New Zealand Rugby partnership to power global digital transformation

New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has signed a multi-year partnership with technology provide SAP to accelerate its digital transformation across all areas of the business.

The global partnership, with SAP, NZR’s first-ever major technology partner, sees the German company become an ‘Official Premium Global Partner’, ‘Official Technology Partner’ and the ‘Official Cloud Software Partner’ to the sport’s representative sides, including the All Blacks and Black Ferns men’s and women’s national teams.

The partnership will see NZR leverage SAP solutions and co-innovate across four key areas including: creating an integrated management system to run and enhance its operations, elevating the fan experience, enabling the organisation’s sustainability goals, and exploring how the use of data and solutions can support team performance.

The two organisations will collaborate to identify and implement cloud solutions from SAP and connect data across key areas of the business to provide a competitive advantage on-and off-the-field for the national teams and NZR’s wider rugby ecosystem.

In addition to the technology transformation agenda, SAP and NZR will place an emphasis on developing additional programmes and initiatives that promote and celebrate diversity and inclusion.

Through the sponsorship, SAP will also receive various rights and benefits including branding and signage in-stadium and on-field for NZR managed matches, branding across all digital platforms, player appearances and exclusive team and player experiences.

Commenting on the agreement, NZR Chief Information and Technology Officer, Angela Nash explained “NZR is undertaking a large digital transformation which really needs the support and expertise of a global technology organisation to help us achieve our vision of becoming the most technologically advanced rugby union in the world.

“SAP is at the forefront of digital enablement globally and have the tools to help us build a team of experts that not only share our vision but are world class in their skills and capabilities.”

NZR is currently awaiting the outcome of a request for more information by the country’s provincial unions covering a proposed investment by USA-based private equity company Silver Lake focused on the national governing body’s commercial rights. A final vote on the deal by NZR members is due to be held on 2nd June.

NZR and the New Zealand’ Rugby Players Association (NZRPA) reached agreement on the deal in February that would see Silver Lake investing an initial $200 millioninto a new business housing NZR’s commercial rights. The private equity firm would take an initial 5.71% stake, which could later rise to 8.58%.

The parties will also establish a new venture called Global Rugby Opportunities which will invest in rugby businesses outside of New Zealand - with NZR and NZRPA sharing 15% of the profits.

The SAP deal was brokered by the Two Circles agency, which manages sales of NZR’s major sponsorship inventory.

Through the partnership, SAP, a market leader in enterprise application software will receive various rights and benefits including branding and signage in-stadium and on-field for NZR managed matches, branding across all digital platforms, player appearances and exclusive team and player experiences.