General Manager - Marketing & Communications (Men's RWC 2027)

The Rugby World Cup Australia Local Operating Company (LOC) is searching for a highly capable and innovative Marketing & Communications leader to join our team!

***CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS IS MONDAY 10TH FEBRUARY 2025***

GENERAL MANAGER - MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS (RWC 2027 LOC)

FIXED-TERM CONTRACT UNTIL END OF NOVEMBER 2027

BASED IN SYDNEY

The General Manager – Marketing & Communications will play a key role in managing the brand and digital marketing, content, PR, communications and media engagement, and community engagement activities for Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 (RWC 2027). This role will work closely with the World Rugby Events & Media (WREM) Team to drive global strategies in the local market, and will be a critical member of the LOC Executive Management Team. They will recruit and lead a local team that will directly contribute to the overall commercial success of the tournament.

This is an exciting and unique opportunity to be a part of a global event that will set new standards and drive the growth of rugby. We are looking for candidates who are passionate about sport, understand the power it has to make a difference and have a strong commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion. You will be part of a team that aims to inspire a new generation of fans and participants.

About the role

Marketing & Content

• Work closely with the WR Global Marketing & Content team to deliver the RWC event marketing, advertising and digital content strategies in market to maximise ticket sales
• Work closely with the Global and LOC Ticketing Teams to build and deliver the tournament sales and engagement plan
• Implement marketing strategies and collateral designed to grow brand awareness, maximise event attendance in all host cities and enhance online viewership
• Lead advertising and promotional programs to ensure that the RWC is promoted in an appropriate manner via efficient and effective media channels
• Implement brand standards for all the LOC functional areas and stakeholders to ensure consistent and professional positioning of the RWC and its brand portfolio
• Own the marketing strategy locally, pushing the envelope with new and innovative trends in the digital and technology spaces
• Oversee the development of all static and video content to be used across promotional and community channels
• Proactively develop, track, analyse and report on marketing and promotional activity, adjusting campaigns as required
• Work with WR to support the delivery of sponsors' promotional programs in line with contract benefits, including activation opportunities

Media & Communications

• Work closely with the World Rugby (WR) Communications Department and report to the RWC Head of Communications to develop an effective media and communications strategy to maximise media coverage and ensure proactive reputation management, while mitigating risk and issues
• Lead the development and delivery of the RWC narrative, contributing content and story-telling to promote the tournament
• Conceptualise, create and implement effective earned and owned media campaigns and events to support tournament objectives and support the achievement of key KPIs (e.g. awareness, ticket sales)
• Support the planning and delivery of all Milestone events, such as the draw, match schedule launch, 2 years to go, 1 year to go, 100 days to go and the Trophy Tour
• Prepare responses to significant issues, particularly related to RWC’s reputation and brand, and respond promptly to any enquiries
• Oversee all media monitoring, analysis, and reporting
• Provide expert media relations and corporate communications advice to the Managing Director, Executive and Board
• Oversee all fan facing communications, integrating, and collaborating with key partners
• Work closely with the Ticketing team to develop all consumer and corporate communications, and support community engagement initiatives
• Oversee the development and delivery of all tournament publications
• Lead integration with Language Services to ensure the tournament is accessible across all four official languages of the RWC (English, French, Japanese and Spanish)

Public Relations

• Develop a proactive, innovative and engaging PR strategy to maximise coverage of the RWC across traditional and non-traditional channels, including a full pipeline of media & PR stories and activations
• Identify and engage media outlets to drive coverage targeting specific audience segments beyond rugby and sport
• Oversee the development of an influencer and/or ambassador strategy, and manage any negotiations
• Build and maintain critical media and stakeholder relationships across all channels
• Develop and manage media and communications materials, including narrative, press kits, surveys, FAQs and other corporate and internal writing

Community Engagement

• Lead the development and delivery of the RWC Community Engagement strategy – aiming to promote the tournament, and rugby more broadly, amongst targeted community groups and demographics
• Work collaboratively with Rugby Australia in developing and evaluating national strategies that aim to promote the RWC amongst target audiences

About you

• You have experience and demonstrated success in leading high-profile and strategically successful communications, media and/or marketing functions, ideally on a major event within Australia
• You have proven experience supporting the successful delivery of revenue/ticketing projects
• You’re an innovative thinker, with a demonstrated ability to contribute to strategic above and below the line brand and marketing plans
• You have strong data analysis skills to identify trends and opportunities - you derive value from data sets to enable immediate and/or future decision making, and understand the confidentiality requirements of data
• You are an excellent communicator, highly personable and can build strong relationships with colleagues and a diverse range of stakeholders quickly
• You have the proven ability to collaborate with colleagues to effectively deliver on mutual objectives
• You have strong leadership skills, with the ability to motivate and help drive an organisational culture that enables others to perform at their best
• You have meticulous attention to detail, exceptional organisational skills, the ability to prioritise and multitask, and remain calm under pressure
• You are adept at working under pressure in a fast-paced environment, delivering work to deadlines and honouring commitments
• You are flexible to work irregular hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays, depending on event schedules
• You have a proven track record of working in an international environment with considerations for multiple cultures and languages.

About us

World Rugby is the international federation responsible for the global development of rugby union. Its strategic mission is to accelerate the growth of rugby, inspiring more people to engage with the sport. Australia’s hosting of Rugby World Cups 2027 and 2029 are at the heart of that mission, representing an unparalleled growth opportunity for rugby in Australia, the region, and the global game more broadly.

Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 is rugby union’s pinnacle event contested every four years by the world’s best nations.

For six weeks from 1 October- 13 November 2027, Australia will welcome the world to a nationwide festival of rugby, celebrating its rich culture and heritage, and kicking off a new era of rugby that will have a positive impact for Australia, Oceania and the game globally.

With an expanded format contested by the world’s top 24 teams, Men’s RWC Australia 2027 will inspire an entire generation and break down barriers by making rugby even more accessible, relevant and inclusive, boosting rugby’s fanbase and participation globally.

All revenue generated by Men’s RWC 2027 will be reinvested in the sport, supporting World Rugby’s global growth ambition, its 133 member unions and six regional associations.

Rugby World Cup is one of the biggest sporting and entertainment brands in the world and the dual men’s and women’s hosting model creates a transformative opportunity to showcase the very best of rugby and Australia to an unprecedented global audience.

RWC 2027 tournament will be a nationwide celebration of the sport, its values and Australia’s cities, culture and people, engaging new audiences and inspiring a new generation of fans and players. In Australia, the tournament is expected to generate $1.3B in direct visitor expenditure across Australia from more than 250,000 international visitors and inject a further $80m into the Australia economy as a result of hosting in 2027 alone.

How to apply

Please submit your CV (maximum 3 pages), along with a cover letter detailing your suitability for the role to the APPLY NOW link.

RWC Australia is committed to building a diverse workforce and therefore strongly encourages applications from underrepresented groups. We are committed to equality and inclusion and welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of their background. We strive to be a diverse and inclusive workplace, which reflects the global sport we want to be and where everyone can be themselves and feel they belong.

Flexible Working

The role offers hybrid working during the initial phases of planning, noting that as the event draws near the role will be required to be full time in the office integrating with the rest of the team. The current planning is based on:

• 2025 – 4 Days in the office (Mon-Thu)
• 2026 & 2027 – Full time in the office