After the collapse of the men’s team, Worcester Warriors Women were left standing as the only independent team in the Allianz Premiership – and the only Premiership rugby club left in Worcester.
It was a pivotal moment. With the rugby world watching, they had two choices: fade into the background or lead the next era of women’s sport.
They chose the latter and called in Nifty to help them do it.
In just one season, we rebuilt trust, redefined the club’s brand, reignited fan engagement and created a commercial platform that proved the power and potential of women’s rugby.
Sadly, it wasn’t enough to save the club which went into administration at the end of the season, but we were proud of the great work we did together to put the brand back on the rugby map.
THE PROBLEM:
Warriors Women were entering a new era but not on an even playing field.
They faced:
🚫 Public backlash and trust issues after the collapse of the men’s team
🚫 Limited brand identity as a standalone club
🚫 Patchy coverage in local and national press
🚫 Low digital engagement across social platforms
🚫 A need to demonstrate commercial potential to new sponsors
The mission: Rebuild reputation, elevate visibility and prove the Warriors Women brand was worth backing.
“Nifty helped us take back control of our story. From national press to community connection, they’ve played a key role in helping us show the world exactly what Warriors Women stand for.”
— Worcester Warriors Women
THE SOLUTION:
We put together a bold multi-channel campaign, combining PR, digital storytelling and design to turn every club milestone into an opportunity to engage fans, build momentum and showcase value.
🔥 Media coverage that mattered – Secured PR in BBC Sport, Worcester News, Ruby Paper and more.
🔥 Leadership visibility – Leveraged new staff announcements, securing coverage and laying the foundations for future stories.
🔥 Player-led storytelling – 48 player signings published across all platforms, with big names like Lydia Thompson and Laura Keates featured in video interviews.
🔥 Content that built community – From Sixways hype trailers to vox pops on Worcester high street, we met fans where they were and made them feel part of the story.
🔥 Creative campaigns – Designed and launched the 23/24 home kit in partnership with Gilbert Rugby and delivered a fully branded launch campaign across press and social.
🔥 Social media with intent – Planned, posted and engaged in real-time to increase both follower and non-follower engagement, including a giveaway-led growth push.
🔥 Commercial credibility – Developed a visually-led sponsorship deck with reach and engagement projections to attract new partners – distributed via direct outreach and LinkedIn.
THE RESULTS:
🚀 75,000 reach on leadership announcements (⬆️ 3849% from July ‘22)
🚀 65,000 reach on player signings with 183% engagement uplift
🚀 17,900 reach on fixture + season ticket content (3.81% engagement rate)
🚀 60,000 reach on kit launch content (14.2% engagement rate)
🚀 Non-follower engagement increased by 54%
🚀 5.3% increase in existing follower engagement
🚀 Sponsorship deck CTR: 58%
🚀 Projected 1.3M Instagram impressions, 700K Facebook engagements, and 500K X (Twitter) impressions by season end
This wasn’t just about saving a team – it was about building a brand.
Worcester Warriors Women now lead by example, proving that when women’s sport is given the platform, it performs, it inspires and it delivers.
