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The International Rugby Board has officially rebranded to the new moniker ‘World Rugby’.
At the conclusion of the 2014 World Rugby Conference in London last night, the IRB revealed it would be now known as ‘World Rugby’, in an effort to engage audiences worldwide.
In an increasingly competitive global sporting environment, it appears positioning rugby as a global game is at the heart of the governing body’s decision.
“World Rugby describes that… we are, if you like, on a conquest mission; we are not just trying to please people who already like rugby, which is important, we also want to gather in new audiences around the world from outside”, World Rugby Chief Executive Brett Gosper explained.
Rugby has been growing internationally at an impressive rate recently, with participation booming from two million to 6.6 million in the last four years.
This has largely been off the back of an increasing global presence through the commercial success of the Rugby World Cup, its re-inclusion in the Olympic Games and well-funded international development strategies.
The rebranding also included a new logo which, according to the World Rugby website, “embodies World Rugby’s mission statement to grow the game globally, retaining a link to the organisation’s heritage through its blue and green colour scheme.”
The governing body’s new identity has already been rolled out on the media platforms, including its website and social media, and the logo will make its match-play debut on referee uniforms this weekend.
Gosper says the feedback to the rebrand has been “very positive” so far.
The talk of the “conquest mission” is also interesting, as rugby is one of the few truly international games in the world.
Gosper says the health of the game has never been better, and that all the participation targets are being reached worldwide.
“I think this [the rebrand] equips us better to accomplish that task. It also happens at a time when there is quite dramatic growth in participation in rugby: we have hit our 10-year targets in half the time.
“This is a global game but it is a game that is still globalising. So I think it is both a recognition of how far we have come but it is certainly something that will help us move to the next level in terms of our global ambitions.”
What are your thoughts Roarers? Is this change a good one for the international game?
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.