IT is an integral part of any successful club. With the development of IT systems, clubs can now reach more people, communicate more effectively and efficiently, and reduce the workload. There are numerous ways in which IT has made life easier for rugby clubs.
There are now several ways that clubs can communicate with its members through IT, including:
- Text message
- Mobile
- Website
- Marketing automation platforms
Rugby Xplorer allows club admins to communicate via email to current and previous participants using different filtering options. Clubs can also send push notifications to current participants for quick messages.
One of the first places people search for a club is the internet. Your club needs to have an up-to-date website which is easily searched though any search engine (e.g., Google). Do a search of your rugby club on the internet and see if your website shows up as the 1st listing. If not, speak to your IT person and get your website promoted to the number 1 position.
Through Rugby Xplorer every Rugby Club in Australia is entitled to a free website - My Club Website. Club websites can be found within the Rugby network by clicking the nine dots (9) on the top left-hand corner next to “Rugby Xplorer”: https://australia.rugby/. Your My Club Details, fixtures and results will automatically flow through.
Rugby AU also has a find-a-club website where individuals can search for rugby clubs in their area, searching for club name, postcode or suburb: https://australia.rugby/participate/find-a-club.
Google search engine has a 94% market share in Australia, so the vast majority of people who are searching for your club will search via Google. On a Google search, Google will have a banner that runs down the right-hand side of the page. This will be the business (club) you are searching for. Google automatically sets up this page based on information on the internet. If you have not done so yet, the club needs to take ownership of this page by applying to Google. Once this is done, you can then insert/edit all the information contained in this listing including website address, contact numbers, club logo, home ground address etc.
Every club should have all their documents stored and backed-up on a cloud-based document storage system. The advantages of using one of these systems include usability and accessibility, security, cost efficient, multiple users, synchronization, convenience, scalability and disaster recovery. Some organisations even provide the services free-of-charge for non-profit sporting organisations.
Examples of cloud-based document storage software are:
- https://www.google.com/intl/en_au/drive/
- https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/nonprofits/offers-for-nonprofits
- https://www.dropbox.com/
Consistent and centralised club email addresses for major roles can play a large role in simplifying committee transition e.g. President@YourRugbyClub.com. This allows the club to easily transfer email accounts when individuals on club committees change. It allows incoming committee members to have access to the history for that email account and removes the issue of having to update email addresses when people change or positions are updated. Some organisations even provide the services free-of-charge for non-profit sporting organisations.
Examples of platforms that provide free services for non-profit sporting clubs include:
- https://www.google.com.au/nonprofits/offerings/workspace/
- https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/nonprofits/offers-for-nonprofits
Rugby Xplorer is the national registration and competition management system in Australia. Players, team officials can self-register to their clubs, allow clubs to communicate with their participants, team managers can select their team and live score their matches using the Rugby Match Day app.
More information on Rugby Xplorer can be found on the Help webpage.
These services allow the club to easily communicate with players and registered members of your club, and non-players groups like past-players, sponsors, supporters etc. A valuable part of any club is having an up-to-date mailing list. This enables the club to effectively and efficiently keep people involved in the club up to date by providing services such as newsletters, event marketing information etc. Examples of marketing platforms are as follows:
IT has allowed clubs to make payment and receipt of money more transparent and accountable, while also reducing the cash component of a clubs finances. Only 1 in 4 people carry cash today, so providing cashless alternatives is now a priority for rugby clubs.
Registrations done through Rugby Xplorer can be paid using a debit/credit card or Zip Pay. Canteen payments could use portable Point-of-Sale (POS) machines.
Keeping real-time tracking of your club's finances is essential. Cloud-based accounting software enables accurate accounting accessible by multiple people at any time. Examples of this software include:
73% of all transactions in Australia are now done electronically so it is important that your club provides its customers with electronic options. The main advantages of a POS system over cash are accurate inventory management, higher security (less theft), better customer experience and better staff management. Examples of POS systems are:
- https://squareup.com/au/en
- https://easypos.net.au/
- https://onlypos.com.au/
- Your local bank (e.g., Westpac, CBA, NAB, ANZ)
Setting up an online booking system for events is an important step for your club. The advantages of having an online booking system as opposed to accepting cash is the system is available 24hrs per day, you can easily set limits on availability, the money is automatically banked into your account, you have detailed reporting on all transactions and is very simple to setup.
Examples of an on-line booking system are (please note these are NOT rugby registration related and are only events - all registrations must be done through Rugby Xplorer):
- https://www.eventcreate.com/
- https://www.eventbrite.com.au/
- https://www.trybooking.com/
- https://www.iwannaticket.com.au/
Email newsletters are a form of email marketing and are a great communication tool for clubs by broadcasting information to the audience on a regular basis.
Email newsletters can:
- Drive traffic to your website
- Engage your audience
- Reach those who may not be on social media
- Are easily shareable
- Promote club activities
- Highlight player, volunteer and club achievements
Regular segments in club newsletters can include:
- Volunteer Spotlight – regular recognition of club volunteers
- Coaches Corner – match day run down or tips for players and parents
- President’s Address – run down on club happenings or up and coming events
- Player Profile – fun facts or profile on players in the club
- Sponsor Profile – spotlight a different sponsor each month with limited time offer
Email Software
There are several free or cheap email newsletter software out there. A popular software package is Mailchimp that allows the user to easily create and save a template that is simply updated with the latest information and offers.
Using an email newsletter application like Mail Chimp will allow you to whip up email newsletters in next to no time.
The Law
The Spam Act 2003 (Cth) (‘the Spam Act’) governs email marketing in Australia, and the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) enforces these email marketing laws. The three main rules include:
- Consent
- Identification
- Unsubscribe option
Consent
Recipients must first have consented to receive emails before you can send them any email material. Consent can either be express (the recipient has deliberately opted-in to receiving emails) or inferred (there is reasonable expectation that they will receive emails after giving details to the club).
It is recommended when collecting personal details to provide a link to your privacy policy. A privacy policy will inform the user what you intend to do with their information.
Identification
The recipient needs to be able to contact the club sending the email. Therefore, you should provide your email or website address in your communication.
Unsubscribe Option
You must provide the recipient of the newsletter the option to unsubscribe from the emails. You must also present the unsubscribe instructions in a clear manner.
If you receive a request to unsubscribe, you will have to honour that request within five business days. You can add an unsubscribe link at the bottom of your email or get the recipient to reply to the email saying that they wish to unsubscribe.
More information about The Spam Act visit the Australian Communications and Media Authority website.
