Reshaping Rugby: The World’s First TikTok Final
2degrees
TBWA\New Zealand
The Challenge
New Zealand’s Women’s Rugby faced possible cancellation after just three years due to low fan engagement, limited coverage, and poor stadium attendance. More than just a game was at risk; it was a format ready for reinvention. “Reshaping Rugby” focused on reimagining how live sport could be consumed for a mobile, digital, and social-first audience, reshaping both the future of the game and the fan experience.
The challenge was significant: uniting 2degrees as the principal sponsor, Sky Sport as the rights holder, NZ Rugby as the governing body, and TikTok as the platform.
Shot and produced vertically, with bespoke commentary and real-time interactive features, the initiative delivered record-breaking engagement, secured five more years of the league, and provided 2degrees with 80 minutes of uninterrupted brand presence during live games.
The Solution
For years, female athletes have built their profiles on social media, gaining a voice and audience. However, executing this at scale required monumental collaboration between 2degrees (brand), Rugby NZ (league), Sky Sports (broadcast rights), and TikTok (platform).
Each stakeholder played a crucial role. The agency orchestrated the project, with 2degrees funding it as part of its mission for a fairer future. Sky Sport removed its paywall, offering free access to mobile-first fans. TikTok launched a custom live channel, integrating its features into live sport for the first time. Rugby NZ provided unprecedented fan access to players. The outcome was a bold new way to experience live sport.
Watch the Case Study
The Results
The live game had 18,200 in virtual attendance on TikTok, nine times the amount that attended the 2023 Final. These new fans came ready to recreate the match day experience via phones, with 186,000 engagements throughout the broadcast.
Across all channels, 92,870 watched the Final, a 34% increase from 2023. And the stadium attendance quadrupled.
In terms of brand health, this campaign coincided with a strengthening in 2degrees’ overall brand reputation. Following the final, 2degrees ranked within the top 20 of Kantar’s ‘Corporate Reputation Index’, following a +3% increase in RepZ. 2degrees was the only telco to rank, a tough challenge as historically this category has never seen a NZ Telco in the Top 20.
