A record 1.26m television audience for Bath’s victory, combined with demand outstripping supply for the 82,000 tickets, suggests the Premiership is nurturing new fans.
There has been big growth in engaging supporters between the ages of 18-34, while Red Bull’s reported interest in buying Newcastle Falcons would tie in perfectly with a parallel aim of attracting youth-orientated brands.
It is a brief Calder has worked to before.
Before he arrived in rugby, he was the commercial director for the Hundred, the neon-spattered, slog-heavy cricket format that launched in 2021 and raised more than £500m with the sale of its franchise sides earlier this year.
That was revolution. In rugby, Calder is aiming for evolution.
“With the Hundred, we were clear that a distinctly new approach was going to be critical to get to the next generation,” he says.
“When I did research on the Hundred though I looked at rugby clubs and how they compared in terms of appeal to younger audiences and they actually performed pretty well.
“There are some strong brands in there – be it Harlequins or Leicester Tigers or others – with legacy and awareness of those identities.
“So I think we’re starting from a different level with rugby.”
The rebrand will include more behind-the-scenes content from the league’s bright, young things and more intelligent highlights, with dramatic moments, such as shuddering hits, try-saving tackles and interactions between players, included alongside the scores.
Some of the strategy is more mundane than the marketing, but just as important.
“The first time people come to rugby grounds, we have got to make them welcome,” says Calder.
“We’ve got to point out where everything is, to make sure there’s enough toilets for women, that the facilities are clean and the rest of it.
“Rugby is probably a little bit behind where some sports are, but that’s a massive focus for us.
“We’ve invested in gathering match day experience scores from fans and match day experience training with the clubs.”
