Engaging the rugby family | Rugby World Cup | World in union | Inspiring participation | Building character | Financial report YEAR IN REVIEW 2014 CHAIRMAN’S WELCOME A stellar year for rugby Bernard Lapasset Chairman, World Rugby Chers amis, here is no doubt that 2014 was In less than a year, the world’s top male players This investment stretches far wider than a stellar year for rugby. It was the will gather in England for what promises to be on the field. We continue to invest in player year of women’s rugby, the year a very special and record-breaking celebration welfare, and concussion education and that our road to Rio 2016 truly of rugby and the host nation. Like Women’s management remains a priority as we seek began with men’s and women’s qualification Rugby World Cup 2014, England 2015 will be to make the game as safe to play as possible and the year that Rugby World Cup 2015 a defining moment for our sport. It will be the for players at all levels via our Medical proved to be ‘too big to miss’ for sports fans. best-attended, most-watched, most-engaged Commission. We also partnered with the and most-competitive Rugby World Cup to date. International Rugby Players’ Association to It was also a defining year for the game’s form the Rugby Athletes’ Commission to give governing body as we became World Rugby It will also be the most commercially players a voice and undertook a review of and refocused our mission to grow the successful with worldwide partnerships, game and training load. global rugby family by underscoring our sponsorships and broadcasters locked down commitment to attract, engage and inspire in record time with record value. Of course, Growth brings opportunities and challenges and new audiences and players around the world. Rugby World Cup is much more than a global as we expand we must ensure that we remain stage to showcase our sport and its finest true to our character-building values. We must While it is always hard to pick highlights, players. It is also the financial engine that ensure that the respect of match officials is there was one event that has inspiration in drives the global development of the sport in preserved and that integrity is promoted and abundance. Women’s Rugby World Cup 2014 emerging and established rugby nations. protected through robust anti-doping and anti- was a defining event for World Rugby. It was a corruption education and strategies. magnificent box-office demonstration of the The commercial success of New Zealand enormous progress that has been achieved 2011, the record-breaking progress of England While we pause here to look back at 2014, in the women’s game with investment in high 2015 and the excitement in the marketplace we move forward at pace and look forward to performance and competition pathways and regarding Japan 2019 has enabled World working with you all in 2015 and beyond as the enormous profile and participation boost Rugby to commit a record level of investment we bring World Rugby to life and look forward delivered by rugby sevens’ Olympic Games in rugby between 2009 and 2016. to a record-breaking year and welcoming new inclusion. participants and audiences to the sport. World Rugby will be bankrolling an investment Yet, it was much more than that. France of more than £330 million during this 2014 was a truly fantastic rugby event that period to increase the competitiveness and filled stadia, captivated broadcast audiences, attractiveness of international rugby and pave dominated social media and inspired the way for more men, women and children participation as England lifted the trophy for to try, play and stay in rugby and live our the first time in 20 years. character-building values. Back row: A Pichot (Argentina), P Whelan (Ireland), C Barbieri (CONSUR), M Hawker (Australia), S Tew (New Zealand), P Boyle (Ireland), P Aldous (Canada), J Spencer (England), B Pulver (Australia) Middle row: P Camou (France), M Robinson (New Zealand), M Dodson (Scotland), H Schuster (FORU), J Roux (South Africa), O Morariu (Rugby Europe), A Buchanan (Wales), G Davies (Wales), K Tokumasu (ARFU), B Gosper (Chief Executive Officer) Front row: T Yabe (Japan), A Bougja (CAR), J Jeffrey (Scotland), O Hoskins (South Africa, Vice Chairman), B Lapasset (Chairman), J Laurans (France), B Latham (NACRA), B Beaumont (England), G Dondi (Italy) 03 08 20 26 36 38 59 CONTENTS 03 Chairman’s welcome 06 Engaging with the rugby family 08 Rebranding World Rugby 10 World Rugby website and social media highlights 12 In the news 14 World Rugby Awards and Hall of Fame 16 World Rugby Conference and Exhibition 18 Rugby World Cup 2015 20 RWC 2015: Too big to miss 22 Stage set for global celebration of rugby 24 The road to RWC 2015 26 RWC Trophy Tour 28 Match schedule and venues 31 Financial driving force 32 Looking ahead to RWC 2019 34 World in union 36 Women’s Rugby World Cup 2014 38 HSBC Sevens World Series review 39 Women’s Sevens World Series review 40 Sevens set to shine 42 World Rugby tournament review 46 Game analysis 48 Inspiring participation 50 Mapping the game’s global growth 52 Growing the Game Conference 53 Get Into Rugby 54 Around the regions in 2014 57 Investment highlights 58 IMPACT Beyond 59 Regions at the heart of rugby’s growth 60 Exciting times for women’s rugby 62 Training and education 63 Research corner 64 Rugby builds character 66 #recogniseandremove 67 Medical Commission Conference 68 Keep Rugby Clean 70 Keep Rugby Onside 71 Disciplinary developments 72 Match officials 73 Olympic Solidarity 74 Spirit of rugby 76 Financial report 78 Financing the global game 80 Financial report and accounts 95 Meet the team in 2015 05 06 ENGAGING WITH THE RUGBY FAMILY IN THIS SECTION 8 Rebranding World Rugby 10 World Rugby website and social media highlights 12 In the news 14 World Rugby Awards and Hall of Fame 16 World Rugby Conference and Exhibition 07 ENGAGING WITH THE RUGBY FAMILY BUILDING CHARACTER SINCE 1886 World Rugby to inspire new audiences World Rugby launched in November, underscoring the governing body’s mission to inspire participation and build a stronger connection with fans, players and commercial partners worldwide he new name, brand and logo and inspiring those who have no connection was approved by Council in with the sport across multiple cultures and May following a comprehensive languages around the world. review of the organisation’s brand positioning against its mission to grow the “Supported by a new name, a distinctive, game globally. optimistic and progressive new brand, and clear character-building values, World Rugby The unveiling at the World Rugby Conference collectively has the ingredients and tools to do and Exhibition in London on 18 November just that. We want everyone to feel connected was supported by the new www.worldrugby. with the sport and rugby’s ongoing success org website and streamlined social media story.” platforms, which have begun to play a pivotal role in inspiring new audiences and players at World Rugby Chairman Bernard Lapasset all levels of the game. added: “Global rugby participation has boomed by more than two million to 7.23 million At the heart of the brand is a distinctive players over the past four years, driven by the positioning, expressed visually through commercial success of Rugby World Cup, World a modernised and progressive logo that Rugby’s development strategies and record embodies World Rugby’s mission statement investment, strong and vibrant unions and to grow the game globally, retaining a link to rugby’s re-inclusion in the Olympic Games. the organisation’s heritage through its blue and green colour scheme. “The launch embodies our mission statement World Rugby’s new to grow the global rugby family beyond our social media platforms The rebrand comes at a time when rugby traditional base and reflects the federation’s is experiencing record growth. The name evolution from rugby regulator to rugby change is designed to resonate with existing inspirer. fans and attract new audiences across Twitter multiple cultures and languages. World Rugby “Our new brand certainly stands out and @worldrugby is modern and inclusive; whether you are a enables us to promote our consumer-facing @worldrugby7s player, coach, match official or fan, everyone properties in a way that they will be more @rugbyworldcup is a member of the World Rugby family and appealing and impactful to the sport’s everyone has a role to play in its prosperity growing global fan base.” and growth. The new logo made its public debut in Engaging and inspiring November and is being rolled out across Facebook Launching the brand, World Rugby Chief World Rugby’s extensive portfolio of worldrugby Executive Brett Gosper said: “In an incredibly tournaments, events, programmes and worldrugby7s competitive global entertainment and materials as the rugby family looks forward to rugbyworldcup sporting marketplace, rugby must continue to a very special, record-breaking year. appeal to those who know and love the sport and its heritage, while attracting, engaging The rebrand will have no impact on Rugby World Cup 2015 branding or positioning, which will remain as it is with its iconic logo throughout the current event cycle. The “Everyone is a member of the World Rugby family new brand will feature within a new Rugby World Cup 2019 logo, which will be launched and everyone has a role to play in its prosperity in 2015 ahead of the hosting baton being and growth” passed on to Japan. 08 WORLD RUGBY | YEAR IN REVIEW 2014 ENGAGING WITH THE RUGBY FAMILY 2014 in brief..