000 football clubs in the UK and only 2,500 rugby union and league clubs, and only 0.7 per cent of Britons play either code.
“Rugby is a relatively young professional sport, so football is the big gorilla, the sport that everyone is trying to chase,” says Jones. “If you look at union from when it went professional [in 1995] to where it is today, global incomes in the sport have about quadrupled – for any sector to go through a period of growth in that period is phenomenal.
“We can learn from how football and other sports have expanded. The Rugby World Cup was fantastic – it was the third biggest sporting event in the world – but I think for rugby to go truly global it needs to be played at the Olympics.”
Managing director of Rugby Expo, Alec Shepherd, was delighted with how the event had been received and welcomed feedback on improvements for the future. “Our ethos is to do business and learn about what is going on in the game and where rugby can go,” said the former City commercial litigation lawyer.
“We are trying to create an environment where people can sit down and discuss how to take both forms of rugby forward. The global climate has not helped, but you just have to look at the turn out here to see how successful it is.
“We have another date booked here in London – it’ll be in November again next year, to coincide with the autumn internationals, so there will be Australians, South Africans and New Zealanders over. We are also taking the Rugby Expo to San Diego for the 7s tournament [to be held in mid-February] and South Africa next year too.
“We are only just starting but the long-term plan is to go to Singapore, Dubai and other places. Inevitably this year has been UK focused, but the idea is to make this a global event so that each year we can build on what has gone before.”
Under the gaze of Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament, a landmark moment happened on Monday and Tuesday this last week. At the Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre the first Rugby Expo, “the global convention for the business world of rugby”, took place, 13 years after rugby union went professional. Coinciding with the Carnegie Review of Rugby, the convention gave both codes of rugby much reason to be positive about the future, as the rough edges of the pre-professional era continue to be smoothed and polished.
“It is the meeting place for the rugby industry,” stated the brochure blurb, “bringing together the top decision makers in both union and league with key contacts, sponsors and suppliers to network, do business and learn from industry leaders in a comprehensive conference programme.”
Though the timing was unfortunate, with the ripples of the credit crunch continuing to be felt, former Test greats – ambassadors like Martin Bayfield, Raphael Ibanez, Kenny Logan and Alessandro Moscardi – coaches, CEOs and administrators (mostly from union, it has to be noted) turned out in force, to beef up Rugby Expo’s aims of developing grass roots rugby and disseminating the games to the emerging nations while boosting commercial power.
The International Rugby Board were also in attendance, and Chairman Bernard Lapasset had given his blessing, saying: “The appeal of rugby stretches far and wide – it is more than simply a sport … I wish this inaugural event every success.”
Over 1,200 delegates attended, wandered about the 45 exhibition stalls – which ranged from charities providing equipment to African children, to the Professional Rugby Players' Association, to rugby clubs and, of course, to breweries – and networked in between 13 seminars spread over the two days.
The 45-minute conferences, each packed with a four-strong panel of experts and moderated by familiar faces such as Sky Sports’ Alex Payne and Andy Steggall, and the BBC’s Ian Robinson and Mary Rhodes, included topics such as: ‘Rugby as a growing global business’; ‘Migration of players – good or bad?’; ‘Player welfare – life during and after rugby’; ‘Developing the emerging nations’; and ‘What does rugby need to do to become an Olympic sport?’
Former Bath and America No8 Dan Lyle, who now is tournament director of the 7s in his home country, hailed the convention as a success, saying: “It is very important that world rugby collects together now and finds a way to communicate, particularly commercially, while being true to the values of the game at the same time. It is about time something like this happened.”
Dan Jones, head of the sports business group at Deloitte, agreed, but conceded that football is some way ahead in terms of market share. There are over 32,000 football clubs in the UK and only 2,500 rugby union and league clubs, and only 0.7 per cent of Britons play either code.
“Rugby is a relatively young professional sport, so football is the big gorilla, the sport that everyone is trying to chase,” says Jones. “If you look at union from when it went professional [in 1995] to where it is today, global incomes in the sport have about quadrupled – for any sector to go through a period of growth in that period is phenomenal.
“We can learn from how football and other sports have expanded. The Rugby World Cup was fantastic – it was the third biggest sporting event in the world – but I think for rugby to go truly global it needs to be played at the Olympics.”
Managing director of Rugby Expo, Alec Shepherd, was delighted with how the event had been received and welcomed feedback on improvements for the future. “Our ethos is to do business and learn about what is going on in the game and where rugby can go,” said the former City commercial litigation lawyer.
“We are trying to create an environment where people can sit down and discuss how to take both forms of rugby forward. The global climate has not helped, but you just have to look at the turn out here to see how successful it is.
“We have another date booked here in London – it’ll be in November again next year, to coincide with the autumn internationals, so there will be Australians, South Africans and New Zealanders over. We are also taking the Rugby Expo to San Diego for the 7s tournament [to be held in mid-February] and South Africa next year too.
“We are only just starting but the long-term plan is to go to Singapore, Dubai and other places. Inevitably this year has been UK focused, but the idea is to make this a global event so that each year we can build on what has gone before.”
Labels: International Rugby Board, Rugby Expo, Rugby Football Union
