England Rugby (RFU)
Case Study

Age Grade Rugby Codes of Practice

The challenge:

Following the introduction of Age Grade Rugby (AGR) to the sport in 2016, the next step for England Rugby was to produce a Codes of Practice (CoP) document for coaches, teachers and parents.

Our role was to distill all of the documentation about Age Grade Rugby and to produce a well-designed, easy to read and downloadable pdf.

We had to create a Codes of Practice identity so that the project would stand out from other England Rugby initiatives and produce a series of videos to generate awareness and encourage viewers to download the .pdf.

The approach:

The first step was to review all of the research findings and in partnership with England Rugby and a steering group of coaches, distil all the information. The Codes of Practice required a

  • Distinct tone of voice and style so that it was thought-provoking and easy to read
  • Graphical identity that reflected the ethos of AGR and which conformed to England Rugby brand guidelines.

Once the Codes of Practice were drafted we wrote six film scripts, each addressing one or more of the Codes of Practice. Young boys and girls were our story-tellers, so that our messages were communicated by the youthful enthusiasm of the next generation of players.

The solution:

  • A 54-page Codes of Practice .pdf that is downloadable from England Rugby.
  • A campaign identity built around the slogan, “Are You In”, as a mechanism to encourage coaches, teachers and parents to download the CoP.

The production of:

  • 6 awareness / education videos featuring a wide-range of boys and girls
  • 3 awareness videos featuring Eddie Jones, England Rugby, Head Coach
  • 3 ‘influencer’ videos featuring influential grassroots coaches.

The result:

  • Delivery of a suite of resources that the England Rugby communication team can use to promote the Codes of Practice
  • A .pdf that is written in clear English and which is an invaluable resource for coaches, teachers and parents
  • Videos that can be used for promotional and educational purposes
  • Videos that reflect the social and ethnic diversity of rugby as well as its inclusivity.

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