The Background
Leeds Hunters Rugby Club was founded in 2016, providing a safe environment of varied abilities for adults. They focus on inclusivity in the club, regardless of race, ethnicity or sexual orientation.
The Challenge
Due to their significant growth and ever-expanding members, the club was looking for a new way to organise, design and create their branded sports kit. In addition to their sportswear needs, the club was also looking to stock a range of promotional merchandise branded with their club logo for their members to purchase and enjoy. The club had already previously placed orders through Involution, but with the frequency of orders soon increasing, we wanted to provide the club with a smart solution that was easy, accessible and hassle-free for all members to purchase items directly, without needing to go via their club secretary.
The Solution
The solution was simple – Leeds Hunters Rugby Club was in need of their own bespoke club portal, joining many others within our Brand Partnership service, to make club purchasing easy.
Providing a bespoke portal
A portal tailored to the needs of the club and its users, making the process of ordering personalised club items easy. From the planning to the creation and the set-up of the portal, the club could relax and let Involution take control, until the portal was populated with approved products, ready to distribute and give member access to.
With varying access levels to the portal, the club was able to manage membership features from standard user access (purchasing ability) to portal admin access (extra management ability).
To support each sub-division of the club, we created separate clothing ranges specifically aimed at fulfilling the needs of each section. For example, the Touch Team had different product requirements to that of the social and training wear, also considering the different logos needed for each also.
Club member personalisation
To give all members the unique option for customisation, our portal technology allows each user to add extra logos or their choice of text to their chosen item. This way, all members are able to add their own personal touch by designing the perfect product for them, all within the club brand guidelines.
Curating an inclusive sportswear range
With the importance of inclusivity, it was key to focus on providing a range of options suitable for their 50-strong club , considering the garment design, fit, sizing and choice of colours. To perfect the various ranges, meetings were held with the club to ensure the most original and authentic items were supplied for the members.
Working closely with Mike Armagon (Director of Rugby at Leeds Hunters), a meeting was planned to visit the Involution office to find inspiration from our onsite showroom and assess samples. Alongside their account manager Lauren Slade, the important discussions were held to find out exactly how we could help.
Understanding the customer brief
With purple being the clubs trademark colour, Mike was keen to incorporate this into the sportswear when on the field. The players needed lightweight, breathable sportswear to allow the team room for movement and to play to the best of their ability. Polyester garments were a strong choice to meet the brief, a cooling fabric ideal for athletes. To support their main focus on inclusivity, unisex clothing options were considered, which made product choice and selection hassle-free for the unisex Touch Team also.
Selecting the right decoration methods
The next stage was exploring the various decoration methods available. With the core club logo featuring a rainbow-coloured ring around the top, it was critical to ensure the colourful gradient was seamless and vibrant in colour in all decoration methods. For print production, this was an easy solution using our Direct-To-Film printer, whilst gradients are more challenging to achieve through embroidery. After several proofs and samples, and meticulous care from our in-house embroidery experts and digitiser, the perfect blending of colours was achieved for the embroidery logo.
Hassle-free collated club orders
A core USP to our portal offering is the ease of ordering. We take pride in removing the burden of time and admin for large group purchases. As a result of this, to benefit Mike and the club, portal orders would be collated on a bi-monthly basis, processed and completed together, meaning one group order can be shipped or collected at once. To save with the admin of figuring out who ordered what items, orders are clearly labelled per player, for an effective and efficient distribution process. In the event that team members have questions regarding the items or order, each portal has a dedicated account manager, allowing the Club Director to stay focused on their responsibilities and the management falls on Involution.
The Result
Since launching the online portal for the Leeds Hunter Rugby Club in December 2023, we’ve had great feedback. In a collaborative approach and regular communication, the portal is up and running, with regular updates for the upkeep of the service and offering.
Members are able to order with ease, and have provided feedback on the quick and effective customer service. With the growth of the club, in a matter of clicks, new members can be added, and timely delivery of orders in preparation for matches and events. With a lead time of less than five working days, the club can also rely on a quick service outside of their collation dates should additional items be needed.
Mike Armagon, Director of Rugby said:
“Working with Involution, from our initial discussions with Ryan through to our current account manager Lauren, has been a wholly positive and successful experience which has been of great benefit to our club.
The most striking thing about Involution, as a company is that they go above and beyond to make sure our client expectations are met, which is a result of clear, regular and excellent communication. Our account managers take the time to genuinely understand our club, and our needs, which helps them to offer solutions and the very best product options for us.
As a result of our partnership, I can confidently say that Involution is a reliable company but also a company I am able to trust, not only with the quality of products but quality of service too.”
With the start of the 2024 season for Leeds Hunters Rugby Club, there are some very exciting events around the corner, including the current planning of a LGBTQIA+ range.
