RFU Denies Commercial Activity Is Reduced
Speaking exclusively to SportIndustry.biz Peter Thomas, RFU director of corporate communications and public affairs, has hit back at media claims that the RFU has cracked down on England players’ commercial activities during the World Cup in New Zealand next year.??
Reports had suggested that the RFU was to prevent the player’s from using social networking sites and writing newspaper columns during the tournament.??
But Thomas has ruled the claims as false: ‘Player columns are not banned, they are subject to the same review process as they have always been and individual sponsorships are being handled in the same way for RWC2011 as they were for RWC2007 and RWC2003,’ he said.
??Thomas added that the only changes to the player’s commercial activities was the introduction of social media sites such as Twitter: ‘The only area where there is any change at all is in social media, where again there is no ban just a firming up of the guidelines around the content that can be published on Twitter or Facebook. This largely reflects their growth as a medium.’
??’Even in RWC2007 both were embryonic and now they are widely used and the new IRB guidelines are there just to remind players that this is a public medium, not a private medium, and that they should therefore think carefully about posting content on there that brings the tournament or the team they play for into disrepute,’ added Thomas.
