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Kimbo View Drop Down
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Points: 6721 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kimbo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jun 2025 at 10:58
Originally posted by FHLH FHLH wrote:

Guardian

".....apparently on the grounds that polysyllabic words are now for rugby dinosaurs. The continuing push to make rugby more marketable to a Gen Z audience could spell trouble for the double-barrelled likes of Ollie Hassell-Collins – or OHC as he will be known in future.'

But who was Obo?
Allegedly, Adolf Schicklgruber.
One Ball Off.
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FHLH View Drop Down
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Points: 5674 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FHLH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jun 2025 at 12:51
Originally posted by FHLH FHLH wrote:

Guardian

But who was Obo?


Originally posted by Kimbo Kimbo wrote:


One Ball Off.




Scored 2 tries in England's 14-0 victory over the All Blackls (1936)

Drop Goal = 4 back then andf a try 3


PS He was no Austrian-American artist!!





Edited by FHLH - 15 Jun 2025 at 13:05
"My father told me big men fall just as quick as little ones, if you put a sword through their hearts."
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Kimbo View Drop Down
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Points: 6721 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kimbo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jun 2025 at 17:56
I knew that, but prefer my explanation Wink
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Points: 3135 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Steve@Mose Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jun 2025 at 14:21
The mind behind cricket's Hundred on his 'Prem' relaunch

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The Premiership may be losing seven letters next season, but Rob Calder hopes it will gain much more.

Calder, the top flight's chief growth officer, is the man snipping the competition's name to simply 'the Prem' for next season.

The change comes with a new logo – a shock of orange to reflect the intensity of the action – and fresh branding promoting the physicality, athleticism, collisions and confrontations on the pitch.

"There was definitely an issue with the Premiership brand in that it felt quite corporate and establishment," says Calder.

"It didn't feel like an entertainment product and that's what we're trying to address now with this new identity.

"This league is not broken, it is actually flourishing - we just need to reframe ourselves a little bit to make sure we can reach those wide audiences and grow."

In repositioning rugby, Calder hasn't looked outside the box, but into the octagon.

"If you look at sports that are growing in this country, it's basketball, it's NFL, it's mixed martial arts and there's a singularity to a lot of those brands," he adds.

"Think about UFC. There's a real sort of punchiness. There's a dynamism and a lean forward and we really like that. We thought we could do it our own way though."

The reaction when the new branding was unveiled before Saturday's final was mixed. It often is with these things.

But that is perhaps the point - the existing audience is not the target. Calder wants to expand the league's appeal and convert the indifferent.

A record 1.26m television audience for Bath's victory, combined with demand outstripping supply for the 82,000 tickets, suggests the Premiership is nurturing new fans.

There has been big growth in engaging supporters between the ages of 18-34, while Red Bull's reported interest in buying Newcastle Falcons would tie in perfectly with a parallel aim of attracting youth-orientated brands.

It is a brief Calder has worked to before.

Before he arrived in rugby, he was the commercial director for the Hundred, the neon-spattered, slog-heavy cricket format that launched in 2021 and raised more than £500m with the sale of its franchise sides earlier this year.

That was revolution. In rugby, Calder is aiming for evolution.

"With the Hundred, we were clear that a distinctly new approach was going to be critical to get to the next generation," he says.

"When I did research on the Hundred though I looked at rugby clubs and how they compared in terms of appeal to younger audiences and they actually performed pretty well.

"There are some strong brands in there – be it Harlequins or Leicester Tigers or others – with legacy and awareness of those identities.

"So I think we're starting from a different level with rugby."

The rebrand will include more behind-the-scenes content from the league's bright, young things and more intelligent highlights, with dramatic moments, such as shuddering hits, try-saving tackles and interactions between players, included alongside the scores.

Some of the strategy is more mundane than the marketing, but just as important.

"The first time people come to rugby grounds, we have got to make them welcome," says Calder.

"We've got to point out where everything is, to make sure there's enough toilets for women, that the facilities are clean and the rest of it.

"Rugby is probably a little bit behind where some sports are, but that's a massive focus for us.

"We've invested in gathering match day experience scores from fans and match day experience training with the clubs."

Calder says the hunt for new fans is a necessity, rather than a luxury. He began his career promoting drinks for a big-brand brewers.

"There was a massive, massive commitment to consumer understanding in that industry," he says.

"What struck me when I came into sport was there was a lot of data on who was buying, but not a lot of understanding of those people outside and why they weren't engaging with the sport.

"I think that's a flaw in sport because there's there's so much pressure commercially on clubs, the focus is on understanding as much as possible your existing audience and getting as much of a return out of it.

"It's less common to look beyond that and so you have these unfortunate sort of ever-decreasing circles."

Calder has seen this close up.

He says The Hundred only came into being because Twenty20 cricket had been mistakenly marketed at existing supporters, drawing them away from county cricket, rather than bringing in families and new fans as intended.

It isn't just other sports or other entertainment option that rugby must compete with either. It also has to keep pace with society.

"I think families are important whichever sport you're in - because more and more families make decisions to have experiences together of a weekend," says Calder.

"Maybe my dad, 30-40 years ago, would go and play golf all day or go to rugby with his mates, but I've got a commitment to look after my family and I enjoy being with my family.

"I want to make sure my two young girls can come to these events, and want to come to these events.

"We have seen it in women's football - the growth of that family experience economy. That's definitely something rugby should be tapping into."

Whether the shorter, rawer Prem hits that sweet spot will be seen next season.
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cheshire exile View Drop Down
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Points: 2667 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cheshire exile Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jun 2025 at 16:02
“Chief Growth Officer”? Really??
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Robb View Drop Down
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Points: 1722 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Robb Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jun 2025 at 17:35
The cranberry behind that ghastly hundred is behind this? I should have known.
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Points: 322 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JZSmith Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Jun 2025 at 12:04
Originally posted by cheshire exile cheshire exile wrote:

“Chief Growth Officer”? Really??

If he is the Chief Growth Officer it begs the question of how many Growth Officers there are in total. 
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cheshire exile View Drop Down
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Points: 2667 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cheshire exile Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Jun 2025 at 13:27
Originally posted by JZSmith JZSmith wrote:

Originally posted by cheshire exile cheshire exile wrote:

“Chief Growth Officer”? Really??

If he is the Chief Growth Officer it begs the question of how many Growth Officers there are in total. 


More by the day presumably.
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Steve@Mose View Drop Down
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Points: 3135 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Steve@Mose Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Jul 2025 at 11:06
Prem season to open with first Thursday night game

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The 2025-26 Prem season will begin with a Thursday night fixture for the first time in its history when Sale Sharks take on Gloucester.

The match will kick-off at 19:45 BST on Thursday, 25 September at the Salford Stadium and will open the first of 18 rounds.

Defending champions Bath will travel to Harlequins for the first game of their campaign the following day, with runners-up Leicester Tigers playing Bristol Bears away on Sunday, 28 September.

...

Newcastle host Saracens on Friday, 26 September and Exeter travel to Northampton on Sunday afternoon in the two other fixtures across the opening weekend.

There will be no Saturday match, to avoid a clash with the Women's Rugby World Cup final at Twickenham on 27 September.

The last of the 18 rounds will conclude on the weekend of 6 June, 2026, with the Prem final title decider at Twickenham on Saturday, 21 June 2026.

The move to a midweek night fixture to start the season follows news that the men's Six Nations will open with a Thursday night game for the first time in February 2026.

"Kicking off the campaign with a Thursday night opener brings a fresh twist to our traditional curtain-raiser, and we're looking forward to seeing Sale Sharks and Gloucester Rugby set the tone in style," said chief executive Simon Massie-Taylor.

Marquee weekend at Villa, Spurs & Cardiff in March

Three fixtures will be played at Premier League or international football stadiums on the final weekend of March (27-29).

Gloucester face Leicester Tigers in The Slater Cup - named after Ed Slater, former captain of both teams, who retired in 2022 after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease - at Aston Villa's Villa Park on Saturday, 28 March.

Bristol Bears - who faced Bath at Principality Stadium last season in the club's Big Day Out - will return to the Welsh capital to play Harlequins, while Saracens take on Northampton Saints at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

"Marquee fixtures remain a key pillar of our strategy to broaden rugby's reach," Massie-Taylor added.

"We're thrilled to see Villa Park host The Slater Cup for the first time and to witness the continued growth of Bristol Bears' Big Day Out in its second year."
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rugbychris View Drop Down
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Points: 209 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rugbychris Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Jul 2025 at 19:06
All gone quiet on the Newcastle - Red Bull take over. Do they have a team?
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fatbear View Drop Down
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Points: 3092 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote fatbear Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Jul 2025 at 21:50
Any ideas why the Prem starts a week before the Champ ?
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Paul10 View Drop Down
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Points: 989 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Paul10 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Jul 2025 at 09:32
Originally posted by rugbychris rugbychris wrote:

All gone quiet on the Newcastle - Red Bull take over. Do they have a team?

I know from ex-colleagues still in Red Bull that the company wants to make it happen.

Newcastle rugby limited still hasn't published accounts to June 24.

I take that to mean discussions are ongoing.
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