International Rugby Board Chairman Bernard Lapasset has officially opened the IRB World Rugby Conference and Exhibition (ConfEx) 2014 in front of record numbers in London.
In only its second year, ConfEx has proved to be a huge draw, surpassing the success of last year’s inaugural event in Dublin with in excess of 700 delegates from more than 50 different countries, representing more than 250 separate organisations, making it a truly global affair.
World-class speakers, key decision-makers and leading industry-suppliers have come together for the two-day event at the Hilton London Metropole to share knowledge and debate the issues that really matter to the Rugby family and the wider sporting community.
In his opening address, IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset said: "The IRB is delighted to be bringing together the Rugby community at this exciting and important point in the sport’s development. 2014 has been a very special year for Rugby and the sport is in great health around the world.
"Over the next couple of days, we will celebrate Rugby’s unique qualities, explore the factors driving the development of the Game, learn from other sports, discuss how we can enhance performance and look at how we can maximise the enormous opportunities that lie ahead in Rugby World Cup 2015 and Rugby Sevens at the Olympic Games 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.
"I am looking forward to some thought-provoking sessions featuring experts from both Rugby and the wider sporting landscape."
The event, which is built around a number of key governance meetings including the IRB Medical Commission, World Rugby Executive Committee and Council, is set to provide a dynamic platform from which Rugby’s global community can discuss, learn and create partnerships that will enhance the sport’s values worldwide. The vision of ConfEx is to empower the Rugby family and help it achieve ever-increasing heights of Rugby participation and excellence and it aligns closely with the IRB’s mission to reach out to new markets around the world.
The opening day of ConfEx promises a fascinating and varied programme with a mix of plenary and interview sessions covering topics from Olympic Rugby Sevens to concussion, sponsorship and broadcasting rights and it ends with an evening function and awards ceremony where 15 players from eight will be inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame.
First up is a compelling State of the Union discussion between international big-hitters Sean Fitzpatrick, Agustín Pichot and Thomas Castaignède. These legends of the Game will explore the opportunities and challenges Rugby will face over the next decade. This is followed by the Future of Major Event Sponsorship, which will see key figures in the world of sport sponsorship explore how the values that shape the game of Rugby impact on how companies and brands engage with the sport.
Later in the day, Olympic sport experts such as International Olympic Committee Member and Rugby Europe President Octavian Morariu and Andrew Ryan, Director of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) will examine how Rugby Sevens can maximise and consolidate its place on the Olympic Sports Programme in the panel Olympic Rugby Sevens – Faster, Higher, Stronger. Meanwhile, Adam Crozier, Chief Executive of ITV, host broadcaster for Rugby World Cup 2015, will lead a workshop on the Power of Sport which examines how major event television is becoming increasingly important to broadcasters hoping to attract big ratings and the associated commercial deals.
The final session brings together international authorities on concussion and player welfare to consider the ways Rugby can Drive Cultural Change with regards to concussion, its impact on players and how it affects the overall Game with IRB Chief Medical Officer Dr Martin Raftery and International Players’ Association (IRPA) Chief Rob Nichol.
For media enquiries about the IRB World Rugby ConfEx, please contact:
James Fitzgerald, IRB Media Manager, +353 86 1723570, email: james.fitzgerald@irb.com.
Clair Ashley, VERO Communications, +44 207 812 6589 or +44 7889 866 697, email: cashley@verocom.co.uk.
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