Swing low, should it go?

[morepork]

That and those Exeter crackers look reeeeeediculous in that get up.

[Mikey Brown]

Crackers? I see you’re perfectly happy using racial slurs when it suits you. Typical.

[Mikey Brown]

Whoops. Wrong account.

[morepork]

Nice work Brown, nice work. Perhaps "white savages"?

[Danno]

Pale Dorcs

[Raggs]

Recently watched (maybe rewatched) the RFU video on Swing low, released last year. Really well made video. Raises the debate in a very good way. Different to the Chiefs branding, but an equally contentious issue.

[Which Tyler]

https://ncai.org/NCAI.Exeter.Chiefs.Let ... 0.2021.pdf

[Puja]

https://ncai.org/NCAI.Exeter.Chiefs.Let ... 0.2021.pdf

BuT aCtuAllY iT'S hIgHly ReSpEctFuL

Don't really see how you can get any more definitive than that letter stating that, no it's not a compliment and no it's not okay, although I'm sure Tony Rowe will find a way.

Puja

[francoisfou]

Did the crowd sing Swing Low in the Tonga match?

[Mikey Brown]

Surely there will be some argument made about the slippery slope towards animal rights groups claiming Tigers, Sharks or Wasps are having their heritage/likeness besmirched.

[Puja]

Surely there will be some argument made about the slippery slope towards animal rights groups claiming Tigers, Sharks or Wasps are having their heritage/likeness besmirched.

And that argument will be met with the same mocking laughter than all ludicrous slippery slope fallacy arguments should be greeted with.

Puja

[Danno]

Surprised PETA haven't had a go already, they've tried it with videogames. I don't think they ever expect to achieve anything other than recruiting more cultists

[fivepointer]

Informed piece on R5 earlier about the Exeter issue.
The club really have nowhere to go but to drop the NA branding. For the life of me I cant understand why they havent done so already.

[Oakboy]

Informed piece on R5 earlier about the Exeter issue.
The club really have nowhere to go but to drop the NA branding. For the life of me I cant understand why they havent done so already.

Exactly. If I was a voting member, I'd back a proposal to drop not just the branding but the 'chiefs' name as well. Doing so, handled well, could be a worthwhile publicity bandwagon. Why the club's promotional guys aren't pushing that in a quest for new members is strange. Pros outweigh the cons.

[Raggs]

I understand they aren't representative, but the sportsnetwork Exeter forum would suggest that quite a few members would vote to keep it.

[Which Tyler]

I understand they aren't representative, but the sportsnetwork Exeter forum would suggest that quite a few members would vote to keep it.

Their facebook page too:

It's "My team, right or wrong", all the way through.

[loudnconfident]

Did the crowd sing Swing Low in the Tonga match?

Yes! A rousing rendition at the start of the match, at least.

[Puja]

Exeter have released a statement after the issue was discussed at their AGM:

After consulting and listening in depth to the membership of Exeter Rugby Club at Wednesday's Annual General Meeting, the Board of Directors will now go away and further consult with its stakeholders, partners and professional advisors to decide what the club will do next in terms of the club's branding.

The board will be meeting within the next few weeks to come to a decision.

While most media outlets are merely reporting that non-committal statement about "discussions", the Guardian reckons it's a done deal that a rebranding is on the cards: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/ ... lting-fans

Puja

[Doorzetbornandbred]

Exeter have released a statement after the issue was discussed at their AGM:

After consulting and listening in depth to the membership of Exeter Rugby Club at Wednesday's Annual General Meeting, the Board of Directors will now go away and further consult with its stakeholders, partners and professional advisors to decide what the club will do next in terms of the club's branding.

The board will be meeting within the next few weeks to come to a decision.

While most media outlets are merely reporting that non-committal statement about "discussions", the Guardian reckons it's a done deal that a rebranding is on the cards: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/ ... lting-fans

Puja

The way they are pushing club branded stuff on social media you have to think 1-its coming up to xmas so its the norm but 2- it would be marketing suicide to announce a rebrand pre xmas and leave a lot of stock with the 'tarnished' imagery unsold and unwanted.

[FKAS]

Exeter have released a statement after the issue was discussed at their AGM:

After consulting and listening in depth to the membership of Exeter Rugby Club at Wednesday's Annual General Meeting, the Board of Directors will now go away and further consult with its stakeholders, partners and professional advisors to decide what the club will do next in terms of the club's branding.

The board will be meeting within the next few weeks to come to a decision.

While most media outlets are merely reporting that non-committal statement about "discussions", the Guardian reckons it's a done deal that a rebranding is on the cards: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/ ... lting-fans

Puja

The way they are pushing club branded stuff on social media you have to think 1-its coming up to xmas so its the norm but 2- it would be marketing suicide to announce a rebrand pre xmas and leave a lot of stock with the 'tarnished' imagery unsold and unwanted.

Agree. Flog all stock off ahead of Christmas with a big black Friday sale and then in the new year announce a rebranding maybe even a name change ahead of next season.

[Oakboy]

I see the quoted cost of re-branding is £700,000. One or two sponsors expressing doubts about any hesitation would soon offset that. The club would be mad not to re-brand asap, IMO.

[Puja]

Exeter have released a statement after the issue was discussed at their AGM:

After consulting and listening in depth to the membership of Exeter Rugby Club at Wednesday's Annual General Meeting, the Board of Directors will now go away and further consult with its stakeholders, partners and professional advisors to decide what the club will do next in terms of the club's branding.

The board will be meeting within the next few weeks to come to a decision.

While most media outlets are merely reporting that non-committal statement about "discussions", the Guardian reckons it's a done deal that a rebranding is on the cards: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/ ... lting-fans

Puja

The way they are pushing club branded stuff on social media you have to think 1-its coming up to xmas so its the norm but 2- it would be marketing suicide to announce a rebrand pre xmas and leave a lot of stock with the 'tarnished' imagery unsold and unwanted.

Very good point - it is spectacular timing to be thinking about a rebrand. Gosh, if only they had had some kind of option to do this any time and thus could've controlled the timing and the message and possibly come out of this looking like heroes (and possibly earning money rather than losing it). That ship has long since sailed now though - with the recent letter from the National Council of American Indians directly calling on Exeter to end the branding, they can't just sweep this review under the carpet with a conclusion that, "Actually, it's highly respectful."

Mind, there's enough "BUT WHEN IS IT WHITE FRIDAY?!" feeling amongst a subset of Exeter supporters that they could probably sell all the leftover merch at a markup - last chance to own the libs and support the true meaning of Exeter Chiefs.

Puja

[Which Tyler]

Gruniad: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/ ... lting-fans
Daily Heil: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugby ... cision.htm
Official statement: https://www.exeterchiefs.co.uk/news/exe ... -statement

Reading the Exeter FB group and the Exeter Sportsnetwork group, these articles, it sounds to me that the Exeter board decided not to trust a vote of the member (or the hands of Tony Rowe) and have taken their views under consideration; and handed them over to "professional advisors" to sort out.

Either way, however it's gong about happening - this is definitely good news for rugby

[Mikey Brown]

Oh dear.

[Puja]

Oh dear.

There's a meme on Facebook (yeah, I'm down with the kids) of tagging stuff like this as, "I don't know how to explain to you that you should care about other people."

Puja