(SOURCE) This story has been out for almost two weeks, but it doesn’t stop this from being anymore important. Clemson Rugby head coach, Justin Hickey, and assistant coach, Nick Whitrow, put together a theoretical plan to advance the growth of rugby within a collegiate system. The premise is based around the concept that universities increased investment in Rugby programs could assist in the progressive development of small university brand names.
Here is an excerpt from the article:
The importance of effectively branding a company, organization or institution has not been lost in the academic world. Major collegiate athletic programs are multi-million dollar organizations. In the United States much of the revenue generated by National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division 1 schools, comes through the football program. Commercially maximizing the school brand is typically achieved through capitalizing on the football program. There are opportunities however, particularly for small colleges, to grow their brand through more diverse markets. Emerging sports such as rugby, with strong international market, may offer an untapped resource for smaller colleges to capitalize on, in order to strengthen brand recognition, raise enrollment numbers, widen exposure and visibility, increase attractiveness, and generate additional revenue for the institution
This is a great look at some ideas that could work well for universities, which could help build their brand and alleviate the pressures that are placed on a club rugby program.