Achieving world-class medal performance has become harder as international competition standards rise, training systems and intellectual property are quickly replicated, and investment strongly correlates with results. In Australia, future government funds will be more closely tied to results, a clear factor in influencing the viability and sustainability of a number of sports.
The majority of Australian sports are structured around a federated model and an army of volunteers. Some sports have stalled and experienced years of frustration as a result of the inability to get all stakeholders on board (clubs, states and national bodies). Engaging and exciting the broader sports system is crucial to success.
For Australia’s sports franchises, whether one of the football code or netball franchises, the race is on. The strategic challenge is for clubs to build the biggest and most engaged fan base, grow TV and new media share of market and wallet, and connect most effectively with local communities.
Examples of results
Sport Franchise
We identified how to best leverage the momentum and success of the clubs final’s performance, including how to extend the reach, presence and impact of social change within the local community. We supported their adoption of a rigorous reporting culture so strategy is an active part of daily business activity and performance management.
Recently Merged Sport Franchise
We assisted the refreshed board and management team to create a bold strategy that honoured the past, yet marked a new era, where a single brand, collective identify and new strategy would be championed.
Australian National Sports Organisation
Rapid Impact has created consecutive strategies for Australia’s largest female sport since 2008. Over this time, the sport has delivered aggressive growth on every indicator of success. The leadership team has demonstrated a willingness to be challenged, a commitment to new ways of thinking, and a consistent drive to deliver each successive strategy. Key achievements include over 100,000 kids involved in its nationally-driven participation program (from a zero base), a 300% increase in the number of coaches, a 35% increase in officials, the launch of the Trans-Tasman competition, and with this, a single nation-wide participation festival.
UK Sport’s Organisation
This UK Olympic sport was determined to capitalise on the London 2012 Olympic Games, especially while government investment was strong and the nation’s expectations and interest high. We worked to create a proactive strategy that has delivered a measurable Olympic legacy. Since then, results achieved include continuing high performance outcomes at benchmark events and thriving local community clubs.
Olympic performance
We assisted this high performance program achieve consensus amongst competing programs as to where effort should be directed to maximise results at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, and preceding benchmark events. We supported coaches and high performance staff to articulate the performance characteristics and behaviours of successful Olympic teams, irrespective of ethnicity and culture.
Institute of Sport
We assisted the board and leadership team to refocus the Institute and explore commercial opportunities to best use existing specialist knowledge and expertise. A robust discussion was led around the delicate balance between focusing on producing high performing athletes and other strategies that increased profile, and focused on greater investment from current and non-traditional sources.
Sporting Injury Prevention Taskforce
In 2011, the Victorian Government established the Sports Injury Prevention Taskforce to identify and address the injury and safety related barriers that prevent people from leading a more active lifestyle. The governing principle was “to have more Victorians active more often”. This major collaboration involved multiple government departments, local government authorities, universities, sports medicine groups, and sports. Rapid Impact worked with the Taskforce to shape the 12-month project and ensure precise measurable outcomes were delivered at each stage. It was agreed, the only recommendations that would be accepted were those that could demonstrate clear public benefit, deliver improvements in both performance and participation, and were seen as systemic, socially inclusive and measurable. Within 12 months, Victoria’s five biggest sports embraced the outcomes and change is already visible.
Barriers to Welcome and Inclusive Sport
The Minister for Sport created a forum involving sports from across Victoria to jointly understand the barriers and solutions required to make sport welcoming and inclusive for all Victorians. Rapid Impact facilitated this large forum, creating an environment that enabled the existing success stories to be shared, and a robust discussion to take place around where sport could show strong leadership and extend the range of people participating, particularly those in under represented sub-groups. System-wide opportunities for collaboration around non-competitive areas such as research, data collection and back of house systems were identified.