Stade Français and Stade Toulousain, models for building a strong business brand in French rugby

When Stade Français and Stade Toulousain meet in the TOP 14, it is two iconic teams of French rugby that cross swords. It is not for nothing that we speak of “Classico”.

While the sporting rivalry between the two clubs came back to the forefront last season, Stade Français and Stade Toulousain have also distinguished themselves in recent decades by being able to develop strong business brands around their respective clubs, which unite well beyond the oval ball. But the two clubs have chosen very different paths to achieve this…

“Game of hands, game of Toulouse”

Thus, Stade Toulousain, a club that is the stuff of dreams for rugby purists, has been able to capitalize on its team’s sporting success to become an equally powerful commercial powerhouse. And its recent results, starting with its record-breaking 6th Champions Cup title in May, after a breathtaking match against Leinster, and its 23rd Brennus Shield (also a record) in June, against Union Bordeaux-Bègles, are additional levers to strengthen the Toulouse brand. But the Toulouse identity that drives its commercial force today actually dates back to the club’s origins when it was founded in 1907.

Indeed, the creator of Stade Toulousain laid the foundations which still form the basis of the club a century later. “The founder, Ernest Wallon, gave the impetus to what Stade Toulousain is today. He ensured that this club had capital and financial independence. The beautiful game and elegance were also immediately anchored in the club’s DNA. And over the decades, this has been passed down from generation to generation.”explains Vincent Bonnet, marketing and communications director of Stade Toulousain. This club’s attraction to the beautiful game materialized in the 1980s with the adage “Jeu de mains, jeu de Toulousains”, which still bears its name just as well a few decades later.

“The brand is the economy and the community that we bring together to live better”

But with the professionalization phase of rugby in the 2010s and 2020s, it was necessary to reinvent ourselves so that the business brand could take on a new dimension. “The game is changing, the consumption of rugby is changing too. We have to live with the times. And in this context, there is no starification of the players, but a constant promotion of the team”says Vincent Bonnet. Before adding: “The brand is the economy and the community that we bring together to live better. In other words, the club is the production tool and the brand comes to graft itself to give it the right conditions to perform. The brand is there to mitigate the hazards of sporting performance, but we are condemned to win to live.”

A major French rugby team, Stade Toulousain has the allure of a football “Real Madrid”, but without the bling-bling side. However, winning is not always enough to attract the widest possible audience. Stade Toulousain has therefore taken a few gambles to capture new categories of supporters. “One of our ideas to reach out to different spheres of people was to pay tribute to our ambassadors”notes Vincent Bonnet. Thus, the club of the “pink city” has notably developed a special jersey for the 2021-2021 Champions Cup season in collaboration with the ESA and the astronaut Thomas Pesquet. “The planets have aligned!”says the head of communications at Stade Toulousain with a smile. “With initiatives of this type, we will seek out people who are passionate about space and aeronautics”he adds.

A documentary series to go behind the scenes

Stade Toulousain has also turned to digital media to create an even more special connection with its fans. “One of the battles I fought was to create intimacy”underlines Vincent Bonnet. One of the best examples of this desire to immerse rugby fans more behind the scenes of the club is surely the series “Le Stade”, broadcast on Paramount+.

In this documentary series, viewers find themselves at the heart of the doubts, joys and epics of Stade Toulousain. “This has allowed us to shine even more in France, but also internationally, particularly in England and Japan. It’s a good gateway to the international market, especially in Anglo-Saxon countries.”observes the marketing and communications director. An approach complemented by other immersive formats, such as the mini-documentary on the return of Romain Ntamack broadcast on YouTube. So many initiatives that aim to trigger emotions, even chills, in those who consume such content.

Stade Français and Max Guazzini, entertainment champions

While rugby purists often turned to Stade Toulousain, Stade Français wanted to conquer a new type of audience under the leadership of Max Guazzini. And the latter came from a long way off… Indeed, when he took over the Parisian club in 1992, it was only a shadow of its former self. Max Guazzini then undertook to restructure it to get it back on its feet, before implementing his real project. And since he was one of the founders of NRJ radio, he had a few ideas to get Stade Français talked about on the national scene.

So, Max Guazzini begins by opening the doors of Jean-Bouin for free to attract a new public. “I would rather have 7,000 happy people in our stadium than 200 who bring in a handful of francs”he would then say to his detractors. And after this tour de force which detonated in the world of French rugby, he moved up a gear in the 2000s by launching the calendar of the gods of the Stadium, which would cause a sensation, then above all by organizing grandiose matches at the Stade de France, with American-style shows, cheerleaders and even the match ball brought by air. “Max Guazzini, in terms of entertainment, was a bet made in the construction of an offbeat image to differentiate himself from others”greets Thomas Lombard, general director of Stade Français and vice-president of the National Rugby League.

“Max Guazzini changed the codes of rugby”

This visionary spirit to break down the stereotypical barriers of rugby has allowed Stade Français to enter a new dimension, both on a sporting and media level. “We must not forget that Stade Français was the first team to use pink in rugby. Mixing the warrior and indestructible side with pink was original. A mixture of virility with a form of femininity, it was a remarkable and formidable idea.”observes the former player of Stade Français and Racing 92. Before adding: “Max Guazzini changed the codes of rugby and its perception. He left a mark on the club and rugby. He sparked the interest of people who had no interest in rugby. More than a legacy, it is a capital that must be exploited.”

With this in mind, Stade Français has made Jean-Bouin a place of life in its own right, during matches but not only. Not only does the lair of the Parisian club combine sport and partying, before, during and after matches, in particular with the “Bodega” which allows you to prolong the pleasure after the final whistle, but it is also an economic hub since the stadium hosts the sports innovation platform “Le Tremplin” and its startup incubator.

“We manage to get through the highs and lows in the same way”

With this dynamic initiated by Max Guazzini, Stade Français is looking to the future with confidence, thanks to a business brand that is stronger than ever. “After Max Guazzini, we pay less for the broken pots, because we tried a lot of things. There are jerseys that worked and others that didn’t, but nobody remembers the failures thanks to this audacity. It gives us an obligation but also a great freedom.”rejoices Thomas Lombard.

Engaged in the title race last season, Stade Français has nevertheless managed the feat of forging a commercial identity that goes beyond sport. “We manage to get through the highs and lows in the same way”notes the general director of the Parisian club. Before adding: “Stade Français owes its return to the forefront to three men: Max Guazzini, Thomas Savard and Hans-Peter Wild.”

Pillars of the French championship, Stade Français and Stade Toulousain have, each in their own way, proven that it is possible to develop very strong business brands beyond the pitch. The latter nonetheless remains an essential asset to enhance the rivalry between the two clubs.