Proposal 2020 GLOBAL SPONSORSHIP - Logo - International Gay ...
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Logo
GLOBAL SPONSORSHIP
Proposal 2020
www.IGRugby.org
Registered Office: 71 Holland Road, West Ham, London, England E15 3BP, United Kingdom.
A WARM WELCOME
I’m thrilled to welcome you to International Gay Rugby (IGR) and provide you
with information about our rapidly growing, ever-passionate, rugby family
that today reaches all four corners of the globe and plays a huge part in
thousands of our players’ and supporters’ lives.
IGR was founded in October 2000 by a small group of Inclusive Rugby Clubs
and, as we approach our third decade, we continue to provide opportunities
for members of the LGBTQ+ community to enjoy competitive rugby whilst
improving respect and tolerance worldwide.
This document aims to provide you with a quick overview of the IGR and
the opportunities for your brand to powerfully connect with our global
organisation as Official Partner.
We are very proud of our community, our people and our purpose and very
much look forward to developing a profitable and meaningful relationship
together.
Your Faithfully,
Ben Owen
Chair & Trustee
International Gay Rugby
2
WE’RE HERE...
....To grow inclusive rugby and achieve equality, diversity and personal
development in sport. To do our part to eliminate discrimination on
the grounds of sexual orientation or identification and to promote
good health through the playing of rugby by:
Providing opportunities for the LGBTQ+ community
to compete in welcoming, inclusive rugby clubs
that are primarily LGBTQ+ /LGBTQ+ friendly
Eliminating homo & transphobia in rugby
through community outreach &competitive play
Working with governing bodies to improve
acceptance of LGBT athletes at all levels
Co-ordinating the largest amateur rugby union tournaments
in the world
Providing our members with support and resources
We are recognised by World Rugby as the representative LGBTQ+
rugby organisation via a 2015 Memorandum of Understanding
and are an Associate Member of the Federation of Gay Games
3
4
23 NATIONS
Our member clubs sit within
23 national unions under the
aegis of ‘World Rugby’
5 KINDS OF RUGBY
IGR members of all genders
A GLOBAL
play rugby formats including
XV’s, 7’s, 10’s, Touch and Tag
COMMUNITY
International Gay Rugby is International by nature, not just in name. 1 SHARED PASSION
IGR clubs can be found in countries on five continents with the majority found Our members are powerrful
in the USA, UK and Continental Europe. advocates for Inclusive Rugby and
passionately engage in the sport
Latin America is one of the fastest growing regions and we’re also thrilled
to have just welcomed two new clubs from Japan!
85 ASSOCIATED CLUBS...
There are over 100 stakeholder clubs Many compete in local ‘mainstream’
across the world today, 85 of which are fully leagues, breaking down barriers, changing
‘Associated’ member clubs of International perceptions and encouraging greater social
Gay Rugby cohesion between the LGBTQ+ and straight
communities - in addition to the biennial
Thousands of people, of all genders, IGR tournaments and annual competitions.
ehtnicities, backgrounds, sexualities and
rugby abilities enjoy the sport as players or
supporters of IGR teams. .....AND GROWING
7
AND OH, MY! ..... HO
Since 1995, when the Kings Cross Steelers became the world’s first To keep things brief, we’ve only given you a flavour of the milestone
and oldest Gay and Inclusive Rugby Club, and the founding by just a moments in our history but there’s been an incredible upward
small handful of clubs back in 2000 of International Gay Rugby and trajectory of growth in the last two decades with agreements and
Board (IGRAB) which later became International Gay Rugby (IGR) new, exciting developments making headlines and changing lives
as we are known today - our world has experienced phenomenal for the better at an ever accelerating speed.
growth that continues to increase almost exponentially.
1995 2000 2001
KINGS CROSS STEELERS IGRAB - INTERNATIONAL GAY RUGBY & BOARD WASHINGTON INVITATIONAL
London, England, UK London, England, UK Washington, USA
The world’s first officially IGRAB (latterly known as International Gay Rugby) North America hosts
registered gay rugby club founded in October 2000 following the world’s inuagural IGRAB
is founded in November 1995. the world’s first gay rugby tournament tournament with teams from
between King’s Cross Steelers, San Francisco, Manchester and
Manchester Village Spartans and Buenos Aires plus individuals
Washington Renegades in July 2000. from Chicago, London
. and Melbourne.
8
OW WE’VE GROWN!
Perhaps some of the most significant areas of growth to mention would be
that we have developed Memorandums of Understanding with several of the
world’s largest National Rugby Governing Bodies including USA Rugby, Rugby
Australia, Rugby Nederlands, La Fédération Belge de Rugby, Japanese Rugby
Football Union, World Rugby and are finalising our MOU with the RFU.
2002 2004 2005 2019
BINGHAM CUP PURCHAS CUP UNION CUP NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP
San Francisco, CA, USA Sydney & Brisbane, Australia Montpellier, France Charlotte North Carolina, USA
The Mark Kendall Bingham Memorial The first games of the The first edition of the The first edition of the expanded
Tournament is hosted by Purchas Cup are held, one in Union Cup is held, creating a North American Chmapionship is
San Francisco Fog with 8 teams Sydney, one in Brisbane. biennial tournament for the agreed and awarded to
from the US, UK and Argentina. Named after the founder of the IGR clubs of Europe. the Charlotte Royals RFC
The event would go on to be known Sydney Convicts,
as the first biennial “Bingham Cup”. Andrew “Fuzz” Purchas.
9
WE MANAGE FOUR MAJOR
INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENTS
BINGHAM CUP
IGR’s flagship biennial global tournament that began in 2002,
SUMMER
as a memorial to 9/11 hero Mark Bingham - a founding player
at The San Francisco Fog.
2020
74 teams competed in the most recent edition in Amsterdam
and nearly 100 are expected in Ottawa, in August 2020.
UNION CUP
The LGBTQ+ / inclusive tournament for IGR clubs in Europe. In
SUMMER
2019, 44 teams celebrated its 8th edition in Dublin, Irleand by
launching the tournament’s first women’s division and painting
2021
the famous Guinness brewery gates in rainbow colours. The
UK’s Birmingham Bulls will be the next hosts in 2021
10PURCHAS CUP
The Purchas Cup is the premier tournament for gay and
2021
WINTER
inclusive rugby for the Australia-Pacific region comprising of
representative of all IGR affiliated clubs.
2019 will feature Brisbane Hustlers, Sydney Convicts,
Melbourne Chargers and New Zealand Falcons.
NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP
Previously two separate tournaments on the east and west
2021
SUMMER
coasts of the USA, 2021 will see the first unified tournament open
to all 35 IGR clubs across the USA and Canada. The Charlotte
Royals in North Carolina, USA, will be hosting this next broader,
North American Championship.
11WHILST PROMOTING
OUR VALUES
COMMUNITY
Following a global poll of IGR members in early 2019, IGR players and supporters told us
that ‘Community’ is the most important value that we must always stive to maintain. Quite
unsuprising - considering we were created for that specific reason and given that ‘Community’
is the core value right at the heart of everything we do.
But ‘Community’ isn’t just IGRs number one value to uphold - it’s also our biggest asset!
We enjoy participating within a huge global community that exists thanks to our active social
media networks and regular tournaments and events. A team of Regional Representatives
work to support the members in their region and nurture the relationships between clubs.
The IGR Board is made up of one member from each member club who regularly interact
to discuss, debate and vote on issues most affecting the IGR community. We provide and
maintain a multi-lingual labyrinth of networks to give over 50,000 people a space to stay in
touch or get to know each other between events and share stories and achievements.
INCLUSION | RESPECT | PASSION | FAIRNESS
12AND SUPPORTING
OUR MEMBER CLUBS
IGR provides development support and resources IGR actively works to reduce barriers for LGBTQ+
to both our members and new LGBTQ+/inclusive people to participate in rugby and to combat homo
clubs in the areas of club organisation, recruitment, and transphobia in the rugby and wider sporting
retention, fundraising, event management and community.
regional and national union relations.
We count on a high level of support and engagement
We have recently begun a small grants scheme from sporting authorities at all levels and encourage
that is open to members wanting to increase our member clubs to engage with their national and
participation in rugby or promote our core values local unions.
and to non-members for the development of new
LGBTQ+/inclusive clubs. WORKING WITH WORLD RUGBY AND OTHER
NATIONAL GOVERNING BODIES
IGR clubs are encouraged to continually improve
their level of play and engagement with the wider We have worked with World Rugby to revise their
rugby community through playing in their local policy on transgender athletes, making it easier for
league/matrix structures. the transgender community to play rugby.
In the UK we run two IGR development leagues to Work is currently in progress to include elements
help developing teams to get experience before on diversity and inclusion in World Rugby’s official
joining a local league structure. training for officials and coaches.
13AND WE’RE TRULY
INCLUSIVE
More IGR clubs than ever before have mixed-gender or
women’s teams and transgendered players have been
active members in our clubs for many years.
We now have a Womens’ Global Rep and a
Womens’ Tournament as part of both our
Bingham and Union Cup Tournaments.
We have also trail-blazed the important issue of
Transgender inclusion within World Rugby and have
been instrumental in writing the current guidelines.
1424 IGR CLUBS
WITH WOMENS’
OR MIXED-GENDER
SQUADS
15A RELATIONSHIP WITH US
WILL BENEFIT YOUR BRAND
Some of the world’s biggest brands have worked with IGR Truly Global Passionate Members
member clubs and IGR tourmanents because they recognised
the value they could obtain through an association with Gay
and Inclusive Rugby. With teams in over 26 We can connect you to a
countries, we can give positive and passionate
These brands have included Aviva, Canterbury, Aldi, Adidas, your brand a voice in audience of team players
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, Brussel Airlines, territories near and far. and health enthusiasts.
Stokholm Marathon, O2, Nike, World Pay, Virgin Trains and
Kellogg amongst others. A Growing Sport A loyal audience
Rugby is the fastest Tap into an audience,
growing team sport typically very loyal to
extending its reach into the brands that support
new communities daily. LGBTQ+ issues.
Social Repsonsibility Media Savvy
Aligning your brand to IGR is media savvy and
our core-values can help can help expertly amplify
demonstrate corporate your brand campaign or
social responsibility to promotional messaging.
This year’s Union Cup in Dublin saw many major brands enjoy their
association with Gay and Inclusive Rugby. your stakeholders.
16“This is the first time we have invited brands to become Official Partners to the IGR on an
ongoing global basis - creating an opportunity for businesses to support Inclusive Rugby far
beyond our tournaments whilst enjoying a deeper alliance with our growing sport.”
- Ben Owen, IGR Chair.
We can arrange for local As an Official IGR Partner, we
IGR teams to support can work together to agree
selected promotional or how best your brand can enjoy
brand activations such as exceptional exposure on or
CLUB attending LGBTQ+ Diversity BRAND offline to suit your marketing
Open Days, appear in objectives; at our events, on
ACCESS commercials, present at
EXPOSURE member club communications
corporate conferences etc on relevant IGR materials.
- ultimately, tailored to suit
your specific needs.
As an Official IGR Partner, IGR volunteers include several
your brand could advertise professional marketeers who
or promote a product or can work hard with your team
service to all our members to deliver an ideal strategic
at our tournaments, local partnership that achieves
SALES club houses, competitions
STRATEGIC both your brand’s and our
PROMOTIONS or online across our web PARTNERSHIPS organisational objectives
properties and social media together as part of a fruitful,
channels. professional relationship.
17CONNECT WITH OVER 350,000
LGBTQ+ RUGBY FANS
IGR and our social brand, IGRC (International Gay rugby
Clubhouse) will connect you to a global network of
passionate participants and supporters of LGBTQ+ Rugby
and followers of member clubs worldwide.
In addition to the IGR’s +15,000 followers across our own
IGR and IGRC channels, the 85 Associated IGR Clubs have
themselves, very active accounts across the popular global
globe
facebook
social media channels - Facebook, Twitter and Instagram -
with many also having a solid, active presence on Linkedin
and other local, social media sites in addition to many well-
maintained websites. twitter
Between 2017 and 2018 the three platforms combined saw
a 26% growth in individuals liking or following our members’
channels - with an additional nearly 80,000 joining the
instagram
conversation between 2018 and 2019!
As an Official Partner of IGR, your business could enjoy access
to promote your brand or products on these member club
accounts and would automatically be entitled to:
circle Promote your brand on IGR’s trilingual web propertiies
circle Programme posts on IGR’s 2 public Facebook pages
18
circle Link to our LinkedIn Page
circle Receive coverage on our Instagram account
circle Communicate & post in English, French & Spanish linkedinIGRC page alone has 6,150 followers All 85+ IGR clubs have a FB presence
IGRC messages reach > 42 countries Over 1.2m post engagements per year
IGRC audience typically aged 18-45 High engagement rates for all clubs
IGRC page approx 80/20 M/F mix Consistent engagement every month
IGRC engagement >25,000 per month Summer boosted by LGBTQ+ Prides
19ACTIVATE YOUR BRAND
FROM GRASSROOTS UP
We are very proud of the rewarding partnerships IGR “We are proud to support Union Cup Dublin as it celebrates
members and tournaments have nurtured over the the power of rugby to unite people, and we hope Guinness
decades to the benefit of inclusive rugby and the partner gates encourage people to support the teams playing in
involved so we’ve compiled a selection of short case studies June. The team at Guinness has championed inclusivity and
online, such as Guinness’ sponsorship of the Union Cup in diversity in rugby, values that are integral to Guinness as a
2019. brand, through a number of rugby partnerships.”
Speaking about the Guinness Union Cup Gate If you’d like to view any of the Case Studies please contact
transformation, Rory Sheridan, Head of Partnerships – adam.wide@igrugby.org to request access to our exclusive
Europe at Diageo said: Partnership Portal.
20Guinesses received worldwide press coverage and huge social media acclaim when they transformed their Brewery Gates for the first time in their history. Painting the gates from black to the rainbow colours acheived huge media attention, online acclaim for their support of an LGBTQ+ cause and created a surge in visitors to their visitor attraction.
WHERE YOUR MONEY GOES:
DOING GOOD FOR SOCIETY
Partnering with the IGR represents great value for money - together we can deliver a great “Bang for your Buck” -
but you can also rest assured that every dollar and hour you invest with International Gay Rugby helps ensure our projects
have a power, positive impact on thousands of, often marginalised, members of society.
Bet your bottom dollar...
As a volunteer organisation, with low administrative or operating costs,
the income International Gay Rugby receives directly funds the long-
term strategic aims of the association or helps to deliver impactful
tactical efforts in response to major LGBTQ+ issues such as:
circle Funding a co-ordinated, worldwide response to the homophobic attack
on Gareth Thomas in 2018 by distributing Rainbow Laces to national
Rugby Union teams across the globe.
circle The design, printing and distribution of a ground-breaking leaflet
educating rugby union clubs on World Rugby’s new Transgender Policy
created in association with IGR
circle Promoting LGBTQ+ equality at the Rugby World Cup in Japan 2019
circle Maintaining the IGR comms channels and promoting IGR Values
online and at IGR Tournaments
circle Funding the creation of resource packs for grassroots teams and
ensuring IGR competitions and tournaments legal compliance etc IGR Club, Kings Cross Steelers, deliver Rainbow Laces to Gino Toiani,
team manager of the Italy’s national sqaud as part of a co-ordinated
circle Covering travel costs enabling IGR Trustees to engage with Rugby Unions global response to the homophobic attack on Gareth Thomas.
22+ IGR and World Rugby signed a historic Memorandum at the Rugby World Cup in Japan 2019 IGR and World Rugby sign historic Memorandum of Understanding IGR Regional Reps coordinate LGBTQ+ teams enabling them to play competitive, social rugby around the world. IGR clubs celebrated #PrideinRugby 2019 around the world - promoti ng Inclusivity at a local level.
A PACKAGE BUILT
FOR YOUR BRAND
We can create
example visuals of the
materials that would
feature your brand.
24IGR can work closely with Official Partnes to help deliver effective campaigns that connect powerfully to our25 players and sup[porters. This example shows an IGR-created poster developed for the English RFU on behalf of O2 Touch to recruit more Inclusive Touch Rugby players - whilst adhering to O2 and RFU brand guidelines.
26
OUR COMMERCIAL TEAM
ARE HERE TO HELP
We are an entirely voluntary run organisation and are grateful to have a team of over 200 volunteers working all
year round to keep the magic of IGR alive. We have access to talent around the world including Marketing and Graphic
Design professionals and content creators who are always pleased to help IGR partners achieve their ambitions with us.
If you would like to chat with our passionate commercial team and find out more about the opportunities we can create
together, any one of us would love to chat or provide access to our new, online Partners Portal.
Vice-Chair & Trustee Global Media Liason Global Digital & Social Lead
Adam Wide Chris Verrijdt David Cameron-Donnachie
adam.wide@igrugby.org chris.verrijdt@igrugby.org david.cameron-donnachie@igrugby.org
27twitter @IGRugby Facebook @IGRugby Instagram @IGRugby linkedin @IGRClubhouse globe www.IGRugby.org
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