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Challenges

The Rugby Youth Festival Portugal is a formidable test ground for players and an opportunity for boys and girls to experience international competition and feel part of the global rugby community. The tournament prides itself on providing outstanding facilities, organisation and competition at all age groups.

Over 100 teams, including 80+ from overseas, compete across a variety of age categories from under-13s to under-19s, with over 300 matches taking place over two days at the Estádio Universitário de Lisboa in Portugal. England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France, Italy, South Africa, USA and Australia are all represented.

Polygon, already well known to Move Sports, the organisers of the event, following high profile marketing promotions in Portugal within international motorsport and the Powerboat P1 World Championship, was approached to support the Organisers to boost International press relations, further strengthen brand awareness and raise the tournament’s profile beyond Portugal.

Solutions

As the events International Media Consultant, Polygon set about establishing and building a geo targeted database of key sports journalists, rugby journals and online portals to generate interest and engagement. Working closely with the organisers, the communication processes, including key messages were determined to ensure a slick coherent and coordinated approach. The messaging and approach were linked directly to the tournament countdown with tailored press releases and organic social media content a feature of the pre event awareness.

During the tournament itself, Polygon MD Martin Allerton was stationed in Lisbon to provide PR and promotional support from the heart of the media centre, with another member of the Polygon team positioned in the UK to update social media channels and distribute a live feed of news and imagery to the identified key media.

Polygon was also the architect of a tie-up between the University of Gloucestershire and the Festival, with the former providing two young scholars from its Refereeing Academy to officiate throughout the tournament; an arrangement that has continued, spearheaded by Martin Allerton and internationally renowned former Rugby Union referee Chris White.

Results

Endorsed by England’s Premiership Rugby and the Portuguese Rugby Federation and supported by Polygon Marketing, Rugby Youth Festival Portugal 2019 achieved a record number of participants, sponsors and attendees. It received national recognition and a public appearance from the host nations Prime Minister, Antonio Costa, added Rugby World TV to its list of international media alongside Rugby World, the world’s best-selling Rugby magazine. The tournament benefited from coaching sessions from representatives of England’s Premiership Rugby and also secured the involvement of former England Rugby Union captain, Lewis Moody, as its ambassador. Several new high-profile sponsors were attracted including Dove.

The tournaments stature and international profile has risen since Polygons involvement which commenced in 2018 and continues to this day. The Rugby Youth Festival Portugal 2019 welcomed a record numbers of boys and girls teams to the Portuguese capital, reinforcing its growing reputation for giving young people a unique life experience and the opportunity to compete in a sporting tournament on an international stage.