This month, more teams than ever have been competing for the Rugby League World Cup in England. It is the pinnacle event of this year’s rugby calendar and a tournament where players compete with incredible pride and passion for their nations.
One town on the world cup map this year is Bolton, a town known more for its football and boxing than rugby, but a town that sees its importance as a rugby hub of the future, fittingly surrounded by the teams of Wigan, St Helens, and Salford and being only a short motorway journey to Yorkshire and more powerhouse rugby league teams.
Since the beginning of October, the French National team has been warmly welcomed by Bolton as their base camp for the tournament and we at Title Productions have been tasked to take the council’s audience on this incredible journey with the French lads.
As video partners for Bolton Council at the tournament, we have created a selection of short films that peek behind the curtain during the build-up of the England v France game that took place on Saturday 22nd October. Not only did we question the impact the France team has on Bolton, but also what impact Bolton has on the French team. We have been lucky enough to follow the team from arrival in the town to the final whistle at the game, embracing relationships with the French team as they have interacted with community groups and schools across the region.
On the day of the match, millions of people from all over the world were watching, and Title Productions & Bolton were at the heart of it. This is a big deal for the people and businesses of the area and an amazing benefit for the town not only in the short run, but for the future, specifically with regards to investment in sport and grass roots level rugby.
Although yet to drop, our fast moving and exciting films will also highlight that hosting major international events like the Rugby League World Cup is part of a long-term strategy for the borough and that these events can deliver huge benefits to local residents.
Speaking to the influential people involved in getting this project into Bolton, we have been able to look at the economic opportunities the tournament has brought and the impact it will have on sports development, community engagement and in encouraging young people to get active.
This project marks our continued involvement in the sports industry, and we hope the stories we tell from these past few weeks will inspire and entertain those in our community. Who knows, perhaps they will inspire the next great rugby league star in the North West.
