In 2006, Rugby First (the town centre regeneration company) appointed Knight, Kavanagh & Page (KKP) to conduct a financial and market appraisal to underpin a national/international visitor attraction - the World of Rugby - incorporating physical and ‘virtual' interaction, information and educational facilities.

With partners; Rugby Borough Council, Warwickshire County Council and the International Rugby Board, it is seeking to develop a themed visitor attraction built on the area's unique position; Rugby is the only location to be globally recognised as the home of any major sport providing an opportunity unavailable to any other city in the world.

The study concluded that the attraction, in association with a themed restaurant, health and fitness facilities, conference and training facilities, a retail outlet and associated town centre parking would not only be economically viable and sustainable but would also play a key role in town centre regeneration and the local and regional tourism agendas.

Vision and function

Through in-depth consultation and desk based research we proposed that the World of Rugby should offer visitors a:

•  Wide range of exciting and interactive experiences associated with rugby football, such as being able to ‘virtually' interact with players, perform various ‘game actions' and be consumed by moving footage of the sport and its science in lively and stimulating surroundings, potentially including an interactive cinema environment.
• Time-line and information on the national and international features of the game, and its various derivative codes across the world (including, for example, Rugby League, American Football, Aussie Rules) as regularly refreshed touring exhibition materials.
• Physical home for the International Rugby (Union) Board's (IRB) Hall of Fame.
• New location for the IRB's library, archive and educational facilities to support the school, student and sports historian market(s).

The addition of conference/training, retail, restaurant and car park facilities was recommended to support the core facility as, without such supplementary revenue streams, visitor attractions and museums invariably find it difficult to achieve economic sustainability. This mix of revenue generating activities will also cushion anticipated fluctuations in visitor numbers and enable the attraction to become an essential feature of life in Rugby, thus becoming not only a visitor attraction but a venue embraced and used by the local community.

Financial considerations

It was estimated that the World of Rugby and associated facilities would require a capital investment of around £19m. Initially planned to open in 2011, it is envisaged that the scheme will achieve a positive revenue situation by 2012. This is based on a level of activity for all uses considered to be realistic and achievable. Project costings also assume pre-launch business and marketing activities to ensure that the scheme ‘hits the ground running'.

Managing the World of Rugby

The attraction's management plan envisages the range of enterprises acting as a single business, possibly registered as a charitable trust. While high quality staff and marketing expertise are essential to its success the scheme will not, as scheduled in the study, be over- dependent on an unrealistic throughput of visitor numbers, diners, conference attendees or other users.

Benefits

In a local context the World of Rugby will:

• Contribute to the realisation of the town centre and wider regeneration agendas.
• Recognise the positive impacts of increased sports related tourism on retail, cultural activities, catering and accommodation/hotel services.
• Support initiatives aimed at making the town centre cleaner, safer and friendlier for its visitors and businesses.
• Complement existing attractions such as the Art Gallery and Museum, the Rugby Football Museum, the Pathway of Fame, Rugby School, and the literary and cultural associations of the town.

More widely, it will forge links to national/international rugby attractions such as the Museum of Rugby at Twickenham, it will raise the overall profiles of Rugby and Warwickshire and will contribute directly to the realisation of the strategic objectives contained in the West Midland's Economic Strategy.

Robin Richter, Managing Director of the Rugby Town Centre Company commissioned the project. He was pleased with the work that KKP delivered. He said:

"It was great to have a consultant that didn't waffle and delivered a final product that was in excess of all our expectations."

The work undertaken by KKP has provided a sound platform for the realisation of the Partners' ambitions and the project has continued to grow in its ambition. It is still on schedule, has attracted wide ranging interest and support and now also contains plans for town centre living.

For an independent view on this case study, please contact Robin Richter, Managing Director of the Rugby Town Centre Company (robin.richter@rugbyfirst.org)