Posts

Announcement – Fijian Drua and InCrowd

/by

The Swire Shipping Fijian Drua and InCrowd launch new website and extend managed services collaboration through 2024 season.

This latest update includes the addition of a selection of brand new features to the Drua website to drive even better experiences for Drua fans whilst complimenting and creating more cohesion with marketing delivery from InCrowd’s managed services team.

The new look, mobile friendly website is powered by InCrowd’s Content Management System (CMS) and is fully integrated with live sports data feeds from RugbyViz. This latest update brings real-time scores, player stats, breaking news, polls and a live blog directly to Fijian Drua fans. For the Drua digital team, forms and personalisation tools drive the capture data and more specific targeting of content. The new website also gives prominence to the Fijiana Drua, the current Super W champions, highlighting women’s fixtures, results and player profiles. 

With the 2024 Super Rugby Season now up and running, InCrowd are also excited to extend their collaboration with Drua across the planning and delivery of email marketing services which has so far seen an increase of 3.8% click through rate vs 2023. InCrowd’s Digital and Data Services team have also helped the Drua elevate their usage of the polls tool to spotlight leading commercial partner activations such as the ANZ form based predictor and TUIVT Fan Player Of The Match, which has led to a growth of 16% in their marketable database over the first month of the new season, of which 25% is now made up of international fans.

“We are really excited to take our digital transformation to the next level by launching the new Drua website alongside our continued collaboration with InCrowd across our marketing services.”, says Fijian Drua’s Head of Commercial and Marketing, Shane Hussein.”

“We maintain a shared focus on delivering the very best experiences for our fans, enabled by InCrowd’s deep understanding of how unique the club and its fanbase are. The team is fully invested in our success both on and off the pitch and we are looking forward to continuing our great work together.”

“To work with the Drua and see the club and fanbase grow so quickly over the last few years has been incredible” says InCrowd’s AU/NZ Head Of Partnerships Jack Eggleston. “The atmosphere at home games is truly special. We are excited to continue helping Drua carry that feeling through to their digital platforms, enabling the club to better connect with their fans and create equally great experiences for both local and international members of the Fijian Drua vuvale.”

About The Swire Shipping Fijian Drua

The Swire Shipping Fijian Drua, Fiji’s very own Super Rugby franchise continue to make waves in the one of the world’s toughest professional club rugby competitions. The dream to have a Fijian Club in Super Rugby was born 25 years ago, and finally became a reality in February 2022. The club may be relatively new, but with very strong roots. Fijian Rugby itself is 108 years old, and Fijian teams and players have established themselves among the world’s best.

The Fijian Drua identity and brand is unique and pays homage to the origins of the franchise name. The brand identity features the stylised version of the iconic drua, the renowned and powerful traditional Fijian sea vessel transporting warriors across the world’s mightiest ocean. Strong and extremely fast, it ruled the South Seas. It is befitting as a name and an identity for a franchise featuring players who are warriors on the rugby field, playing fast, powerful and fearless rugby.

The Fijian Drua franchise is made up of some of the region’s best rugby players, including Olympic Gold Medalists, international ‘Flying Fijians’, seasoned veterans and up and coming stars. At the helm, we have world class coaches and staff, led by Head Coach Mick Byrne. Every member of the Fijian Drua vuvale (family) is committed to sharing the joy of rugby with typical Fijian flair, both on and off the field. https://drua.rugby

Fijian Drua partner with InCrowd Sports

/by

The Fijian Drua, the newest franchise in Super Rugby Pacific have appointed InCrowd Sports to lead its fan and digital strategy, starting with the launch of a new website – drua.rugby. 

The Fijian Drua, who will be playing home fixtures across Fiji and Australia in their first season, have been established to deliver a sustainable route for Fijian talent to play professional rugby, whilst also showcasing Fiji’s exciting style of play in the southern hemisphere’s biggest competition.

Key to the Fijian Drua’s growth strategy will be engaging the significant audience with interest in Fijian Rugby, so the club has appointed leading data, technology and sports marketing specialists InCrowd, who are helping build a digital ecosystem from the ground up to deliver personalised experiences and engaging content for fans in Fiji and around the world.

InCrowd has a proven track record of producing industry-leading fan technology, data solutions and professional services for a portfolio of clients that include URC (formerly PRO14 Rugby), Premiership Rugby, Euroleague Basketball, Formula 1, ECB, Rugby Football League and a number of Premier League and Championship football clubs.

In Australia and New Zealand, InCrowd currently delivers technology across 33 venues including the SCG, Stadium Australia and CommBank Stadium, as well as working with organisations such as Golf Australia and Netball Australia.

During the 2022 Super Rugby season, drua.rugby will have real time updates during match days, as well as latest news, statistical graphics, fan voting, competitions, player profiles, video galleries, interviews and other exclusive content.

The website has been built upon InCrowd’s digital experience platform, Bridge, which includes a sports specific headless CMS, digital asset manager, fan engagement tools, audience insights and tools that enable personalised content delivery and communications based on 1st party data.

As part of the partnership, InCrowd will support the Fijian Drua as they generate and collect more fan data, helping the club with its commercial strategy as well as personalising fan communications across multiple new channels as they are launched. Fijian Drua CEO, Brian Thorburn, said:

“We’re committed to offering our fans, supporters and stakeholders an outstanding digital experience when they engage with us online and DRUA.RUGBY is obviously the most critical component of this objective. We may be a brand new team but one with very strong roots. And even before running out for our first game, we have a strong global following and premium brand associations with major global players including Swire Shipping, New Balance, Fiji Airways, ANZ and Vodafone. Our partnership with InCrowd will further strengthen our engagement with our audiences at home and wherever they are overseas, with content and interactivity which will be unique to the Drua.”

InCrowd Head of Partnerships APAC Seb Lear, said:

“This is an incredibly exciting project which we are honoured to be part of. In a broader context, this is a game changer in the global rugby landscape by helping Fiji create a sustainable talent pathway and a commercial strategy that keeps the incredible Fijian talent in the Pacific. It’s been a pleasure to work with the Fijian Drua team over the last few months to begin to deliver great digital experiences for the passionate fans of Fijian Rugby. This fan first approach is a value at InCrowd’s core, with the foundation of the business built on helping sports organisations create direct relationships with their fans to drive commercial value, something that has been even more critical for every sport to focus on over the last 2 years.”

The Fijian Drua will play their first ever Super Rugby Pacific match against the NSW Waratahs at CommBank Stadium in Parramatta, Western Sydney on Friday 18 February.