HSBC Waratahs report strong interim results

Best wishes to Galloping Green Drew Mitchell  for the 2012 season

As the HSBC Waratahs begin pre-season training ahead of Super Rugby 2012, Waratahs Rugby Chief Executive Jason Allen is confident that the business is shaping up well as the end of the financial year approaches.

Last year Allen unveiled an ambitious and clearly defined three-year 10:3:1 vision for Waratahs Rugby and with year one nearing completion, he is satisfied with progress.

"We are committed to targeting 10,000 members, $10 Million in commercial revenue, making finals appearances for three straight seasons and becoming the number one centre of Super Rugby excellence by the end of 2013," he said.

The decision to restructure the company's commercial and marketing operations and create two separate business units aligned to this vision appears to be paying dividends.

"Our Marketing and Partnerships team have made significant progress towards our membership targets, where we are ahead of budget with supporters responding very positively to a great draw and our renewed focus on listening to the needs of our members," said Allen.

"On the commercial front, sponsorship revenue is already up 13 per cent on last year and on top of that we expect to announce a number of significant new partnerships with key sponsors within the next month."

One of the key drivers behind the HSBC Waratahs' ability to attract and retain sponsors is their unrivalled media exposure. In 2011 they topped the Super Rugby table, generating over $4 Million of media exposure for HSBC, with significant new media partnerships set to enhance this for 2012.

After accounting for a NSW Rugby Union Licence fee and grant of $1,175,000 and additional bill of $560,000 in player payments, largely due to an additional two matches and an exceptional injury toll and a resulting increase in short term contracts, Allen is forecasting a small yearend loss in the region of $300,000.

Under the direction of new Head Coach Michael Foley the team has retained much of its key talent, including assistant coach Scott Bowen, with key acquisitions like senior assistant coach Alan Gaffney, as well as Adam Ashley-Cooper, Rocky Elsom, Dan Vickerman and Super Rugby's leading try scorer, Sarel Pretorius, further strengthening the squad.

Whilst last year's crowd figures were down on previous years, Allen believes that a strong home draw, coupled with two afternoon matches and a number of big anniversary celebrations, will encourage more people through the gates this year.

"Afternoon footy is a great tradition and we have been lobbying for at least one afternoon match for many years," said Allen. "We hope these earlier kick offs for two of our headline matches at the SFS will also make it easier for families to come and enjoy.

The HSBC Waratahs will kick off their season with a big home tie against current Super Rugby champions the Queensland Reds, a match which also celebrates the 130th anniversary of the NSW versus Queensland rivalry, before hosting the best teams from New Zealand and South Africa, including the Crusaders, Hurricanes, Sharks and Bulls in what Allen calls the ‘strongest home suite of matches for many years'.

November also sees the launch of the Waratahs' new Community Connection program, which will bring together all of the club's community work under a central banner. "Re-engaging with our community and our supporters is a big priority for us this season," said Allen.

"One of the best pieces of feedback we got from members and supporters last season was that they wanted to get closer to us. Accessibility and reinvigorating our community engagement activities are the key drivers behind our new Community Connection program."

As well as giving supporters the chance to meet the coaches and players in person through a series of community events taking place over the next two months across the greater Sydney region, Foley believes the events are an important opportunity to thank fans for their ongoing support. "When I accepted the role of Head Coach, I said it was vital for the team to have a greater connection with its rugby families," he said. "In 2012 we are committed to achieving that both on and off the field."

Other notable achievements to date include:

The Code: Life with the HSBC Waratahs
The documentary was watched by over 800,000 viewers, generating incremental exposure and added value for partners. Already distributed throughout New Zealand and South Africa, following SANZAR approval for global distribution, negotiations are in place for distribution into Europe, Asia and the Americas.

Sponsorship
Combined with a 90 per cent partner renewal rate from last year, the acquisition of a number of additional partners has resulted in $680,000 additional sponsorship revenue, an increase of 13 per cent on last year.

Chairman's Club
To cope with an increasing demand for the premium corporate hospitality offering, the capacity of the Chairman's Club has been increased, with some matches for the 2012 season sold out already.

Membership
In line with our commitment to better service members, we have undertaken a existing and lapsed member satisfaction survey in order to listen to their experiences of the past and improve the service we provide. As a result of member feedback, we have: simplified the process of joining; added General Admission sections at both stadiums to make it easier for groups to sit together; reintroduced the HSBC Waratahs members scarf as a gift for 8 Game and 4 Game members to help drive colour and passionate support at our games.

Thursday November 3, 2011 NSWRU Media Release