Munster Rugby Tribe

Munster Rugby Tribe

Barry Fitzgerald Cian McGovern Jerry Manley Paul OSullivan

Brief History of Munster RugbyFounded in 1879

Thomond Park & Irish Independent Park

To The Brave & Faithful Nothing is Impossible

The Red Army/ The 16th Man

Success of Munster RugbyOnly Irish team to beat the All Blacks (1978) Alone it Stands Stand Up & Fight

Heineken Cup 2006 (Biarritz), 2008 (Toulouse)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyE56rF6mU8

3

What comes to mind when you think of Munster Rugby ?

Thomond Park Sacred GroundSecond Home to players and fans

History (1940, 2008)12 year unbeaten run 1995 2007Nicknames: Popular Side (East) - Tradition

Fortress Atmosphere Intimidation

Place of Respect

Best Rugby Stadium in the World (2013)

What makes a Munster Rugby supporter ?What do they look like ? Where are they from ?

What do they value? What motivates them to support Munster rugby?

What do they do ? Where do they do it ?

Is there only one type of Munster Rugby Fan ?

Initial ResearchTrip to Thomond Park for Munster v Treviso (14/11/15).Analysis of fans social media interaction mostly Twitter #Munster #ChampionsCup #MRSC #SUAFWatching Munster games on TV.Informal discussion with fans.

7

Trip to Thomond Park

Activity on Social Media

Initial ObservationsValues:

Tradition & History

Pride

Identity

Initial ObservationsMotives:Enjoyment & Entertainment

Sense of belonging

Socialising (Escapism)

Supporting other clubs (grassroots)

Initial ObservationPractises/RitualsWearing red/munster gear, give out free flags (unwritten rule waving flags)Voicing opinionSinging & Chanting (Choir - own section) MUNSTERZebo scoring a try - ZEBOOOOOOO - doing the ZCollecting Memoribillia.

Initial Observation

MUNSTERMUNSTERMUNSTER

Initial ObservationPractises/RitualsJoining official supporters club.Going to official supporters pubs.Interacting with players at the game & on social media.Silence for the kick Respect

Analysis of Initial ObservationsIs there only one type of Munster Rugby Fan ?

No!!

These values/motives/practises are not consistent throughout every supporter.

From observation, we have identified clusters with different characteristics.

Munster Rugby Supporters - ClustersHardcoreOfficialUnofficial

Family

CasualBandwagons

Whats Next.?Interact with supporters more on social media

Delve into the different clusters in more depth Identify their characteristics.

Match unique characteristics to specific clusters.

Interview with members of each clusters

Identify the Fan Conversion Process for a Munster Rugby supporter.

Thank You for Listening