They have of course also used firms that specialise in social media creation and management. It was through one such subsidiary that I provided match reports for their feed, back in 2022.
Alongside this, there are the traditional accreditation processes that have had media sort themselves into boxes that quite frankly, no longer exist. Print, radio or TV, you are asked but for many the answer is d, all of the above.
The expected outcome from most press conferences these days is a social media clip as well as an accompanying article. Scroll a journalist’s timeline and you won’t just find links but likely short form videos summarising the key points of their latest report.
The development of this initiative then is in keeping with this shift. An acknowledgement that the pathway to sporting success is paved, in part, through the social media feed. We need to meet fans where they are by targeting the smallest screen.
Research out of the US reported 45% of women’s sport fans watched via social media platforms. Locally, our latest data from New Zealand on Air says these platforms capture 64% of New Zealand’s audiences.
The eyes are there but rugby needs something compelling to cut through. No doubt the big guns, the Black Ferns and England’s Red Roses, will have their own content schedule prepared. USA meanwhile will be utilising rugby’s biggest star, Ilona Maher, whether she makes the squad or not.
By assembling this centralised team of creators, World Rugby will look to produce a standardised level of content across the tournament. Making sure no moment is missed.
There is a case study in women’s sport that points to the success of this strategy. Australia’s Matildas assembled their own team of creators to let loose and amplify the hype building around the team during the FIFA World Cup. This team pulled the fans in but most importantly, got them to stick around.
When I asked 150 fans in the wake of that tournament what kept them hooked on the national side, all answers called back to the work of the social media team.
The danger of course is that the stabling of this creative resource could lead to a one horse race. It’s important that while the tournament standardises content production it still allows for a freedom of expression.
There will be things that won’t make sense in theory that work in practice, such is the appetite of the internet. Arizona Leger’s glasses for example, painted with “RWC 2021″ led to one of the most iconic images of the tournament when Sir Wayne Smith donned them and flexed with the trophy on his shoulder.
It was the 2017 Rugby World Cup that saw the Black Ferns finally create their own social media presence. They now have the largest individual team platform leading into this tournament.
With this new initiative World Rugby will help to close the content gap, giving new fans new access, ensuring that Rugby World Cup 2025 will change the way we see the game.
