ActiveXchange recently completed a workshop with Canterbury Rugby League. The goal was to help them link their data to their strategy, particularly around supporting their clubs and understanding their community to increase participation.
The workshop unpacked where their members come from and where they play to better understand why members choose one club over another. It also unpacked the unmet demand and how population shift has resulted in increased demand in some areas and membership challenges in others, and we identified key areas for potential participation growth.
We then dug deep into their community by getting a greater understanding of who their members are and looked at opportunities to better engage with them. The workshop was an eye-opener for some of the team and challenged some of the perceptions around what could or would help their clubs the most.
Gain clarity on where members live and which clubs or locations they choose. This insight helps identify behaviours, preferences, and shifts shaping participation across the region.
Analyse how population change and participation trends are driving increased demand in some areas and challenges in others. Highlight priority zones where targeted support could unlock meaningful participation growth.
The map below shows Canterbury Rugby League current membership with dark shading indicating a higher density of members. The green dots show the sport organisation sites, with the larger dots representing sites with more members.
The map below shows the demand for the sport across the region, with darker shades indicating a higher level of demand, and therefore potential growth target areas. Again, we can see the location of organisation sites and how this correlates with demand.
This dashboard provides insights as to where members live and where they go to play. The below graphs show that when looking at Selwyn District, more than 50% of members play in another Territorial Authority.
This dashboard provides insights into the growth areas of sports and analyses the current and future demand. The below graph shows the predicted demand in 2030, broken down by SA2 level, to better understand where resources need to be priorities and growth efforts should be focused.
Canterbury Rugby League can now go into next season with some clear and measurable outcomes based on data and insights to continue to grow the game in the Canterbury Region.
Our experience in working with ActiveXchange has been a valuable and enjoyable one. Many of our current decisions are made on assumptions, however with real data that provides an accurate picture of participant demographics and behaviours, it gives us the evidence we require to make robust decisions. The process we went through was explorative and insightful and we would certainly recommend ActiveXchange if you don’t have the information you need.
