(ATR) The International Rugby Board will soon be known as World Rugby as part of a major rebranding effort designed to capitalize on the sport’s Olympic status.
The new brand and logo will be launched at the IRB World Rugby Conference and Exhibition in London on Nov. 17-18.
The federation said rugby’s re-inclusion in the Olympics combined with the commercial success of the Rugby World Cup, the IRB’s development strategies and record investment, along with strong and vibrant unions, had led to increased participation worldwide by more than two million to 6.6 million players over the past four years.
With Rio 2016 on the radar, rugby is aiming to inspire and engage new audiences and players around the world.
"The rebrand will enable the federation to appeal to and connect with the wider audience that the Olympic stage will provide us with as it is transferable and inclusive and transcends languages and cultures," an IRB spokesman told Around the Rings.
The federation's makeover will have no impact on England Rugby World Cup 2015 branding or positioning, which will keep its iconic logo throughout the current event cycle.
"Rugby continues to thrive, reach out and engage new audiences and participants in record numbers and the IRB has been at the heart of that growth," said IRB chairman Bernard Lapasset.
"We are committed to furthering that growth beyond our traditional family and fan base with a public that expects to be entertained, informed and interacted with. This move is morethan just a name change, it is a mission statement."
In a crowded global entertainment and sporting marketplace, IRB chief executive Brett Gosper said the role of the IRB had evolved from "Game regulator to Game inspirer".
Gosper said the federation must continue to appeal to rugby's loyal audience while attracting and inspiring new fans.
"World Rugby collectively has the ingredients and tools to do just that. Rugby’s global appeal is founded and positioned on its unique character-building values and inclusive ethos and we want everyone to feel connected with the sport and rugby’s ongoing success story," he said.
"World Rugby clearly aligns our name with our mission and allows us to organise new and existing consumer-facing properties in a way that they will be more impactful and more appealing to the sport's growing global fan base."
Earlier this week, England Rugby 2015 tournament organizers announced the selection of 41 team base camps throughout England and Wales.
IOC president Thomas Bach last week joined Lapasset in hailing the success of the Nanjing 2014 YOuth Olympics rugby sevens tournament."It's a great competition, you can see how dynamic and fascinating rugby sevens can be and is, and we are looking forward to a great tournament in Rio," Bach said after watching the sport at the YOG.
Reported by Mark Bisson.
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