Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU): Sees Green For The First Time

Every four years, the Irish Rugby Football Union sees an influx of supporters for the national team - not only in the country, but around the world. The Rugby World Cup is a competition that all die hard and fair-weather fans get behind and Irish supporters are notorious around the world for their dedication to supporting their country. This year, however, the World Cup will take place over 13,000 kilometres away in Japan. Upholding the belief that rugby should be a sport for all to participate in and enjoy, the IRFU wanted to make sure every supporter could follow Ireland in the competition - no matter what. Standing #shouldertoshoulder with all Irish rugby fans and players, the IRFU teamed up with ROTHCO, part of Accenture Interactive, to help those who would struggle to support Ireland. Although many fans must overcome physical distance, time difference, and access to viewing matches during this time, ROTHCO, part of Accenture Interactive, identified one specific audience that needed the IRFU’s help: colour-blind fans. Those who are colour-blind – or suffer from a colour deficiency – typically have difficulty distinguishing between shades of red, yellow, and green, with colours appearing much duller than they should. Red-green deficiency is the most common, with blue-yellow (difficulty distinguishing between blues, yellows, and greens) also affecting a much smaller portion of the population. Over 250,000 Irish fans are colour-blind: 1 in 12 men, 1 in 200 women. That’s over 250,000 fans who would struggle to watch Ireland play. The IRFU’s new campaign tells the story of one such fan. Bobby Blakeney, who has been an avid rugby supporter for 74 years, suffers from severe colour-blindness and is unable to distinguish accurately between green and red. Bobby rarely attends live matches and risks mistaking players for those on the opposing team when watching – even when he’s at home. The IRFU and ROTHCO, part of Accenture Interactive, set out to change this.