Thatchers Cider Company Ltd’s Post

Rugby fans are at the heart of the game, and Premiership Rugby understands the importance of keeping them informed and engaged. By releasing a half-season fixture, the league ensures that fans have enough information to plan their schedules, purchase tickets, and support their favourite teams during the critical early stages of the season. The half-season approach also allows Premiership Rugby to provide accurate match timings, avoiding last-minute changes that can disrupt fans’ plans. ECAL makes it easy for fans to sync to the calendar, engage and never miss a game. #ECAL #PremiershipRugby #EngagementTechnology #digitaltransformation #sportsmarketing #calendarmarketing

New blog article is now available and today's topic is all things rugby! "Super Rugby, once heralded as one of the premier rugby union competitions in the Southern Hemisphere, has undergone significant changes in recent years. Among the most profound shifts was the departure of South African teams, which has had far-reaching implications for the competition's excitement and business viability. This detailed article explores how the end of Super Rugby involving South African teams has affected the competition, both in terms of fan engagement and financial performance." To read more of the blog, click the link below: https://lnkd.in/gtS2Wg9w #sports #sportsmarketing #content #blog #writing #rugby #superrugby #sportsbusiness #agents #athletes

🏉 Innovating the Game with Smart Ball Technology Excited to see Sportable’s cutting-edge Smart Ball technology in action during the Six Nations! This innovation provides real-time performance data, unlocking insights that are transforming how teams approach strategy, training, and game-time decisions. From tracking ball speed to pinpointing kicking accuracy, the Smart Ball is revolutionizing rugby by delivering previously out-of-reach data. It’s incredible to witness the power of technology elevating the sport! 🔗 Check out the post below for more details.

"On average, we roughly know that the Irish defensive line is going to get to the drop-kicker in around three seconds, this then formulates our training plan for the week." By utilising the Sportable x Gilbert Smart Ball in training, Marcus Smith has gained real-time insights into key metrics like pass speed, reload time, and launch angle. This data has enabled him to fine-tune his technique through precise, data-driven repetitions, ensuring he can execute with maximum speed and accuracy when it matters most. As a result, he delivered an incredibly fast 0.85 second catch, drop, and kick sequence—successfully beating the rushing Ireland defenders and securing a dramatic victory for England. The Smart Ball will once again be used in all 15 matches of the Championship, with data and insights presented across broadcast and digital channels by Sage, the Official Insights Partner of Six Nations Rugby. #SixNations #SmartBall #PerformanceData #SageInsights

Rugby is Screwed Unless It Learns to Think Like a Herd Rugby is in a right mess. Financial struggles, dwindling engagement and now Netflix has binned the next season of Six Nations: Full Contact. That was supposed to be rugby’s Drive to Survive moment the chance to pull in new fans, fresh investment and put the sport back on the map. Instead? Absolutely nothing. A bigger drop than England’s World Cup campaign. But here is the thing. Rugby does not need Netflix to grow. It needs to stop blindly chasing people who do not care and start focusing on the places where the game actually matters. Herdify (shameless plug) works on the principle that people move in herds. Brands waste millions targeting the wrong people, when in reality, the key to growth is finding where the conversation is already happening and amplifying it. For rugby, that means fixing its marketing because right now, it is about as sharp as a front row doing a drop goal challenge. 🏉 Stop trying to sell rugby to people who do not care. Instead, find the fans who already love it and make them feel like insiders. Community drives engagement. The people in the stands, the local clubs, the pub debates over who was the best Number 8 of all time—this is where the sport lives. Amplify it. Rugby’s problem is a behavioural one its not that people do not like it. It is that it is not activating the fans who do. And in a sport that thrives on momentum, that is the biggest sin of all. The herd is already there. The sport just needs to follow it. Agree? Disagree? In the spirit of community building if your up for joining a rugby fantasy league the link is in the comments... England Rugby Scottish Rugby WRU - Welsh Rugby Union Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) Rugby French Flair  Big shout out to The Rugby Pod for their recent episode on this... - Link in the comments!

I've written 3 suggestions for fixing Welsh Rugby #1 Reimagining Welsh Rugby's Professional Game Welsh Rugby is at a crossroads, and bold reform is needed to secure its future. The current structure has diluted resources, fractured fan bases, and struggled to compete on the global stage. It's time to return to their roots while building for the future. Imagine a professional system with three historic clubs—Llanelli, Cardiff, and Newport—at its heart. These iconic names carry decades of tradition, pride, and a deep connection to their communities. By focusing on quality over quantity, this streamlined model can create stronger teams capable of competing internationally, reignite local passion, and offer clear pathways for young talent to succeed. But it’s not just about the pro game. These clubs must be the cornerstone of their districts, (see #3) supporting grassroots rugby by funding development programs, coaching initiatives, and community engagement. Strong pro clubs can be beacons of inspiration, but their success must ripple through every level of the sport. Welsh Rugby’s future depends on honoring their history while embracing the changes needed to thrive in a modern game. It’s time to unify behind a vision that works for players, fans, and communities alike. Wales can build a rugby system that reflects their values, supports their talent, and secures their place on the global stage. #regionsarefinished #focusonfuture #nosoftoptions #itstime

Building the Future of Rugby: Preseason Insights at Centurion Rugby Club As we enter the second phase of our preseason, the level of commitment from the players has been nothing short of exceptional. With 65 players turning out for the session—close to the 70 from our first—our focus remains on refining ability, fitness, and intensity, ensuring we address the nuances that differentiate elite-level club rugby. The traditional fitness regimes have been set aside in favor of rugby-specific drills and game scenarios. By designing sessions that challenge the squad’s anaerobic output and cognitive flexibility, we aim to simulate the chaotic, high-pressure situations players face on the field. These environments test everything from accuracy under fatigue to decision-making in unstructured play. One key takeaway from these sessions is the recognition that many of our players have had the rugby coached out of them. This makes problem-solving under pressure a more complex task, but it also presents an exciting opportunity to reconnect them with the game’s core principles. At Centurion Rugby Club, we remain steadfast in our belief that the enjoyment of rugby must come first. By adopting a player-centric approach and embedding a sense of purpose in every drill, we’re confident that the players will be prepared for the challenges ahead, not only improving their performance but also elevating the legacy of the jersey they wear. Our mission is clear: by the end of the season, each player will leave the jersey in a better place than when they first received it. #RugbyDevelopment #EliteCoaching #PlayerCentric #RugbyPreseason #CoachingExcellence #TeamBuilding #RugbyLeadership 

Since the beginning of this year, World Rugby has implemented instrumented mouthguards (iMGs) across all elite competitions. However, the use of iMGs is not restricted to elite players and competitions. Community and School Rugby can hugely benefit from iMG technology. This Rugby Pass article discusses the importance of coaches and trainers being able to identify when young players require further head injury assessment – addressing common parental concerns around the sport.  Visit the link below to read the full article. 🏉 #communityrugby #rugbypass #sportsbusiness #headimpact #reducingrisk #impactmonitoring #mouthguards #preventbiometrics #playersafety

Update: The RFU has approved the structure of the Premiership and Championship for next season. Promotion/relegation will be subject to a two-legged play-off between the Premiership’s lowest team and the Championship winners, provided that the Championship winners meet the necessary Minimum Standards Criteria. In other words, the status quo will remain. Many had hoped for a revitalised, streamlined second tier to stimulate commercial growth, but this has not materialised, seemingly after opposition from some Championship clubs. This therefore feels a missed opportunity. But it was clear that the reported lack of engagement from the RFU and Premiership with the Championship clubs was always going to make meaningful change difficult. So where does this leave English club rugby? It is not clear that this news will stimulate significant investment into the Championship, but it does at least guarantee the existence of the current Championship clubs and maintains a route through to the top tier. But, as the past decade has shown, this matters little if there is no meaningful investment into the second tier and if there remain significant barriers to entry to the Premiership (a relegation play-off system is already in place but the Championship winners haven’t met the Minimum Standards Criteria, so no play-off has taken place). The same old questions over the levels of funding for the Championship, the Minimum Standards Criteria and the sustainability of a second professional league will therefore continue to plague the game, as they have done for the past decade. Talks are ongoing about the make-up of the Championship, and there will be hope for an improved funding package. But the incongruence of the overlap between the professional and amateur games will seemingly remain, leaving us all to ponder whether a commercially viable professional second division will ever evolve… Let me know what you think. Am I missing something? #sportslaw #rugby #englandrugby https://lnkd.in/ecfAhybP

Creating a Winning Culture: How England Rugby Wins Over Customers Discover how England Rugby goes above and beyond to delight its customers and build a beloved business. Dive into the story of the Tirrit Arms pub, transformed for the Rugby World Cup. Learn the secrets behind fostering a sense of ownership among employees. #EngagingCustomers #RugbyWorldCup #CustomerDelight #CreatingCulture #EmployeeOwnership #WinningBusiness #CustomerSatisfaction #EnglandRugby #RugbyFans #BusinessSuccess