Sarries spreading their gospel

- interesting article from the times today. this is quite clearly a long-term and far-reaching plan. makes the "short-term greedy" claims generally thrown in their (and other prl/lnr clubs) direction look a bit off the mark.

i think this whole domestic quotas, project players, eligibility, overseas scouting issue is a far bigger can of worms than the bunfight over Heineken Cup (which is really just about who gets how much money and how much say).


"The visionary club see an opportunity for global domination by expanding ‘family’ across five continents
Saracens have long been a club run by visionaries. Fifteen years ago, Pete Deakin, the late ­commercial director, introduced the cash-back ticket scheme. Nigel Wray’s financial backing allowed the club to become one of the first to sign overseas players such as Philippe Sella, Michael Lynagh and François Pienaar.
At an early stage in rugby’s nascent professional development, they grasped the value of branding and ­identity, of marketing and innovation, and realised the danger of standing still on and off the field, hence the recent move to the new Allianz Stadium. In 2009, they were the first Premiership club to take matches to Wembley.
Tonight’s game against Toulouse in the Heineken Cup will be their tenth at the venue, games that have attracted more than 500,000 fans in that time.
They have been one of the pioneers of preparing players for life after rugby. They have always seen the bigger ­picture, way beyond the confines of their “quirky” North London base — as described by Ed Griffiths their chief ­executive. But their next stop is on an altogether different scale, and is ­nothing short of global domination.
That ambition is not purely in a ­rugby sense. They want to stamp their footprint across the world with a series of affiliations with eight clubs in five continents, creating a family of ­Saracens in Russia, China, America, Brazil, Tonga, Kenya, Abu Dhabi and Malaysia. They have seen an opportunity to “surf the wave” afforded by ­rugby’s inclusion in the 2016 Olympics in Rio and with it the flood of money and investment that inevitably will ­follow, as well as the next two World Cups in England in 2015 and Japan in 2019. They are approaching it with a missionary zeal, spreading the Saracens gospel and exporting its values to markets that provide economic, commercial and player-talent opportunities on a scale previously unimagined.
The concept of the “Global Network” belongs to Griffiths, who has run the club since 2008. It was approved by the Saracens board in May and since then he and Alex Bate, the project manager, have scoured the world. It has been a process of identifying geographical ­locations pinpointing potential ­candidates, then forming affiliations with existing clubs and supplying the Saracens brand, name, coaching, intellectual property and kit. In establishing these strategic alliances they want to position themselves ahead of rugby’s version of the Big Bang. The initial “marriage”will be for three years, but the intention is to make it last a lifetime.
Five clubs, VVA Podmoskovjie in Moscow, Abu Dhabi, Kuala Lumpar, The Impalas in Nairobi and Toa in Tonga already sport the Saracen ­moniker. Three more ventures, in America, São Paolo in Brazil and Shanghai, China, should be tied up by the year’s end.
“Over the next few years rugby, probably despite itself, is going to grow dramatically,” Griffiths said. “Rugby gets millions of funding in countries like Russia and China, and for a rugby brand it presents a huge opportunity for you to get on the back of that wave that is coming through the game.
“The network is about getting our ­little surfboard out in the deep blue sea and when this big wave comes, it is making damn sure we are on the crest of that wave so the brand grows to represent something worthwhile with our strong core values in a game which is underpinned by its values.
“It already far outperforms football in terms of discipline, respect, values and we are streets ahead of football to a point where football will never catch up. As a brand, that is where we can be fantastically successful. Companies want to be associated with these values. Do fathers want their ten-year-old boy to grow up like a footballer or a rugby player. This massive wave is coming. Whether the administration of rugby worldwide is innovative enough, creative enough or dynamic enough to take advantage I don’t know.
“As a club we have to make sure we are not going to miss that wave. We have put the network together, eight fairly large kites which are waiting for the wind to blow, and when it does, it will take us as a club to a different level.”
Longa Longa, the village in Tonga from where the Vunipolas — brothers Mako and Billy, the Saracens and England players — come particularly excites him. “Next to the (rugby) field is the house where Jonah Lomu stayed for the first seven years of his life, Soane Tonga’uiha comes from down the road. In a population of just 104,000 there are 160 Tongans playing some form of ­professional sport, be it union, league or Aussie rules. They are passionate about rugby and not much else.”
The club will provide bursaries for talented players with the prize of perhaps joining the Saracens academy. There will be proper coaching from the age of 13. Saracens’ coaches will visit each location twice a year. “That means if they come into a professional ­environment they can adapt more readily,” Bate said.
“Once the network is built there will be opportunities for global sponsorship, which would take Saracens from being a small club in world terms to a global entity, which is a completely new proposition as an international brand and property.”

I guess its a question of interpretation. Some will read that as an organised poaching network, others as a way of trying to help develop world rugby.

I think it could be pretty exciting, but would find it depressing if over time the balance in the Saracen's team became too biased towards a united nations team, and more so if it lead to excessive 'talent' creeping into the England age group system.

It is really hard to draw the line of what is OK and what isnt.

Why did they build such a small capacity stadium then?

Just how man season ticket holders does Saracens Prime(uk arm) have?

no idea. managing cash-flow? dont want fans rattling around in an empty one a-la edinburgh? will they be able to add on extensions as it becomes commercial to do so?

They are just gonna take over Wemberly

tigerleghorn wrote:Why did they build such a small capacity stadium then?

Planning constraints and the crowds they were getting at Watford I guess.

I thought they had drawings and plans available to eventually have a 20k stadium - but that may be my senile mind remembering something untrue or about someone else.

beshocked is going to cream his pants over this

Bathite wrote:beshocked is going to cream his pants over this

 

Don't know if I'm reading a Steve Jobs script for a NEW Apple product of Infinite Genius!!! - with the big ooh ahh American audience looking on and clapping feverishly at all the right 'He's just an absolute GOD!' moments

....or.... an preview of a HC game against Toulouse?

Is it just that I'm from a different generation, or does all this OMG!!! world-domination, breathlessly optimistic aspiration guff-speak sound predictably generic and jaded at this point?  No matter what the topic in today's world, the twitter-feed is always about World Domination!!!!!

It's like a Mylie Cyrus twerking event.  As her generation pretend to be so shocked by the brazon LOL blatant sexuality of it all!!!! GASP!

...my generation sneered: "Please, we've seen it all before with ol' Madge"

I personally blame Simon Cowell for it all.  'D'ya want world domination?  If so vote "Yes".  If you want a quiet life, then vote "No".  Remember it's "Yes" this week for World Domination as it's final week.  Get ringing and phone lines close at 10 this evening so don't ring after that time or you'll be imprisoned by the "Yes" voters.'

I think this is very good and more clubs should take advantage as Sarries are doing. More countries exposed to top level coaching, a top professional European club etc. This will benefit the countries rugby team.

I dont see this as player poaching. Especially when Saracens are doing so much good work on their own young English players...and are rewarded financially for doing so.

Of course we're all not naive enough to think that should they come across top class talent they wont be shipped straight to London.... 

I remember watching total rugby and it was about Saracens going over to Bermuda to spread the game there and do some coaching.

It looks like they have been doung this sort of thing for a while.

GeordieFalcon wrote:I think this is very good and more clubs should take advantage as Sarries are doing. More countries exposed to top level coaching, a top professional European club etc. This will benefit the countries rugby team.

I dont see this as player poaching. Especially when Saracens are doing so much good work on their own young English players...and are rewarded financially for doing so.

Of course we're all not naive enough to think that should they come across top class talent they wont be shipped straight to London.... 

Could work both ways 'Play well or its off to Saracens Siberia for a season'

I like a lot of things Sarries have done and indeed plan to do. I can't say that I understand why and how the suits will achieve "Global domination" without the revenue streams coming in to Barnet.

Unless of course this is just a business project with the convenience of a base and a reasonably established English name

GeordieFalcon wrote:I think this is very good and more clubs should take advantage as Sarries are doing. More countries exposed to top level coaching, a top professional European club etc. This will benefit the countries rugby team.

I dont see this as player poaching. Especially when Saracens are doing so much good work on their own young English players...and are rewarded financially for doing so.

Of course we're all not naive enough to think that should they come across top class talent they wont be shipped straight to London....;) 

I think it's a great idea. New to rugby maybe, but loads of football clubs do it, in fact lots of them used to have Belgian feeder clubs and Belgium are now 3rd in the world - coincidence maybe?

Bathite wrote:

GeordieFalcon wrote:I think this is very good and more clubs should take advantage as Sarries are doing. More countries exposed to top level coaching, a top professional European club etc. This will benefit the countries rugby team.

I dont see this as player poaching. Especially when Saracens are doing so much good work on their own young English players...and are rewarded financially for doing so.

Of course we're all not naive enough to think that should they come across top class talent they wont be shipped straight to London.... 

I think it's a great idea. New to rugby maybe, but loads of football clubs do it, in fact lots of them used to have Belgian feeder clubs and Belgium are now 3rd in the world - coincidence maybe?

Joke rankings though surely? Switzerland ranked higher than Italy,Holland, England and Brazil???......point taken mind.

Saracens Vision?
Saracens Vodka?
Saracens Vuvuzelas?

The sky's the limit.

lostinwales wrote:[Could work both ways 'Play well or its off to Saracens Siberia for a season'

Alternatively "Recuperate at Saracens Bermuda" sounds quite pleasant  

Long way to go before any of this bears fruit but good luck to them for showing a bit of far sightedness.

SecretFly wrote:.........I personally blame Simon Cowell for it all.  'D'ya want world domination?  If so vote "Yes".  If you want a quiet life, then vote "No".  Remember it's "Yes" this week for World Domination as it's final week.  Get ringing and phone lines close at 10 this evening so don't ring after that time or you'll be imprisoned by the "Yes" voters.'

I personally blame Rupert Murdoch as the embodiment of all evil.

On the other hand, I think what Saracens are doing is terrific. Only team out there exporting the brand of Rugby.

People criticise Sarries for showing some initiative and also claim that not enough is being done to grow the game internationally.

Sure they've got their own motives but so has everybody. Plenty of this will rub off in a good way for rugby in general as well as promoting the Saracens brand.

What I see is a well-run club with some fresh ideas (some of which tend to offend the more staid, 'old-fart brigade').

Good on 'em!

Cyril wrote:People criticise Sarries for showing some initiative and also claim that not enough is being done to grow the game internationally.

Sure they've got their own motives but so has everybody. Plenty of this will rub off in a good way for rugby in general as well as promoting the Saracens brand.

What I see is a well-run club with some fresh ideas (some of which tend to offend the more staid, 'old-fart brigade').

Good on 'em!

Agree with 90% of your post Cyril, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a little "massaging" of the salary cap...allegedly of course  

Erm this is nothing new. Quins have off the top of my head links in Abu Dhabi,Kenya and America. We even had one of our Kenyan Quins players at the 7's event earlier this year.

It's a little irritating listening to journo's who obviously don't have a clue how premiership clubs run themselves gushing over the Sarries and their marketing department's latest sound bite. Nearly every other club in the Prem does exactly the same as Sarries, just some are happy to get on with it while others need constant praise and attention.

As some one else mentioned, I blame Simon Cowell and X Factor.