The British & Irish Lions Phenomenon

I have watched several Lions Tours as a general sports fan,but with with my 9 year old son's increasing passion for the game giving me an opportunity to learn the game from the basics with him, plus a low level involvement in mini rugby administration I have come to appreciate the sport as a game rather than an excuse for a social beer.

Understanding the basic rules of a sport makes a difference to your enjoyment, and understanding the very particular spirit of rugby makes a massive difference.

A great example of this spirit is the current Lions tour, the best players from four countries sent off to Australia, New Zealand or South Africa knocked into a team over a very short period of time,and asked to take on a team that has been playing together for years in a high intensity three test series. On balance , they lose more than they win, making a series victory all the sweeter.

As a sporting spectacle the first two tests against the Springboks were top drawer, drama, physical battles, flowing rugby, big hits, injuries, referring errors, gouging, last minute mistakes and a last second winning penalty. Huge sporting drama on the field but it is the off the field impact of the Lions brand that has impressed me.

Media pundits claim a Lions tour will generate in excess of £100m in revenues in the host country, a phenomenal number for a tour by one team. Add to that replica merchandise ,sponsorship and television revenues in the home markets and the zeros keep cranking up.

After 20 years in sports marketing I am usually averse to the U word, unique- my usual line is that there is nothing in sport that is unique, it has all been done before- but this is different, I can't think of a similar concept in any other sport other than the European Ryder Cup team , which, whilst enjoyable for 3 days, doesn't have the same impact as a Lions tour on any level, emotional,sporting, marketing,or financial.

I tip my hat to the Lions business management team they have done a great job in driving revenues whilst protecting the incredible essence of the Lions brand at home and away.

Roll on 2013.

European Athletics Shambles

With a young daughter recently interested in athletics, I tuned into the European Team Chamionships from Portugal this weekend and had the misfortune to watch a couple of the distance races where the European Athletics Association had decided in their wisdom to introduce a ' devil take the hindmost' concept at regular intervals in the long distance races, where the last placed athlete after x laps is hooked off the track.......incredible, shambolic, embarrassing and dreadful were the words that came to mind.


Athletes used to pacing themselves over 3000, 5000, or 10,000 metres are suddenly asked to sprint like...well actually, sprinters..... in the middle of a supposedly international class event....woeful television and shocking mistreatment of athletes.


next idea please, this one didn't work!

Sonic branding at a major sports event

What an excellent innovation by Yahoo in their sponsorship of the Twenty20 cricket world cup where every change of bowler is marked by the broadcast of their iconic Yahoooooooooooooo! yodel.

A superb example of creating standout at the stadium and on the television and radio broadcasts,and using a piece of sonic branding to own a moment and a key part of the game.

Simple and highly effective.

Ronaldo transfer is not a drama

So Ronaldo finally gets to fulfill his dream and his transfer to Real Madrid, the airwaves are full of comment from Platini calling it an excessive fee, nice to see him having a pop at a Spanish club for overspending for a change.

United fans calling in/posting calling him disloyal and they never liked him anyway, non United fans winding up fans of the English Champions, media such as Sky Sports News, which has to fill those hours somehow, is asking if Man Utd can survive without him.....PAH!

An indignant belgian powerboating friend posted that Football should now be ticked off the list of common sense sports, in a world of financial crisis £80m on a player who only plays twice a week and trains once a day, it is criminal.

Calm down, it's only a transfer of the World Player of the Year,United will win more than Real Madrid because Perez can't spell defence never mind spend money on one, and the Galactico strategy will work off the pitch as television revenues and replica kit sales will soar.

It is actually the perfect transfer: He gets to go to Madrid, United make a shedload of profit, their fans get to acknowledge that he has a dark side, Real are happy commercially,the rest of the premiership is happy as they won't have to face a truly outstanding matchwinner,goalies from Sunderland to Portsmouth will be delighted at free kick time and Fergie gets a slice of the money to fund a new centre forward.

Twenty20 Cricket World Cup

I attended my first ever Twenty20 Cricket match last night as I took The Boy and two friends to see England take on the might of Holland at Lord's.

As a rule I am always suspicious of 'versions' of a game, e.g. Soccer Sixes, Rugby 7s as it's never quite the same as the real thing.

For cricket with its complexity, nuances and subtleties, I will make an exception, this was fantastic.

Despite the rain which forced the abandonment of the opening ceremony, which was no big disaster other than missing the lovely Alesha, the game was a fantastic night out.

Only 240 balls, all over in a three hour window, excellent big screen communication, music an integral part of the event that had fans of all ages shapes and sizes singing and bopping along, edge of the seat last ball drama as England suffered one of their most ignominious cricketing defeats ever (BBC.co.uk) and a supereb atmosphere as the large Dutch contingent partied and brought their brilliant Orange sporting gusto to the Home of Cricket.

The only blackspot was the exhorbitant pricing on Food and Drink......Pepsico are a tournamnent sponsor...are they happy at Pepsi at £2 and crisps at £1.10?????

we'll be back for more Twenty20.....with a picnic hamper