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#Post#: 153680--------------------------------------------------
Re: Bristol Bears chief explains novel approach to player
recruitment
DIR By: Rugbycat
Date: April 30, 2026, 12:27 pm
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--- Quote from: poorfour link ---
>
> I don't have the paper to hand because I am on mobile but
there was research done before RWC25 that found that engagement
in the women's game is very different from the men's, and is
much more driven by individual stars and how they engage with
their audience.
>
> The stats were quite compelling. Fans are much more likely to
come to rugby through following a player, and tend to come to
their first match to see them but then stay to support club and
country. It's one reason why female players are encouraged to be
more active on social media.
>
> This isn't that report, but it's the follow up report after
the tournament that I suspect will reference the same research:
>
>
HTML https://resources.worldrugby-rims.pulselive.com/worldrugby/document/2026/04/07/e8975add-b291-4da3-89f9-1dd2bd2d74d3/A-Blueprint-For-Growth-Report-Second-Edition-Spring-2026-Final.pdf
>
--- End Quote ---
I remember reading the first edition, and being very doubtful
about the interest being in individuals, but i was wrong, the
hard part is converting that interest into being fans of a team.
Harlequins are a prime example of this with Ellie Kildunne, who
attracts a lot of individual fans and is very popular on social
media, we need to convert some of the people who go to watch her
play for England into Quins fans.
Maher has moved back to more serious issues on social media
after a period of commercialism, but she still seems to be
despite her 8.4M social media followers a prophet in the
wilderness in the US.
HTML https://www.rugbypass.com/news/shame-on-you-maher-blasts-former-university-over-funding-cuts/
#Post#: 153682--------------------------------------------------
Re: Bristol Bears chief explains novel approach to player
recruitment
DIR By: Yareet
Date: April 30, 2026, 2:42 pm
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--- Quote from: FrostAndFire link ---
>
> I guess Murray and Farah are individuals rather than part of a
team, so there's more focus. Botham was a very long time ago.
It's notable that there haven't really been any E&W cricket who
have come close to that fame since.
>
--- End Quote ---
Flintoff, I’d argue, did.
But regardless which rugby player from anywhere in the world at
any time in the last 40 years would yer average punter
recognise?
#Post#: 153684--------------------------------------------------
Re: Bristol Bears chief explains novel approach to player
recruitment
DIR By: JammyGit
Date: April 30, 2026, 2:47 pm
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Lomu would've had more international recognition than Andy
Murray or Mo Farah, I feel
#Post#: 153685--------------------------------------------------
Re: Bristol Bears chief explains novel approach to player
recruitment
DIR By: Yareet
Date: April 30, 2026, 3:16 pm
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Quite possibly. I was trying to think of British sportspeople
who everyone here is likely to recognise even if they don’t
follow the sport. Feel free to substitute a better example.
Gazza?
Redgrave?
Littler?
#Post#: 153692--------------------------------------------------
Re: Bristol Bears chief explains novel approach to player
recruitment
DIR By: JammyGit
Date: May 1, 2026, 5:08 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: Yareet link ---
>
> Quite possibly. I was trying to think of British sportspeople
who everyone here is likely to recognise even if they don’t
follow the sport. Feel free to substitute a better example.
>
> Gazza?
> Redgrave?
> Littler?
>
--- End Quote ---
Ah, I thought you weren't talking Brits only when you said "from
anywhere in the world".
Footballers are very likely, I think. So you have the likes of
Gazza, Lineker, Rooney, etc simply because football has
incredible reach and popularity for both the club and
international game.
For UK sports that aren't football, you really have to get the
ones that transcend the sport somehow (which is what Lomu did
for rugby) while reaching a broad enough audience (so you need
Olympics or a famous world cup style event... or the Ashes).
Wilko was an English legend and a bit of a poster boy for the
sport. But I don't think he would get recognised much outside of
the rugby nations + the UK in general, because he didn't have a
"story" behind him. It's the same for someone like Dan Carter, I
reckon.
I think the best example outside of football for Brits would be
the F1 drivers. Lewis Hamilton for sure, Lando & George Russell
probably up there as well because of the Netflix stuff. Lewis
has international fame.
Then it's the boxers - Anthony Joshua for sure, Lennox Lewis
before him.
#Post#: 153694--------------------------------------------------
Re: Bristol Bears chief explains novel approach to player
recruitment
DIR By: Rugbycat
Date: May 1, 2026, 5:38 am
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A lot of recognition of sports people is based on them being in
the media for other reasons than sport, so a certain ex Wasps 10
was often in the media, rarely for rugby.
Also if a sport is on FTA tv as international rugby is, it will
bring recognition as people watch sport on tv even if not at
first particularly interested in the sport.
Club rugby is behind a paywall and the Bristol article is about
players raising the profile of club rugby, Maher started the
end of her career by playing at Bristol, she was underwhelming
and continued to be underwhelming at the World Cup, a flanker
playing centre and a game based on pace and power, did not work
against the top teams who had more pace and power and skill.
She is now not playing rugby and looking at wrestling and if
that does not work Hollywood, she is a good thing for raising
the profile of Women’s rugby but her profile far outweighs her
talent and she started to realise that at Bristol, where she was
keeping better players out of the team.
The World Cup game against England put the nail in the coffin,
Maher is all about her brand and continuing her rugby career
would have damaged it.
#Post#: 153699--------------------------------------------------
Re: Bristol Bears chief explains novel approach to player
recruitment
DIR By: RodneyRegis
Date: May 1, 2026, 8:40 am
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Is there a suggestion here that Maher is a household name? I'd
certainly never heard of her before this thread.
#Post#: 153700--------------------------------------------------
Re: Bristol Bears chief explains novel approach to player
recruitment
DIR By: JammyGit
Date: May 1, 2026, 8:53 am
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But you cover your ears and yell "NAH NAH NAH NAH" whenever
women's sport comes up, RR ;-)
(She is a household name in women's sport and in US sport in
general, I think)
#Post#: 153701--------------------------------------------------
Re: Bristol Bears chief explains novel approach to player
recruitment
DIR By: SiB
Date: May 1, 2026, 9:13 am
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Almost like “ We aren’t a rugby club, we are entertainers “
#Post#: 153704--------------------------------------------------
Re: Bristol Bears chief explains novel approach to player
recruitment
DIR By: elbombero
Date: May 1, 2026, 9:46 am
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Maher is a household name, and regardless of how she fared on a
rugby field (which isn't really the argument I don't think), her
mere presence was bums on seats - anyone who was at the
Valentine's Day game last year will know how different the vibe
was there. People were there to see her v Ellie (arguably just
her tbf, but the club marketed it very well).
And I get that women's rugby IS different in how players engage,
but wasn't it something wild like 60% of people at the game had
never been to a rugby match before (forgive me, I cannot
remember the number off the top of my head). Three stands were
open for the game, and the players went round the ground after
to sign shirts, pose for photos etc. She got eyes on women's
sport/women's rugby. Whilst she might not be a name to people,
in the same way that some celebrity names mean nothing to me,
her appearances on a rugby field brought people into rugby that
would never have contemplated it before.
Agree with the point above that it's a matter of getting those
fans who turn up to watch Ellie K play for us to become Quins
fans - I would extend that, and get those fans who turn up to
watch Ellie K play and encourage them to get down to their local
rugby club, and give it a go.
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