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GLOBAL SPONSORSHIP Proposal 2020

www.IGRugby.org Registered Office: 71 Holland Road, West Ham, London, England E15 3BP, United Kingdom. A WARM WELCOME

I’m thrilled to welcome you to International Gay Rugby (IGR) and provide you with information about our rapidly growing, ever-passionate, rugby family that today reaches all four corners of the globe and plays a huge part in thousands of our players’ and supporters’ lives.

IGR was founded in October 2000 by a small group of Inclusive Rugby Clubs and, as we approach our third decade, we continue to provide opportunities for members of the LGBTQ+ community to enjoy competitive rugby whilst improving respect and tolerance worldwide.

This document aims to provide you with a quick overview of the IGR and the opportunities for your brand to powerfully connect with our global organisation as Official Partner.

We are very proud of our community, our people and our purpose and very much look forward to developing a profitable and meaningful relationship together.

Your Faithfully,

Ben Owen Chair & Trustee International Gay Rugby

2 WE’RE HERE...

....To grow inclusive rugby and achieve equality, diversity and personal development in sport. To do our part to eliminate discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation or identification and to promote good health through the playing of rugby by:

Providing opportunities for the LGBTQ+ community to compete in welcoming, inclusive rugby clubs that are primarily LGBTQ+ /LGBTQ+ friendly

Eliminating homo & transphobia in rugby through community outreach &competitive play

Working with governing bodies to improve acceptance of LGBT athletes at all levels

Co-ordinating the largest amateur rugby union tournaments in the world

Providing our members with support and resources

We are recognised by World Rugby as the representative LGBTQ+ rugby organisation via a 2015 Memorandum of Understanding and are an Associate Member of the Federation of Gay Games

3 4

23 NATIONS

Our member clubs sit within 23 national unions under the aegis of ‘World Rugby’

5 KINDS OF RUGBY

IGR members of all genders play rugby formats including A GLOBAL XV’s, 7’s, 10’s, Touch and Tag COMMUNITY

International Gay Rugby is International by nature, not just in name. 1 SHARED PASSION

IGR clubs can be found in countries on five continents with the majority found Our members are powerrful in the USA, UK and Continental Europe. advocates for Inclusive Rugby and passionately engage in the sport Latin America is one of the fastest growing regions and we’re also thrilled to have just welcomed two new clubs from Japan! 85 ASSOCIATED CLUBS...

There are over 100 stakeholder clubs Many compete in local ‘mainstream’ across the world today, 85 of which are fully leagues, breaking down barriers, changing ‘Associated’ member clubs of International perceptions and encouraging greater social Gay Rugby cohesion between the LGBTQ+ and straight communities - in addition to the biennial Thousands of people, of all genders, IGR tournaments and annual competitions. ehtnicities, backgrounds, sexualities and rugby abilities enjoy the sport as players or supporters of IGR teams...... AND GROWING

7 AND OH, MY! ..... HOW WE’VE GROWN!

Since 1995, when the Kings Cross Steelers became the world’s first To keep things brief, we’ve only given you a flavour of the milestone and oldest Gay and Inclusive Rugby Club, and the founding by just a moments in our history but there’s been an incredible upward small handful of clubs back in 2000 of International Gay Rugby and trajectory of growth in the last two decades with agreements and Board (IGRAB) which later became International Gay Rugby (IGR) new, exciting developments making headlines and changing lives as we are known today - our world has experienced phenomenal for the better at an ever accelerating speed. growth that continues to increase almost exponentially.

1995 2000 2001

KINGS CROSS STEELERS IGRAB - INTERNATIONAL GAY RUGBY & BOARD WASHINGTON INVITATIONAL London, England, UK London, England, UK Washington, USA

The world’s first officially IGRAB (latterly known as International Gay Rugby) North America hosts registered gay rugby club founded in October 2000 following the world’s inuagural IGRAB is founded in November 1995. the world’s first gay rugby tournament tournament with teams from between King’s Cross Steelers, San Francisco, Manchester and Manchester Village Spartans and Buenos Aires plus individuals Washington Renegades in July 2000. from Chicago, London . and Melbourne.

8 AND OH, MY! ..... HOW WE’VE GROWN!

Perhaps some of the most significant areas of growth to mention would be that we have developed Memorandums of Understanding with several of the world’s largest National Rugby Governing Bodies including USA Rugby, Rugby Australia, Rugby Nederlands, La Fédération Belge de Rugby, Japanese Rugby Football Union, World Rugby and are finalising our MOU with the RFU.

2002 2004 2005 2019

BINGHAM CUP PURCHAS CUP UNION CUP NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP San Francisco, CA, USA Sydney & Brisbane, Australia Montpellier, France Charlotte North Carolina, USA

The Mark Kendall Bingham Memorial The first games of the The first edition of the The first edition of the expanded Tournament is hosted by Purchas Cup are held, one in Union Cup is held, creating a North American Chmapionship is San Francisco Fog with 8 teams Sydney, one in Brisbane. biennial tournament for the agreed and awarded to from the US, UK and Argentina. Named after the founder of the IGR clubs of Europe. the Charlotte Royals RFC The event would go on to be known Sydney Convicts, as the first biennial “Bingham Cup”. Andrew “Fuzz” Purchas.

9 WE MANAGE FOUR MAJOR INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENTS

BINGHAM CUP

IGR’s flagship biennial global tournament that began in 2002, as a memorial to 9/11 hero Mark Bingham - a founding player at The San Francisco Fog. SUMMER 2020 74 teams competed in the most recent edition in Amsterdam and nearly 100 are expected in Ottawa, in August 2020.

UNION CUP

The LGBTQ+ / inclusive tournament for IGR clubs in Europe. In 2021 SUMMER 2019, 44 teams celebrated its 8th edition in Dublin, Irleand by launching the tournament’s first women’s division and painting the famous Guinness brewery gates in rainbow colours. The UK’s Birmingham Bulls will be the next hosts in 2021 SUMMER 2021

10 PURCHAS CUP

2021 WINTER The Purchas Cup is the premier tournament for gay and inclusive rugby for the Australia-Pacific region comprising of representative of all IGR affiliated clubs.

2019 will feature Brisbane Hustlers, Sydney Convicts, Melbourne Chargers and New Zealand Falcons.

NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP

2021 SUMMER Previously two separate tournaments on the east and west coasts of the USA, 2021 will see the first unified tournament open to all 35 IGR clubs across the USA and Canada. The Charlotte Royals in North Carolina, USA, will be hosting this next broader, North American Championship.

11 WHILST PROMOTING OUR VALUES

COMMUNITY Following a global poll of IGR members in early 2019, IGR players and supporters told us that ‘Community’ is the most important value that we must always stive to maintain. Quite unsuprising - considering we were created for that specific reason and given that ‘Community’ is the core value right at the heart of everything we do.

But ‘Community’ isn’t just IGRs number one value to uphold - it’s also our biggest asset!

We enjoy participating within a huge global community that exists thanks to our active social media networks and regular tournaments and events. A team of Regional Representatives work to support the members in their region and nurture the relationships between clubs.

The IGR Board is made up of one member from each member club who regularly interact to discuss, debate and vote on issues most affecting the IGR community. We provide and maintain a multi-lingual labyrinth of networks to give over 50,000 people a space to stay in touch or get to know each other between events and share stories and achievements.

INCLUSION | RESPECT | PASSION | FAIRNESS

12 AND SUPPORTING OUR MEMBER CLUBS

IGR provides development support and resources IGR actively works to reduce barriers for LGBTQ+ to both our members and new LGBTQ+/inclusive people to participate in rugby and to combat homo clubs in the areas of club organisation, recruitment, and transphobia in the rugby and wider sporting retention, fundraising, event management and community. regional and national union relations. We count on a high level of support and engagement We have recently begun a small grants scheme from sporting authorities at all levels and encourage that is open to members wanting to increase our member clubs to engage with their national and participation in rugby or promote our core values local unions. and to non-members for the development of new LGBTQ+/inclusive clubs. WORKING WITH WORLD RUGBY AND OTHER NATIONAL GOVERNING BODIES IGR clubs are encouraged to continually improve their level of play and engagement with the wider We have worked with World Rugby to revise their rugby community through playing in their local policy on transgender athletes, making it easier for league/matrix structures. the transgender community to play rugby.

In the UK we run two IGR development leagues to Work is currently in progress to include elements help developing teams to get experience before on diversity and inclusion in World Rugby’s official joining a local league structure. training for officials and coaches.

13 AND WE’RE TRULY INCLUSIVE

More IGR clubs than ever before have mixed-gender or women’s teams and transgendered players have been active members in our clubs for many years.

We now have a Womens’ Global Rep and a Womens’ Tournament as part of both our Bingham and Union Cup Tournaments.

We have also trail-blazed the important issue of Transgender inclusion within World Rugby and have been instrumental in writing the current guidelines.

14 24 IGR CLUBS WITH WOMENS’ OR MIXED-GENDER SQUADS AND WE’RE TRULY INCLUSIVE

15 A RELATIONSHIP WITH US WILL BENEFIT YOUR BRAND

Some of the world’s biggest brands have worked with IGR Truly Global Passionate Members member clubs and IGR tourmanents because they recognised the value they could obtain through an association with Gay and Inclusive Rugby. With teams in over 26 We can connect you to a countries, we can give positive and passionate These brands have included Aviva, Canterbury, Aldi, Adidas, your brand a voice in audience of team players Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, Brussel Airlines, territories near and far. and health enthusiasts. Stokholm Marathon, O2, Nike, World Pay, Virgin Trains and Kellogg amongst others. A Growing Sport A loyal audience

Rugby is the fastest Tap into an audience, growing team sport typically very loyal to extending its reach into the brands that support new communities daily. LGBTQ+ issues.

Social Repsonsibility Media Savvy

Aligning your brand to IGR is media savvy and our core-values can help can help expertly amplify demonstrate corporate your brand campaign or social responsibility to promotional messaging. This year’s Union Cup in Dublin saw many major brands enjoy their association with Gay and Inclusive Rugby. your stakeholders.

16 “This is the first time we have invited brands to become Official Partners to the IGR on an ongoing global basis - creating an opportunity for businesses to support Inclusive Rugby far beyond our tournaments whilst enjoying a deeper alliance with our growing sport.” - Ben Owen, IGR Chair.

We can arrange for local As an Official IGR Partner, we IGR teams to support can work together to agree selected promotional or how best your brand can enjoy brand activations such as exceptional exposure on or CLUB attending LGBTQ+ Diversity BRAND offline to suit your marketing Open Days, appear in objectives; at our events, on ACCESS commercials, present at EXPOSURE member club communications corporate conferences etc on relevant IGR materials. - ultimately, tailored to suit your specific needs.

As an Official IGR Partner, IGR volunteers include several your brand could advertise professional marketeers who or promote a product or can work hard with your team service to all our members to deliver an ideal strategic SALES at our tournaments, local STRATEGIC partnership that achieves club houses, competitions both your brand’s and our PROMOTIONS or online across our web PARTNERSHIPS organisational objectives properties and social media together as part of a fruitful, channels. professional relationship.

17 CONNECT WITH OVER 350,000 LGBTQ+ RUGBY FANS

IGR and our social brand, IGRC (International Gay rugby Clubhouse) will connect you to a global network of passionate participants and supporters of LGBTQ+ Rugby and followers of member clubs worldwide.

In addition to the IGR’s +15,000 followers across our own IGR and IGRC channels, the 85 Associated IGR Clubs have themselves, very active accounts across the popular global globe social media channels - Facebook, Twitter and Instagram - with many also having a solid, active presence on Linkedin and other local, social media sites in addition to many well- twitter facebook maintained websites.

Between 2017 and 2018 the three platforms combined saw a 26% growth in individuals liking or following our members’ channels - with an additional nearly 80,000 joining the conversation between 2018 and 2019!

As an Official Partner of IGR, your business could enjoy access instagram to promote your brand or products on these member club accounts and would automatically be entitled to:

circle Promote your brand on IGR’s trilingual web propertiies circle Programme posts on IGR’s 2 public Facebook pages circle Link to our LinkedIn Page circle Receive coverage on our Instagram account circle linkedin Communicate & post in English, French & Spanish

18 IGRC page alone has 6,150 followers All 85+ IGR clubs have a FB presence

IGRC messages reach > 42 countries Over 1.2m post engagements per year

IGRC audience typically aged 18-45 High engagement rates for all clubs

IGRC page approx 80/20 M/F mix Consistent engagement every month

IGRC engagement >25,000 per month Summer boosted by LGBTQ+ Prides

19 ACTIVATE YOUR BRAND FROM GRASSROOTS UP

We are very proud of the rewarding partnerships IGR “We are proud to support Union Cup Dublin as it celebrates members and tournaments have nurtured over the the power of rugby to unite people, and we hope Guinness decades to the benefit of inclusive rugby and the partner gates encourage people to support the teams playing in involved so we’ve compiled a selection of short case studies June. The team at Guinness has championed inclusivity and online, such as Guinness’ sponsorship of the Union Cup in diversity in rugby, values that are integral to Guinness as a 2019. brand, through a number of rugby partnerships.”

Speaking about the Guinness Union Cup Gate If you’d like to view any of the Case Studies please contact transformation, Rory Sheridan, Head of Partnerships – [email protected] to request access to our exclusive Europe at Diageo said: Partnership Portal. 20 Guinesses received worldwide press coverage and huge social media acclaim when they transformed their Brewery Gates for the first time in their history. Painting the gates from black to the rainbow colours acheived huge media attention, online acclaim for their support of an LGBTQ+ cause and created a surge in visitors to their visitor attraction. WHERE YOUR MONEY GOES: DOING GOOD FOR SOCIETY

Partnering with the IGR represents great value for money - together we can deliver a great “Bang for your Buck” - but you can also rest assured that every dollar and hour you invest with International Gay Rugby helps ensure our projects have a power, positive impact on thousands of, often marginalised, members of society. Bet your bottom dollar...

As a volunteer organisation, with low administrative or operating costs, the income International Gay Rugby receives directly funds the long- term strategic aims of the association or helps to deliver impactful tactical efforts in response to major LGBTQ+ issues such as:

circle Funding a co-ordinated, worldwide response to the homophobic attack on Gareth Thomas in 2018 by distributing Rainbow Laces to national Rugby Union teams across the globe.

circle The design, printing and distribution of a ground-breaking leaflet educating rugby union clubs on World Rugby’s new Transgender Policy created in association with IGR

circle Promoting LGBTQ+ equality at the Rugby World Cup in Japan 2019

circle Maintaining the IGR comms channels and promoting IGR Values online and at IGR Tournaments

circle Funding the creation of resource packs for grassroots teams and ensuring IGR competitions and tournaments legal compliance etc IGR Club, Kings Cross Steelers, deliver Rainbow Laces to Gino Toiani, team manager of the Italy’s national sqaud as part of a co-ordinated circle Covering travel costs enabling IGR Trustees to engage with Rugby Unions global response to the homophobic attack on Gareth Thomas.

22 + IGR and World Rugby signed a historic Memorandum at the Rugby World Cup in Japan 2019 IGR and World Rugby sign historic Memorandum of Understanding

IGR Regional Reps coordinate LGBTQ+ teams enabling them to play competitive, social rugby around the world. IGR clubs celebrated #PrideinRugby 2019 around the world - promoti ng Inclusivity at a local level. A PACKAGE BUILT FOR YOUR BRAND

We can create example visuals of the materials that would feature your brand.

24 IGR can work closely with Official Partnes to help deliver effective campaigns that connect powerfully to 25our players and sup[porters. This example shows an IGR-created poster developed for the English RFU on behalf of O2 Touch to recruit more Inclusive Touch Rugby players - whilst adhering to O2 and RFU brand guidelines. 26 OUR COMMERCIAL TEAM ARE HERE TO HELP

We are an entirely voluntary run organisation and are grateful to have a team of over 200 volunteers working all year round to keep the magic of IGR alive. We have access to talent around the world including Marketing and Graphic Design professionals and content creators who are always pleased to help IGR partners achieve their ambitions with us.

If you would like to chat with our passionate commercial team and find out more about the opportunities we can create together, any one of us would love to chat or provide access to our new, online Partners Portal.

Vice-Chair & Trustee Global Media Liason Global Digital & Social Lead

Adam Wide Chris Verrijdt David Cameron-Donnachie [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

27 twitter @IGRugby FacebookIGRugby @ InstagramIGRugby @ linkedin @IGRClubhouse globe www.IGRugby.org