English rugby wants 50,000 new players in four years – by targeting schools

Internal marketers believe that England teams have 5.2 million “passionate fans” and want to hike that by 500,000. They insist this figure is not a vague “vanity metric” but an achievable milestone, thanks in part to the recent joint-marketing venture with the Prem.Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement “We feel like rugby has a really important place in society,” says Rory Price, the RFU’s executive director of strategy and transformation. “It’s all about life-enriching moments and more than results and revenue but also connection and belonging. Everything that’s needed in society right now, rugby is bringing.” Price, 37, joined the union a decade ago from Ernst and Young and rose to his...