Origin Stories / Vodafone x Rugby Journal
“No doubt of its editorial excellence - strong visuals and creativity - really nice storytelling in both written and video content. ”
Brief
Vodafone have long been supporters of rugby and, in recent years, have placed a major focus on women’s rugby, particularly in the UK. This new series, building up to and including the Women’s Rugby World Cup, needed not only to celebrate established players but also to showcase emerging talent and fresh faces. Choosing the right media partner was essential: they had to be authentic storytellers with genuine insight into the women’s game, able to uncover compelling stories and deliver them across multiple platforms.
Solution
3,000 words is serious long-form content, but that's exactly what Rugby Journal, an independent coffee-table-style publication, is all about. Its stories get to the heart of every subject, paired with bespoke photography to make the tale even more authentic. Yet the true success of this campaign lay in its digital footprint. Unlike most rugby outlets covering both men’s and women’s games, Rugby Journal over-indexes on women’s rugby. While women-only platforms often end up 'preaching to the converted,' Rugby Journal brings the game to new audiences – not just in print, but also through its website (home to the long reads) and across social channels with story carousels and video content.
This campaign set out to celebrate the brilliance and 'superpowers' of female rugby players. It gave people reasons to engage with the game by spotlighting exceptionally talented individuals, rather than suggesting they should support women's rugby out of a sense of duty. It flipped the narrative, focusing on the positive instead of the negative.
Origin Stories presented these players as everyday heroes with epic stories – think Eric from 29 Acacia Road (younger judges may need to Google). Told across multiple formats, the campaign revealed why these athletes are truly remarkable through their individual back stories.
Rugby Journal featured individuals, such as Gwenllian Pyrs, a sheepdog trialist from North Wales, who once competed in One Man and His Dog with her beloved collie, Dot, before moving to the 'big city' to chase her rugby dream.
Then there was Gwennan Hopkins: a native Welsh speaker, taekwondo world champion at 13, weight-lifting champion at 15, deaf in one ear (partially deaf in the other), who secured a place at one of the UK's elite rugby colleges. Selected by the best side in the world, England, she dramatically switched allegiance to Wales before making her debut – unable to stand singing the English anthem against her homeland.
The stories rolled out in phases. First came the print edition: 10 pages, 3–4,000 words, complete with bespoke photography. Then they were adapted for social, through multi-platform carousels and longer-form video stories. Finally, all content was brought together in one place on therugbyjournal.com, ensuring each player’s journey unfolded over a three-month period.
To amplify reach, Sporting Eric partnered with relevant brands. Rugby equipment supplier Rhino, already a trusted name in the women’s game, shared the stories in exchange for organic product inclusion – a natural fit.
Origin Stories succeeded in engaging multiple audiences – from passionate Welsh speakers to Doctor Who fans – by introducing them to a new generation of rugby superheroes, just in time for the World Cup.
Results
The Gwennan Hopkins Origin Story was the benchmark for the campaign, a player that few people knew beyond those most die-hard Welsh women's rugby fans, and the first multi-format story carousel had a huge impact...
469,066 views (and rising, even four months later)
9,583 likes
10,566 interactions
This was just a single launch post, the campaign continued in a similar vein, aside from the print readership – 10k – the online version gained an average viewing time of 5mins 34secs reflecting how people were genuinely engaging with the content, even if it was 3,000+ words. Across all formats, the content would reach over 1m people.
As for Gwennan, she felt the impact of our content first-hand...
"I had so many friends, family and rugby teammates get in touch with so many questions. Both me and my family have been approached by young girls and their families, facing the decision of whether to play for Wales or England after reading the article. It’s a really humbling position to be in and grateful to be able to help other girls, all because of the Rugby Journal." Gwennan Hopkins
What made this all the more remarkable was the positive nature of the content, this wasn't about strong-arming a reluctant male rugby fan into engaging with women's rugby.
Women's rugby too often goes viral for the wrong reasons, this was about turning the tide, content that made people want to engage with these players because of who they are, what they've achieved and what they can do.
Not all superheroes wear capes, but they do wear rugby boots.