Practical Applications of Sponsorship Theory: Empirical Evidence from English Club Rugby

Abstract

This paper studied the corporate sponsorship of both rugby league and rugby union clubs. The broad objective of the research was to establish the degree to which the rigorous framework for sponsorship management identified in the literature is applied in practice. In general the league sponsors adopted a more commercial approach to their initiatives, although further analysis highlighted the diverse nature of union sponsors who may be identified on a motivational continuum from commercial to philanthropic. Clear opportunities are identified wherein sponsorship programs may be adapted to contribute more fully to corporate marketing objectives through a greater application of the prescriptions in the current literature. Specific issues addressed include: functional control, selection, objective setting, implementation, evaluation, and leverage. An assessment of the extent to which this situation is common to the sponsorship of other sports in England is made by reference to studies of professional soccer and horse racing.