UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP

The PRO14 was the professional rugby union league containing the top clubs from Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Italy. With investment from a private equity firm and the addition of four teams from South Africa, a bold and ambitious plan was developed to rename the league, revamp the format and rethink what rugby means to audiences.

After months of stakeholder engagement, it became clear that the new competition would be unlike any other in club rugby. With five powerhouse rugby nations crossing hemispheres with different playing styles, cultures, languages, and a global fanbase – diversity is what would make this league truly unique.

Our brand idea ‘A Different League’ is a statement of intent to be unlike any other rugby competition in the world. As the only global club rugby championship, this positioning reinforces the diversity of the teams and supporters within the league and sets an aspirational challenger mindset to be bold and different to other rugby brands.

Working with key stakeholders within the business, we developed the name ‘United Rugby Championship’. A descriptive name, with gravitas, that is easily abbreviated. It speaks to the idea of a league that is unified, not uniform. A place where different teams, clubs and fans come together to celebrate rugby and take the game forward.

Visually, we wanted the identity to embody the positioning and create something fresh for the sector. In a world full of traditional logos and detailed crests, we produced a marque that felt more aspirational and lifestyle driven – a graphic monogram that feels solid, stylish and authoritative. Something that can work with the team crests rather than fight against them.

A bespoke typeface was created in three styles that reflect the ‘unified, not uniform idea’. These compliment the logo and give more ownability to all the brand's touchpoints. To reflect the coming together of different nations, a set of ‘tribal’ patterns loosely based on the competing team crests and colours were also produced. These add energy, vibrancy and a celebratory feel to communications.

We were also given the unique opportunity to steer the direction of the championship trophy; one of the brand’s most important and iconic assets. Working with the award winning product designers at Matter, we helped create a trophy that acts as a true reflection and extension of the brand. Taking inspiration from the form of the logo and the ‘U’ in ‘United’, it manifests as a collision of four ‘U’ shapes, representing the coming together of the competing nations. Multiple hands can grip the trophy at once and the winning teams can even share a celebratory drink from it.