The PRO14 brand has been surprising the public since 1999. It is an annual rugby tournament featuring professional teams from Italy, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and even South Africa. Recently, the organization announced a name change. The United Rugby Championship will launch in September 2021, when the 2021-2022 season kicks off.
Many teams are expected to participate, including Cell C Sharks, DHL Stormers, Emirates Lions, and Vodacom Bulls. A large-scale merger with Guinness PRO14 is planned to unite 16 major teams into a single rugby league across the northern and southern hemispheres. The implementation of the new identity of the championship belongs to the London company “Thisaway.”
You can see striking differences in the brand creators’ approach. London visual designers moved away from the traditional image of swords, direction arrows, and rings. Now the brand is bright, catchy, monolithic, and indestructible. This is not just a logo; it reflects the brand’s credo. The U-R-C monogram, paired with the shield, makes the logo impressive and solid. This is an open statement to future partners that the brand is ready for dialogue and, at the same time, knows what it wants and how to achieve it. The typeface and shield simplify the presentation of the brand’s values and mission, making it clear that working with it contributes to a mutually beneficial exchange of experience. Removing the sponsor’s logo gave the brand more freedom and space; the font’s pointed letters and bold tone reflect the character of the sport it represents. The logo can be divided into two equal, opposite parts, yet they still stick together. The shield and the United Rugby Championship wordmark are compositionally strong and seamlessly combined, without mixing elements in a way that confuses perception.
Following the logo, three concept fonts were developed for different purposes: URC Sans is the main font for titles. At the same time, URC Hand, dynamic and energetic, adds speed and lightness to the main font. Finally, URC United combines elements of URC Sans and URC Hand. It generalizes them, creating a sense of integrity and unity. Embracing versatility reflects the upcoming event’s goal of creating a multinational league of rugby teams.
