Researching #rugbyunited (RU) has been a riveting undertaking, with the best part being the interactions with RU people behind the Twitter handle. People from all over the world shared with me how they became involved in RU, and what they love about it. This is the last part in the three part series, which will share RU account managers’ stories.
Before I share their love of #rugbyunited, I would also like to express my RU love and appreciation to everyone who has been a part of this entertaining rugby research. You all know how to make me smile and especially laugh! The sense of humour demonstrated by all of the account managers is a key ingredient to their success.
Perhaps the best sense of humour of all of the RU accounts I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with is Ezequiel (@ezeq) of @RugbyARG_. He refers to himself as, “the friendliest tighhead prop of the RU family.”
Stephen Engel, Associate Director at RU, and man behind @RugbyEng and @RugbyTTO, commented on my Tweet that said he has an amazing sense of humour. “We try! If we didn’t we’d not have so much fun!” Based in England, he visits Trinidad and Tobago often to visit a friend. On his most recent trip, he recruited a new RU @RugbyTTO account manager, @royalsydo.
Fun, camaraderie, and rugby family are the roots and the glue that bind #rugbyunited people and their followers around the world. Everyone is so welcoming, listens well, and enjoys a good rugby chat. What’s not to love about that?
The RU account managers know that their peers are really knowledgeable in rugby, from grassroots through to the international side. Over the last couple of years, many of the RU accounts managers have met up at various games and their followers often use the connection to find out the best places to meet, go for a drink, car parking, and other match day essentials.
Whilst travelling, RU account managers make every effort to meet their RU colleague at their destination. Just recently, @RugbyUlster_ met @RugbyEGY_ on a business visit to Egypt. On a holiday to the UK, @RugbyCan_’s Mark and Karen met Trevor, did some fundraising, and found a rugby team to represent RU for the day to play the club hosting the fundraiser.
Louise Daniels from @RugbyWomen_, the only RU account dedicated to womens’ rugby, raved about the family feel of RU. “It’s a great community with loads of banter and random stuff, as well as rugby. Louise is a former player and current girls’ U13 coach. She began her RU role when Mike Daniels, her husband who runs the London Welsh account (@RugbyLW), asked Trevor about the womens’ game. She covers any and all womens’ rugby from club to country 7s to 15s.
Matt Leadingham (@Sports_RSA) is an account manger to 5 RU accounts (@Rugbysharks, @RugbyRSA, @RugbyMRebels @RugbyChiefs1, and @rugbylions_. Since starting with RU in June 2014, he’s nearly doubled the followers of the accounts. According to Matt, “the people of RU (I love to call them “ruggernauts”) are some of the most incredibly well natured people you’ll meet! We all have one common passion (or obsession for some); rugby! Without the people, I can quite confidently say that #rugbyunited would not be where it is today.”
As will be a familiar to fact to all people in rugby, the rugby world is small and this was emphasized to Matt via RU. A Twitter comment on one of the RU accounts he works on (@RugbyRSA) reunited him with his favourite high school teacher and rugby coach, Mr. Riaan van Straten (@riaanvanstraten). Both of their identities were unbeknownst to them during their initial Twitter discussions, until Matt discovered they were from the same town in South Africa. This is yet another way that RU unites/reunites rugby people.
Pascal Martel from @rugbyFRA told me about his RU experience during a sailing trip in the Caribbean. He started with RU years ago when he was running an account trying to connect with supporters of the Stade Toulousain in Ireland, when he used Twitter to organise gatherings in pubs to watch the game together, and he found RU.
Pascal said, “I realised that we were sharing common values that you can find universally in the world of rugby.” Trevor Large, co-founder of RU, offered Pascal the opportunity to run @RugbyToulouse_, and later @RugbyFra. “Among the group of people I met in Dublin, I talked to @theRealRitaB about RU and she started to run #RugbyClermont” Pascal stated. “RU has been much more than managing an account on Twitter, because we meet with other fans and engage live.”
According to Pascal, “There are people all around the world supporting your favorite team. If you look at the Top14 now, some teams have more than 50% of their players coming from overseas, which affects fan base. The World Cup this year will be a big event for all the rugby account managers to engage and celebrate together win or losses.”
“I think #rugbyunited has managed to bring fans together with respect and camaraderie,” said Pascal. “This is Rugby at its best!”
Chris Tipping of @RugbyBra_ says, “It’s not so much about banter for us, but as a vehicle to share the sport.”
“It is amazing how it all took off. I have great friends because of it.” @rugbyireland
“I enjoy it as it allows easy access to other rugby lovers across the world – look at this conversation,” said Graham Mackin (@gman569 & @RugbySco).
“What is amazing are the conversations that happen, & MOST of these on good terms. It’s a great organization.” (@RugbyCan_).
“I like the fact that each account comes directly from the area it represents yet they all link to form one “united” rugby platform.” Jonathan Taaffe RU follower, Dublin, Ireland.
RU is mostly about fun, education and good rugby humour, but they do have prominent business connections as well. Some of these relationships are with “online and offline mainstream media organisations (The Rugby Paper run a RU twitter feed on their home page and ESPN are regular contributors to RU), along with strong contacts within Digital, PR, Marketing & Ad Agencies working within the rugby market” (rugbyunited.info).
Rugby careers have stemmed from RU accounts, as happened for @RugbyCan_ Karen and @RugbyUSA_ Davey Jacobson. Trevor informed me that “Davey did such a good job with his RU account, it got noticed by the powers that be, they approached him, and he now works for the USA rugby union running all their social media!” Karen has been approached by businesses to run their social media for them, after seeing her success with RU social media.
In addition to media connections, RU also has remarkable rapport with “senior staff at governing bodies such as the RFU & WRFU, prominent rugby brands (such as Canterbury who invited us to the new England kit launch), sponsors (such as RaboDirect), and Premiership Rugby directly” (rugbyunited.info).
Although this is my last article on RU, it is only the beginning of an incredible relationship with thousands of rugby people around the world. “It’s certainly the tip of the iceberg what people see on the “outside”, the reality is there’s a strong core team of truly excellent committed individuals that make the RU world go round,” said Trevor.
Apologies to all of the RU account managers around the world that were not mentioned in this article. With all of the information and conversations I’ve had, I could write a whole book on RU…food for thought.
Trevor’s recent statement to me is completely accurate, “As I’m sure you’re seeing, I like positive, energetic people and RU is blessed to attract many of these type of people.” The positive energy that RU founders Trevor and Rich Church-Keen created RU from has not gone astray, but has grown immensely and continues to be attractive.
“It is, as everyone in RU knows, truly a labour of love,” proclaimed @RugbyCan_. Thank you again for all who contributed to this article series. This is certainly a perfect time to be rugby united globally.
If you have any questions or comments on #rugbyunited feel free to reach out to me or any of the friendly account managers/directors.
Click links to refer back to Part I or Part II.
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