The Area 2 Legacy Board which comprises the RFU, Oxfordshire, Middlesex, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Hertfordshire and Hampshire met for its first meeting on May 24th at Twickenham. The broad aim of the board is to support the RFU, ER2015, Counties and the Clubs to maximise the positive impact and legacy of the event – before, during and after. I represent Oxfordshire on this Board.
Some of the key initiatives which we will be working on include:
- Linking you, our Club Cup Champions, with others from across the region to share ideas and enthusiasm – September 18th is a provisional date for the first such get-together at Twickenham – 2 years to the day before KO
- Attracting sponsors who could help clubs broaden their appeal within their communities. For example, we will be talking to companies such as Panasonic, Sony and Costa to see if they are interested in supporting and equipping club-lounges to make our rugby cubs the place to be to watch the games
- Exploiting links with national sponsors which can be used locally – BMW is a prime example where links to local dealership could provide opportunities for both parties
- Developing a network of past international players which clubs can tap into
- Forming links with commercial partners who may want to support grass roots coaching, refereeing or volunteer programmes – this may include a player Transition Management programme for 16 to 24s
- Identifying cultural links which could increase the social energy of clubs – Jazz FM might be a national partner that could lead to the provision of resources to help club develop themed social events
- Tapping into the national marketing and PR programme to ensure national and regional activity can be exploited locally at a club level
- Exploring links with FIRA (who represent Europe’s rugby nations), to evaluate whether Oxfordshire could partner and mentor an emergent rugby nation – perhaps in partnership with a commercial partner e.g. Germany and BMW
Exciting times indeed and I believe much to go at.