“We didn’t want the agency our rivals already had.”

The challenge was to reach new audiences without losing what made Premiership Rugby distinctive. That called for fresh insight and a different creative approach, while remaining true to the brand’s established identity.

The harder constraint was competitive. Sukh Sadhra had already explored the obvious agency choices. He wanted DCA to find a creative partner his competitors did not already have on their radar.

Every agency will tell you they can do everything. What I needed was someone who was confident enough to say no — and to say no to me, too, when the brief was wrong.

The process

DCA ran a curated pitch rather than an open call. The shortlist focused on independent agencies that could meet the brief without falling back on the familiar category roster.

DCA stayed in the room as a neutral third party, pressure-testing both sides. The brief itself was challenged and sharpened before it reached the pitch room, and agencies were assessed on the people who would actually do the work rather than the breadth of a capability deck.

Going into a pitch normally feels like you’re doing it blind. This felt like working with a recruiter who genuinely understood both sides of the table — what we needed, and what the budget and stakes actually meant.

Why it worked

Premiership Rugby chose an agency that brought a fresh perspective and was willing to challenge the brief, rather than simply agree with it.

• Beyond the usual suspects. DCA identified creative partners outside the familiar agency roster, including those not already working with direct competitors.
• The right people. The process assessed the expertise, seniority and commitment of the people who would actually deliver the work.
• Independent judgement. DCA helped both sides challenge assumptions and make a more informed decision, without earning a success fee from the appointment.

The outcome

Premiership Rugby appointed an independent social agency identified through DCA’s search, securing a partner outside the traditional category roster and not shared with a direct competitor.

The appointment supported the league’s wider ambition to attract new audiences. Premiership Rugby subsequently reported almost one million new fans aged 18–34, helping fuel growth in the Gallagher Premiership Rugby.

The audience growth is a reported league-wide outcome and should not be attributed solely to the agency appointment without further evidence.

DCA’s contribution was to help Premiership Rugby look beyond the obvious choices, challenge its brief and identify a creative partner equipped to approach the problem differently.