Unleashing ferocity, grit and artistry to reignite an icon of rugby

Suffering from an identity crisis, English rugby clubs have become unremarkably similar.

Similar imagery, similar language, similar social media posts, kit launches and season ticket campaigns. Teams are stuck in a distinctly ordinary and conventional formula. One that’s gone unchanged for years and risks losing the raw intensity and unique edge that once set the sport apart.

If you want to grow, stand out to a younger, more diverse audience, or capture the minds of those that’ve never engaged with the sport before – that’s never going to cut it.

Like other clubs, this was Bath Rugby’s problem to fix.

The side remained a big name among existing rugby fans but had become a tired brand. Similarly to the sport itself, they reflected a perception of being stuck in the past.

But with backroom stability and a new head coach assembling a squad full of power, panache and ambition, the club was on the cusp of something special. They had become tough to beat, and a new sense of belief was emerging – bringing with it a unique opportunity to capitalise and reinstate the visceral experience of rugby – in a way that only Bath can:

As the iconic rugby club with Gladiatorial Spirit coursing through its veins.

To rise above the ordinary, their new identity celebrates past and provenance while unleashing the spectacle of modern-day gladiators. It oozes everything the sport is and should be: an intense heart-pounding display of ferocity, grit and artistry.

We dialled up showtime on the pitch, in the stands, across social, and everywhere in between with a new charismatic and emotionally charged tone of voice made to command attention. A new clash of typestyles pays tribute to contrasting teams of old as much as van Graan’s formidable fifteen – heavy and impenetrable one second – full of flair and style the next.

The distinctive blue, black and white of Bath has a renewed confidence, alongside an expressive splash of the colour bolt for added energy. Art direction of photography leans into every aspect of the gladiatorial, capturing attitude and atmosphere just as much as the thundering thumps you can’t take your eyes off.

Illustration is woven with modern heraldry and tribal patterns, worthy of being dragged into battle or hung from the corridors of the Colosseum – brought to life by motion principles that mimic gameplay and echo the visceral.

Bold, modern and unafraid to go against the grain, this new Bath Rugby understands following the rest of the pack will get you nowhere. This new Bath Rugby is ready to make people sit up and take notice.

This new Bath Rugby is Built Different.