Rugby needs a massive push to raise profile
HE COULD have just regaled the audience with a few funny anecdotes but instead, Lawrence Dallaglio used an on-stage appearance in London last week to deliver a powerful statement about rugby’s need to promote itself better.
The World Cup-winning former England No8 was speaking at a lunch to mark the 60th birthday of the Rugby Union Writers’ Club — and he spoke passionately in front of several leading figures from the sport.
The thrust of Dallaglio’s message was that the game hasn’t advanced as much as it should have done, in terms of driving growth and wider public profile. It was an impassioned call to arms, which the authorities must heed.
He has a point. Rugby must urgently improve the way it sells itself to the wider world. It is being left behind by the creativity and innovation of so many other sports. This issue is especially pertinent after a weekend when vast global interest was generated by a glittering boxing event at Wembley Stadium. What rugby would give for that sort of reach — if you pardon the pugilistic pun.
One of Dallaglio’s key observations was that not enough is being done to create superstars. This is a recurring concern raised by those with the game’s best interests at heart. The stark fact is that even the best-known English players could walk down most high streets without being swamped by well-wishers and selfie-chasers, protected by apathy.
Of course there would be plenty of attention in the familiar heartlands, but not far and wide. The modern indicators of profile are all based on social media, so consider this — England cricketer Ben Stokes has 1.8million followers on Instagram and Joe Root has nearly a million, compared to Test rugby captain Owen Farrell’s tally of 346,000. Maro Itoje — often acclaimed as an iconic talent — has 309,000 followers, Louis ReesZammit has 200,000 and Marcus Smith has 194,000.
The market leaders in rugby are all Kiwis: Dan Carter, Sonny Bill Williams and, trailing them, Beauden Barrett. It is a similar picture on Twitter and other platforms, which reinforces the perception that rugby just isn’t creating box-office stars who transcend the sport, as Jonah Lomu once did. The last Englishman who came close was Jonny Wilkinson.
What needs to change? There have to be better efforts to engage new audiences, which is why Bath prop Beno Obano’s documentary on Harlequins — to be screened by Amazon Prime — is a promising development. Behind-the-scenes exposure is vital, as Formula One has discovered.
This may be a predictable point to make in a newspaper, but a willingness to co-operate with the media would also help. Some clubs have been impressive lately in this regard. The likes of Bath, Gloucester, Exeter, Northampton and Sale are ready and willing to showcase the talent in their ranks. Others are catching on to the importance of doing so. Hopefully the penny will drop with unions too.
In a recent interview, Chris Robshaw spoke of how he was under orders to ‘give the media nothing’ when he was England captain. This attitude can’t persist or the sport’s profile will stay low. The public need to see and hear from rugby’s characters. Joe Marler, Ellis Genge and other free spirits can be promotional assets.
Fundamentally, a mindset shift is needed so that coaches do not regard any hint of an unorthodox or forthright nature with suspicion. New superstars and straight talkers will not jeopardise the fabric of this game, which puts so much emphasis on the collective over the individual. They might just allow rugby to fulfil its vast potential at long last.