How the FA Cup can bring to life rugby sponsorship

Congratulations to Newport County FC, they showed great fighting spirit until the last whistle to KNOCK OUT 2016 Premier League Winners Leicester City in the FA Cup on Saturday.

Possibly one of the biggest upsets in 2018/19 FA Cup as Newport County FC showed great determination to go through into the 4th round of the Emirates FA Cup. The local part time journalist and football professional striker Pardraig Amond, sent the Leicester keeper the wrong way with his spot kick, to be County’s hero once again.

The match was presented LIVE on the BBC at prime time, people across the UK tuned into watch Newport win and Gary Lineker to say well done, they deserve it. Leicester’s defeat was such a shock, it has put Newport County on the front pages of newspapers, TV and social media platforms across the UK. This overnight fame means people can’t stop seeing Newport and for the brands sponsoring the team, it was exactly what they are looking for as there brand was been exposed across the UK. But how can FA fame link to rugby sponsorship?

It turns out that Rodney Parade is home to more than just a football team, it is home to two rugby union teams. The shared Rodney Parade has seen many minutes of rugby union as it is home to Newport RFC and Dragons. These days Newport RFC are part of the sixteen club Welsh Premiership, after winning the Tier Two in 2016/17. Rodney Parade had been a part of Newport RFC for 140 years, but now the stadium is owned by Wales Rugby Union as it was decided by the shareholders to put it up for sale. Leading to Dragons, they are part of the Guinness Pro 14, Celtic Cup and European Rugby Challenge Cup, therefore having many national and international matches.

With Newport County having two consecutive years of being in the fourth round of the Emirates FA Cup, Michael Flynn (Manager) has featured in two home matches against Premier League giants, one being against Tottenham Hotspur 2017/18 (1-1) and the recent Leicester City win (2-1). Luckily, the team showed great determination in both occasions with Amond being a huge part in the clubs cup success. Amond who now scored against Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City he has created history at Rodney Parade as County haven’t beaten a top-flight side in the FA Cup since 1964.

As Newport County’s win has become one of the most talked about topics in sports news, it has also increased the presence of the other team’s who also use the ground as their home. This stadium exposure from the live FA Cup coverage can have a positive impact on the other teams as they use the same ground. Imagine what the benefits would be if all three teams combined their attributes and created a sponsorship package worthy enough for a brand that has a wide target audience sponsor them. Working together, and combining the success within the FA Cup, Guinness Pro14 and Welsh leagues can enable them to have a wide demographic therefore making them more attractive for sponsors. In return, the teams will be able to ask for a increase purchase price that will help the teams stay financially secure.

An example package could be, allowing brands to complete a integrated marketing campaign with all three teams on social media will have a great impact as the teams added followers total is (Facebook & Twitter) is 181,516. Brands can use sponsorship for the teams to promote new products or a change in branding which historically gains new business. This can enable a brand to gain a bigger online presents as well as gaining traffic to a business’s website, enabling more opportunity to for sales.

Unlike most UK clubs, they all have their own stadiums and sponsorship strategy. It is exciting to see that there are a number of possibilities that sports clubs can working together to create a better sponsorship package!

To see Newport RFC’s sponsorship opportunities check out their page on our website – Just search for them in the club section!