All Blacks & Usa Rugby Take To Digital Space

The All Blacks team up with USA Rugby to build awareness of the sport in the American digital space…

There are few fans of sport outside the United States that aren’t aware of the brand power and passion of rugby, especially on the professional level. The sport’s popularity on a global scale is just behind football, arguably ahead of basketball and cricket, and is now gaining steam in that massive media market in North America, with next week being a key takeoff point for the game.

On 1st November, the All Blacks will make a rare appearance in the United States, just ahead of their UK tour, and will take on the United States National team, the Eagles, at Chicago’s Soldier Field. While some may have raised an eyebrow about the endeavor, the game’s organisers, The Legacy Agency and USA Rugby, saw a massive opportunity to strike at a time when the sport is on an upswing (especially with Rugby 7’s going to the Olympic programme in 2016), teams on the collegiate level are expanding and becoming more organised, and the grassroots development is at a point where rugby has passed lacrosse, field hockey and even American football as the fastest growing team sport in the States. Factor in a live national television broadcast on NBC and a dark week for the NFL’s Bears in the second largest market in the United States, and it appears a recipe for success is in order.

However the game itself and its week of pageantry was not all that drove, and will continue to drive, interest in rugby. As a sport that is prime for millennials and young affluents, a host of digital engagement platforms have been set in place to bring even more buzz in the social space.

The biggest has come from AIG, the presenting sponsor of the match and the global sponsor of the All Blacks. They launched a “Do the Haka” contest online, which has solicited thousands of viral videos from fans looking to gain tickets to the match and access to merchandise from The All Blacks worldwide. 

For those who don’t know, The Haka is the traditional Maori war dance performed by New Zealand teams at the start of a match. The dance is derived from the Polynesian settlers of the island, and has been around since the original “All Black” team of “New Zealand Natives”, led by Joseph Warbrick. Its mystique has evolved over the years — along with the fierce determination, commitment and high level of skill that has become the hallmark of New Zealand’s national game.

The All Blacks perform the Haka with the same precision and intensity that defines the All Blacks play. The “Ka Mate” Haka traditionally opens with a set of five preparatory instructions shouted by the leader before the whole team joins.

It has been mimic’ed now by teams from all sports around the world, and has caught fire amongst American football teams on the college and high school level looking for some edge on their opponents with a bit of shock and awe. It has also made for a great social engagement platform not just for the All Blacks, but for the sport itself.

Then there is the digital work of USA Rugby, which has launched its own call to action plan on social in advance of the game. Their campaign #AnswerThechallenge is a fun counterpoint to The Haka, asking US fans to create their own viral video segments to show support for The Eagles. They enlisted current and former players and coaches as well as athletes like the Chicago Bulls Doug McDermott to encourage a healthy competition and get people to dive in, with the best videos being awarded special access to the November 1 game and exclusive merchandise created just for the event.

The friendly digital campaigns are in lock step with the friendly theme for the match, which will be long on emotion and spectacle as the legendary All Blacks make a rare appearance in the States, and help take the sport to a new level of awareness not just with a growing number of ardent supporters but with casual fans who may tune in or engage online with rugby for the first time.

In short, it looks like the efforts that The Legacy Agency have pulled together with their partners have found ways to engage with fans on every platform, and those efforts, especially in the digital space, might make November 1 a landmark day for rugby not just in the U.S. but around the world.