Getting fans to sync their calendar looks simple on paper but requires consistent, deliberate effort across multiple touchpoints. The Rugby Football Union (RFU), across both England Rugby and the Red Roses, have developed one of the more well-rounded approaches to this. Here’s a breakdown of what they do, why it works, and what other organisations can take from it.
What the Rugby Football Union (RFU) Do
Player-led video content
Rather than relying solely on branded posts, the RFU use player-featured video to walk fans through the sync process. A short reel showing a recognisable athlete adding fixtures to their calendar makes the action feel natural and approachable. Fans pay more attention to someone they follow than to a graphic, and the format travels well across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts.
Worth trying: You don’t need a full production shoot. A short, informal clip filmed on a phone during training can perform just as well as polished content, sometimes better.
Website pop-ups at the right moment
The RFU use two distinct pop-up formats. One appears on their fixtures pages and guides users directly toward the sync feature, useful for fans who are already in “schedule mode” but might not notice the option on their own. A second, more prominent pop-up on the homepage uses bold creative to catch fans the moment they land on the site.
Worth trying: Trigger pop-ups contextually, not just on entry. A fan reading a match preview is already thinking about the game. That’s a better moment to prompt a sync than a generic homepage visit.
Homepage featured content
Calendar sync features regularly in the RFU’s homepage promoted content, treated with the same visual weight as ticket sales or broadcast information. This positions it as a core fan action rather than a secondary feature buried in the fixtures section.
Worth trying: If you have a content carousel or hero banner on your homepage, rotate calendar sync creative into it at the start of a new season or when a major fixture release drops. Even a week of prominent placement can meaningfully shift awareness.
In-article banners
Calendar sync isn’t siloed to the fixtures section. The RFU embed banners within editorial content including match previews, squad announcements, and competition guides, reaching fans who are already engaged and reading.
Worth trying: Think about where your most-read content lives. If fans are reading a season preview, a banner at the midpoint or end of that article is a natural fit. It extends the experience rather than interrupting it.
Seasonal social posts
The RFU consistently post calendar sync content around predictable high-interest moments: fixture releases, new competition announcements, and tournament launches. These aren’t random posts. They’re timed to when fans are most likely to act.
Worth trying: Map out your season calendar and identify three or four moments where fan attention naturally peaks. Pre-plan calendar sync content around each one so it lands when engagement is highest, not after the moment has passed.
YouTube how-to content
The RFU host a step-by-step walkthrough on YouTube, a longer-form resource for fans who need more guidance or prefer to follow along at their own pace. It also functions as a searchable asset that continues to drive traffic over time.
Worth trying: Even a two-minute screen-recorded walkthrough gives you something to link to from support emails, FAQs, and social posts. It reduces repetitive support queries and gives fans a self-serve option.
A dedicated article
The RFU have published a standalone article explaining how calendar sync works and why it’s useful. This creates a discoverable page for fans who search for it directly and gives every other channel something concrete to link to.
Worth trying: A short explainer doesn’t need to be long. Around 300 to 400 words covering what it is, how to do it, and which devices it supports is enough to serve as a consistent link destination across email, social, and web.
A support and troubleshooting page
The RFU have a dedicated help centre entry for fans who run into issues. It’s a small addition, but it reduces friction for fans who need that extra step and prevents drop-off at the final hurdle.
Worth trying: A simple FAQ covering common issues such as fixtures not updating or the calendar not appearing after syncing can significantly reduce abandonment among fans who hit a minor problem and give up.
Additional Channels Worth Testing
The RFU’s approach covers a lot of ground, but depending on your organisation’s setup there are a few other channels that translate well.
Email newsletters and match-day emails
Your email list is one of the most direct lines to engaged fans. A dedicated send at the start of the season explaining how to sync, or a short callout block in your regular newsletter, reaches people who are already opted in and paying attention. Match-day emails sent the morning of a game are particularly effective as a timely prompt.
Athlete organic content
Beyond produced video, encouraging athletes to share the calendar link in their stories or post organically about syncing their own fixtures taps into personal audiences that branded accounts can’t reach in the same way. It doesn’t require coordination or budget, just a nudge.
Paid social
Putting a small budget behind calendar sync creative during key windows, particularly around fixture releases or pre-season, can significantly extend organic reach. Short-form video tends to perform well for this. Targeting fans who already follow your account or have visited your website keeps spend efficient.
Push notifications
If your organisation has an app, push notifications timed around fixture releases or the start of a new competition are a low-effort, high-visibility prompt. Keep the message short and action-focused.
Stadium and venue screens
For sports with strong matchday attendance, in-venue screens showing a simple prompt and QR code can capture fans in the moment. Someone in a stadium waiting for kick-off is a highly receptive audience and the barrier to scanning a QR code is low.
WhatsApp and community groups
For organisations with active fan communities on WhatsApp or Discord, sharing the sync link directly into those spaces puts it where conversation is already happening. Fans in these groups tend to be among your most engaged and are likely to share useful tools with each other.
The Broader Takeaway
What The Rugby Football Union (RFU) demonstrate is that calendar sync adoption is not driven by any single campaign. It comes from showing up consistently in the places fans already are. Homepage placements build awareness. Fixtures-page prompts catch fans in the right mindset. Social posts reach people who never visit the website. Player content cuts through in ways that branded posts cannot. Support pages retain fans who would otherwise drop off.
Most organisations don’t need all of these at once. Identifying two or three touchpoints and executing them well, particularly around key season moments, is enough to see a meaningful difference in how many fans follow through on the sync.
If you’re building a calendar sync strategy and want to see what’s worked across sports and markets, book a 20-minute call with our team.
