TikTok unveils Six Nations Rugby content plans

TikTok has outlined its content plans for the 2023 Six Nations Rugby Championships, as one of the major sponsors of the event.

Through content creators including @therugbyguyofficial, @theproplife, @maxbrownyo, @kurtious and @therugbytrainer, TikTok will host off-pitch highlights and matchday rituals, fan/pundit reactions and other Six Nations-focused videos.

The TikTok community can also get involved by taking part in bespoke hashtag challenges and using custom Six Nations Rugby effects, filters and sounds in their creations.

TikTok’s #SixNationsRugby Search Hub will house all this content in the app throughout both the Guinness Six Nations and the TikTok Women’s Six Nations, of which TikTok is the first title partner.

Interest in rugby content has grown significantly on TikTok over the last year, with more than 100 million video views on the @TikTokW6N TikTok channel and the #rugby hashtag now at close to 12 billion views overall.

During last year’s Men’s and Women’s Championships, there were almost 6bn views of posts with the hashtag #SixNationsRugby, with players, creators and the TikTok community coming together to share their best moments and put their own spin on trends.

This included Maro Itoje (@maroitoje) giving an inside look at the England camp, to creator and amateur player Jemma (@theproplife) inspiring women and girls to try rugby.

It also comes after a big year for the women’s game, as TikTok became the first title partner of the Women’s Six Nations. The 2022 Championship broke all attendance records for women’s matches, with a 69% increase in stadium support, while TV audiences watched matches in 137 countries.

There were more than 100 million video views on the @TikTokW6N TikTok channel and 110,000 new followers, helping lay the foundations for the game’s continued exposure and growth.

Rich Waterworth, general manager, Europe at TikTok said: “The Six Nations Championships have shown the unique role TikTok can play in amplifying iconic sporting moments and bringing the excitement to a diverse new fanbase. We’ve seen this come to life through all the creative ways our community has embraced the tournament, from sharing their match reactions to jumping on rugby-inspired TikTok trends.

“As a platform built around inclusion, we want to give both men’s and women’s sport a platform to grow and inspire the next generation. 2022 was a milestone year for rugby on TikTok and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for 2023.”

Ben Morel, chief executive officer of Six Nations Rugby, added: “Everything we do at Six Nations Rugby is driven by the commitment to create or enhance the experience for fans. The partnership with TikTok has offered a new route to deliver on this commitment, bringing fans even closer to all the action, as well as putting fans alongside the players and teams at the heart of the game.

”Last year, the partnership exceeded all expectations, through growth and levels of engagement with our audience, on the platform. For the Women’s Championship, the partnership put the teams, players, and fans on centre stage, like never before.

”As we go into the 2023 Championships, everyone involved is hugely excited to see how we can build on what we started together last year and continue to offer fans unrivalled access to all of the action that these Championships are famous for.”

The 2023 Guinness Six Nations kicks off on Saturday (4 February) when Wales take on Ireland. The TikTok Women’s Six Nations starts on the 25 March, following the conclusion of the Men’s Championship.