Legacy

The theme I’d like to bring up today for the rebirth of this platform is about legacy. This entry was originally published in July 2019 in Portuguese as a new beginning to my content creation in another website while still in Brazil, but it reappears here with the same purpose. Let’s go!

The definition of legacy that I bring here is that which passes from one generation to another, which is transmitted through posterity, something meaningful that survives the effects of time. Thus, I believe I did something a few years ago that has been expanding and it seems it will become something like a legacy. Let’s jump to the facts, but first a brief history to set the context.

A piece of news sent to and published on a newspaper (June/2014)

Despite being a guest in a family visit I would find the time, even if it cost my sleep, to put on air the full content about the the round on the same day it was played. (June/2015)

In 2013 I got closer to rugby and by the end of that year I started practicing this sport through refereeing. During the match official training course I meet the ones in charge of the state rugby federation (FGR) and I didn’t miss the opportunity to point out something that intrigued me a lot: the lack of publicity. I’m not talking about media coverage. Advertising was null. I couldn’t even know the score of my friends’ matches because nobody, NOBODY published, neither the club, nor the federation, not even the players remembered the score, they only knew if they had won or lost, the numbers didn’t matter. Obviously they were aware of it and were even trying to improve this aspect and a few weeks later I got an invitation to collaborate and work for the federation in the communication area. I have the following principle: if you complain, you have to come up with a solution. It was not my plan, but I saw a good opportunity to make the difference and I accepted the challenge. Early 2014 I was already posting some news on the federation’s website. Of course that as I’ve never done something like that in this new environment I had the help from those I bugged a lot to get information and improve my writing. So here goes my gratitude to Virgilio Neto (Virga), Lucas Toniazzo e Muray Lizott for that. When the championship started the scores were there. It’s something so simple, but quite significant. Gradually I started to provide information and newsletter to the media and some bits of news started to be published more often. The clubs then started sharing these pieces of news and I believe it motivated them to create their own content to be posted more regularly. Well, this was a considerable improvement, but still basic. The next step was going to be much more interesting.

Charles Segat, the creative mind behind the identity of the competitions

Much more interesting is making the sport simpler and more attractive to anyone. I remember discussing a lot about it between one and another ‘mate’ with Aldo Tamagusuku, who also put great effort in promoting the sport. For that, taking advantage of the fact that the three main competitions on the state were well established and by observing other competitions in Brazil and across the world, I realized that creating an identity to the competitions would help the publicity and dissemination of the sport, after all for a sport thought to be “complicated” making the competition more attractive would be beneficial to it. So I suggested the idea and called a talented artist and great friend to realize and produce that idea, Charles Segat. As the main competition had already started I decided to start with ‘Copa RS’ that would be the next competition. My idea was to combine traditional images about the state and rugby, so the first image that I sketched was two pine trees being used as the posts. I’ve made the sketch, showed to Segat and he took it to an exceptionally better level. Then we start using it immediately to cover the competition.

Soon after the idea to the sevens series arose, using the map of the state and the number seven with the colours of the flag. Again the usage was instantaneous and we also started using it in the official records. Dani, who throughout these years gave me full support, helped to boost the use among women’s rugby. Clubs also started using it in their own publicity pieces and the thing was getting a bigger shape.

Official announcement by FGR

Detail on the official match report

Still, the masterpiece remained for the main championship of the state and all the credit for the design goes to Segat. What a badass logo! This one was easily incorporated into the advertising pieces of the federation, clubs and others.

Official announcement by FGR

Promotion during the final rounds with the clubs still fighting for the championship (2015)

Trophies and medals had already been made for ‘Copa RS’ and the sevens series with the new logos, but I believe that only now we have a special trophy for ‘Campeonato Gaúcho’, the main championship. Looking at so many players celebrating, lifting the trophies in the air, and taking home a medal with that logo created a few years ago brought an enormous feeling of pride by seeing how a culture around the identity of the competition has been created and that it will be immortalised on the shelves of the clubs and the homes of players who will be able to show their friends, children, grandchildren that they had achieved a high position in the origins of rugby in the state. And there will be that logo, that identity that one day someone had the idea to strengthen the culture of this sport we love so much.

I, as a referee, hardly ever got a medal in the competitions I have taken part in, but without a doubt there is no bigger prize than giving birth to an idea, see it happen, grow, and, perhaps, be immortalised in pieces as desired as these trophies.