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IrishRugby.ie / IRFU :
Establishing a vibrant community
on the internet
IrishRugby.ie was launched in October 2001 with the ambition of establishing a vibrant Irish rugby community on the internet. From 84,000 unique visits in its first month, it has grown to an average 287,000 unique visits per month in the year to December 2003. Since its launch, and continuing today, VISION provides an operational management service, which has made the site self-financing and profitable.
Connecting with the passion
In 2000, the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) felt that their existing internet strategy was not connecting with the passion and commitment that exists amongst fans of Irish rugby. They asked VISION to undertake a review, and to propose a new strategy to achieve the IRFU's articulated aims:
- Further the development of the game
- Broaden the base of active participants in the form of players, coaches, and referees.
- Broaden the appeal of rugby amongst the wider public
- Build a real sense of community among all who follow rugby at club, province, and national level
- Involve the expatriate community who miss out on sport they leave behind
- Identify and generate new revenue streams
VISION produced a comprehensive strategy to achieve these aims. The game plan was to provide Irish rugby fans with the premier source of Irish rugby-related news and services on the internet and through fostering communication between the users on the site, build an online community of many thousands.
Soon after the approval of the strategy, the Irish Rugby Football Union's (IRFU) Operations Director, Martin Murphy said, "In recognition of the powerful and developing role of the internet amongst sporting and commercial communities, the IRFU took a strategic decision to invest in the development of a world-class website for Irish rugby. We commissioned VISION as our strategic partner to advise and manage on the development of this vital function in the IRFU's commercial operations."
Turnkey solution
VISION provided a turnkey solution, from graphic design, to content management build, website build, hosting, maintenance, and operational management. The site was built to the highest standards, and sits on an architecture that rivals that of many financial institutions.
The solution supports publication and archiving of the various assets required to run a sports website, from news articles, to photographs, message boards, live match commentary, and from fixtures and results to administrative functions.
New concept in internet commerce
VISION as part of its management service operates a premium sponsorship and combined marketing vehicle, called brand partnership, with several pricing levels to suit differing needs of brand partners. Brand Partnership was conceived and is delivered in partnership between VISION and IRFU. In its first year, this new concept in internet commerce provided a sizeable contribution to bringing the website to break even.
Furthermore, the ticket shop has been an invaluable implementation for the IRFU and was custom built by VISION for the client. The shop has become a significant element of the overall IRFU commercial strategy. It allows the IRFU to access revenue streams that were heretofore only available to online ticket agents.
Rich community-building features
IrishRugby.ie contains many rich community-building features, which ensure that there is a steady flow of users to the site, which in turn keeps content fresh and makes it the primary internet source for getting up-to-the-minute Irish Rugby news, views and gossip.
The message board, which was custom built by VISION received in excess of 50,000 messages posted between November 2001 and January 2003, making it one of the most active message boards in Ireland. A carefully tuned editorial policy ensures that there is freedom of speech, while avoiding any legal dangers. Fans and the IRFU meet on a level playing field on IrishRugby.ie. While it is the official site, where the official position is communicated, free expression is supported.
Bringing Irish rugby to you, wherever you happen to be, is the modus operandi behind IrishRugby.ie SMS alerts, launched in off-season 2003. To date more than 600 members have signed up. This is another revenue generating channel for the IRFU and further SMS services are planned for launch in 2004.
Significant cost savings
IrishRugby.ie has had several notable successes in supporting rugby administration, from dissemination of policy documents such as the IRFU Code of Conduct, to the recruitment of staff. A notable success has been the site's stunning success in supporting the public consultation element of the Strategic Planning Group (SPG). The SPG is charged with creating a strategy for the future of Irish Rugby, and is a very important and high profile function within the IRFU. The site disseminated 19,000 of documents to the rugby public, with significant cost savings as a result.
Client comment
IRFU Operations Director, Martin Murphy commented:
"We wanted IrishRugby.ie to be a world-class, revenue-generating website built around the rugby supporters' needs and interests and VISION delivered on that objective. It has been a marvellous success."
"With VISION's support IrishRugby.ie has grown at an extraordinary rate, from less than 15,000 unique visits in September 2001, to an average of 287,000 per month in the year to December 2003. This is just one measure of the value VISION's partnership has brought to the IRFU."
Relevant links
IrishRugby.ie
ConnachtRugby.ie
LeinsterRugby.ie
MunsterRugby.ie
UlsterRugby.ie
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