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Toronto Arrows 2020
Toronto Arrows 2020

Executive Summary

The Toronto Arrows are Canada’s first and only professional rugby union franchise.

Established in November 2018, the Arrows compete in Major League Rugby (MLR), a North American league that includes teams in New York, Boston, Washington, Houston, San Diego, Austin, Seattle, Salt Lake and new franchises in Los Angeles and Dallas in 2021.

 

This year, the Arrows were proud to announce TSN as the club’s 2020 Official Media Partner.

In addition, the league has national broadcast agreements with ESPN and CBS Sports in the US. 

 

The Toronto Arrows offer a unique partnership opportunity by providing access to athletes that is unprecedented in any other professional sports league in North America.

The Toronto Arrows have the capability to effectively execute on a mix of partnership opportunities, including matchday stadium space activations, post- match player fan engagement zones and program integrations, as well as more traditional partnership opportunities, such as matchday rights, broadcast rights, team kit and merchandise.

Recent Activity

MLR Virtual:

  • League-wide e-sports tournament 
  • Over 1.2 MM league-wide impressions
  • $10k raised for charity 

 

TSN: Arrows in 60

  • Weekly re-airing of 10 Arrows games on TSN linear and digital platforms 

 

Arrows Classics Broadcasts:

  • Re-airing Arrows games from 2019/2020 on interactive Facebook and Youtube platforms 

Rugby 101

Rugby is a game played by people of all abilities, shapes, sizes, ages and genders

  • 26% of global participants are women
    9.1 million players worldwide with 26% growth since 2013

 

Rugby is a truly global and mainstream sport

  • 338 million fans worldwide
  • Rugby made its Olympic debut at the 2016 Rio Games
  • The Rugby World Cup is the 3rd largest sporting event in the world

  

Rugby culture famously requires players to compete with respect – there is no diving or talking back to the referee

  • Players are expected to shake hands and share a meal with opponents after the game

 

Rugby possesses some of sports’ most iconic brands and traditions

  • Nelson Mandela awarding the 1995 Rugby World Cup Trophy
  • New Zealand Haka 

Rugby has an inclusive and highly engaged community with the

Fastest growing participation rates in sport in Canada.

 

100K

Participants

28K

Adult Club Members

 

70K

High School Members

35%

Women's Participation

 

30%

Growth Since 2010

Women 7s

Bronze: Rio '16

Gold: Pan Am '19

 

Source: Rugby Canada

* The Canada Women 7s Team won a bronze medal

at the 2016 Rio Olympics and have inspired a whole

new generation of female rugby players.

Toronto Arrows 2020

First and Only Professional Canadian Rugby Union Team

THE TORONTO ARROWS ARE THE FIRST AND ONLY PROFESSIONAL RUGBY UNION TEAM IN CANADA

 

  • National and regional broadcast agreements
  • Canada’s only professional team, aspiring to capture the “Raptors Effect” for rugby fans across Canada
  • Foundational for Canadian National Team athletes as a professional club and development pathway (13 players in Team Canada playing squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup from the Arrows)

Strategic Objectives

 

To be the best professional rugby team in North America - both on and off the pitch - and to develop into a world-class Sports & Entertainment business.

To drive growth and participation in rugby union in Canada at all levels - including youth, schools, universities, academies, clubs, professional and national teams for all genders and interests - with a primary focus on player welfare.

To be great ambassadors for rugby union and to exemplify the World Rugby core values of: Integrity, Respect, Solidarity, Passion, and Discipline.

To be outstanding partners with our fans, sponsors, players, staff, governing bodies, and investors.

Grassroots Partnerships

The arrows have relationships with organizations in the rugby and sport landscape across Toronto & Canada

Rugby Canada is the national governing body for rugby union in Canada.

IRR’s mission is to engage Indigenous youth in the sport of rugby while honouring Indigenous culture and recognizing the unique environments of First Nations communities in Ontario

Rugby Ontario is the provincial governing body for rugby union.

Relationships with all 69 individual rugby clubs across Ontario

 

Toronto Inner-City Rugby Foundation (TIRF) is a rugby-centred development organization focused on underserved and priority Toronto communities.

The Canadian Rugby Foundation was established for philanthropic supporters to help grow the game of rugby in Canada through targeted donations.

Rookie Rugby is a program that introduces rugby to kids in a safe and enjoyable way. Reaching 265k+ kids across Canada in past 3 years.

The British Columbia Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in BC.

Muddy York RFC is an all-inclusive rugby club providing access to the sport to the gay community and their friends.

The Abilities Centre is a state-of-the-art facility offering sport, fitness and programming for people of all ages and abilities located in Whitby, ON.

Canadian Rugby Champion is the national provincial championship organizing body.

The Canadian University Men’s Rugby Championship brings together the best university rugby talent from across the country.

Toronto Arrows 2020

 Honda Canada

WHAT WE DID

Junior Red Riders Gameday Activation
On gameday, Honda had a physical activation space for Junior Red Riders program where young Arrows fans aged 6-12 years old learned how to ride a dirt bike in a safe and fun environment


Honda Gameball Delivery
A Junior Red Rider showcased a Honda dirt bike before kickoff by driving the game ball to centre field in front of all stadium attendees and a national broadcast audience


In-Game Fan Interactions
During pauses in play, Arrows gameday staff threw Arrows-Honda branded t-shirts and towels into the stands as souvenirs for fans to take home and proudly display their fandom


Front of Jersey Partner
Honda was the official 2020 front of jersey partner, gaining brand exposure across all of the Arrows’ media exposure, and on national TSN broadcasts in Canada and ESPN+ and CBS Sports broadcasts in the United States


VIP Hospitality Tent 
Social Media and Digital Content 
Leveraged Arrows content for fan contests and interest pieces on Honda Canada and Honda Motorcycles Canada social media channels 

Toronto Arrows 2020

DifferentiateD
Fan and Event Experiences

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Toronto Arrows are uniquely positioned to offer differentiated fan engagement and event experiences, in addition to traditional partnership opportunities 

    Fan Engagement & Event Experiences

    Post-match player and fan engagement zone

    Matchday event space activations

    Program integrations

     

    Traditional Partnership Opportunities

    Broadcast sponsorship

    Matchday rights

    Team kit and merchandise branding

     

    Social media campaigns

    Hospitality

    Ticketing

    Athlete
    Accessibility

    The Toronto Arrows offer a truly differentiated fan engagement strategy with accessibility to athletes not seen in any other professional sport in North America.

     

    • Post-Match Player and Fan Engagement Zone
      • The Toronto Arrows will set up a post-match fan engagement zone that grants fans unprecedented access to athletes and the team
      • Zone will be fully branded for the sponsor with giveaways that can be signed by players and branded backdrops for photos and social media sharing
    • Matchday Event Space for Activations
    • Program Integrations

    VIP and Corporate Ticketing

    THE ARROWS OFFER A NUMBER OF HOSPITALITY PACKAGES TO
    ENTERTAIN CUSTOMERS, EMPLOYEES AND FRIENDS/FAMILY. 


    We can flexibly work with your team to create your desired gameday experience, options include:

    • Premium Hospitality Suite branded with your company logo for Arrows home games
    • Opportunity to host one company themed day at an Arrows home game, ex. ‘Your Company Day’, with tickets for customers, employees and friends/family
    Toronto Arrows 2020

    Get in Touch

    The Toronto Arrows offer a differentiated partnership opportunity to connect with Canada’s newest professional sports franchise. We have the team that can help you effectively execute a customized, relevant and unique brand experience for customers and potential customers. We are open to exploring ways to work together in a partnership package that includes:

     

    • • Matchday activations   • Broadcast and Media   • Player engagement   • Social media channels   • Merchandise


    We also offer an opportunity to connect with our rugby partnership organizations, including TIRF Rugby, Rugby Ontario and Rugby Canada.


    For more information, please contact:

     

                  Bill Webb

    bwebb@torontoarrows.com

               Mark Winokur

    mwinokur@torontoarrows.com

    Rahul Srinivasan

    rsrinivasan@torontoarrows.com