Note the emphasis on that last word. We like players who spare time for their fans. Set up a website. Answer their fanmail. We know rugby players have got lives away from the game, but without the fans coming through the turnstiles every week there d be no money to pay their wages.
Image is very important.
We re sure the players have all the usual human frailties, but we do like to be able to look up to our hunks, and we think they have a responsibility to set standards. We contacted Joost about three years ago via His provincial Rugby Union and have received posters, information, and souvenirs as well as being made to feel special. Seriously, though, marketing the players in rugby union is relatively new. We suspect it comes from American sport, and Saracens are particularly good at it, but you can go to any game and spot the crowd s favourites, and they very often don t fit into our analytical boxes.