The purpose of multi-sport events
The Commonwealth Games started with a spectacular opening ceremony celebrating the rich history and culture of Birmingham. It showcased the city’s critical role in the industrial revolution, its multicultural atmosphere and celebrated the local musicians. The ceremony brought in all of the Commonwealth’s 72 nations & territories and over 4,000 athletes in front of a crowd of 30,000 people at the Alexander Stadium.
Multi-sport events such as the Commonwealth Games are, without a doubt, one of the highlights of the sporting calendar. Whether you like athletics, swimming or gymnastics, there is something for everyone to watch and enjoy. Unlike the Olympics, the Commonwealth Games brings together a new collection of sports that are popular within the Commonwealth countries. Sports such as cricket, squash, netball and lawn bowls have their opportunity to shine.
The ‘Friendly Games’, as it is more affectionately known, offers a great sense of camaraderie among teams, supporters and the entire Commonwealth of Nations. Team England’s narrative this year is all about being ‘Part of The Pride’ – and being involved, watching or following an event like this does instil a strong sense of pride in all of us.
That pride is somewhat even more heightened for certain nations and territories that don’t often get the chance to compete on the biggest global sporting stages. The Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey, and the Isle of Man are a small example of those that are enjoying their moment, lapping it up quite rightly and everyone is loving it! We also have the rare opportunity to the Home Nations; England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales competing separately as well. They go from teammates to rivals for 11 days, test themselves in different ways against new competitors and aim to ‘Bring it home’.
But the Games, and multi-sporting events is about much more than just the competition and pride it instils. There are deep-rooted social and political issues that arise, as well as the L-word…legacy.
The Games' connection to the Commonwealth is a unique history for a sporting event. Starting in 1930, they were originally called the British Empire Games. However, the tournament has drastically evolved since then. The newly branded Commonwealth Games was created after many countries' connections to the British Empire faded and the Commonwealth as we know it was formed.
However, with this history comes a darker side too. The history of the Commonwealth and its connection to colonisation is not one that can be forgotten. Much of this legacy is still very prevalent in many countries competing in the Commonwealth Games. For example, with more than half the countries competing, homosexuality is criminalised. These laws were passed down through colonisation and their existence to this day is proof of the lasting effects. Tom Daley, a powerful voice for equality, delivered the Queen's Baton to the Opening Ceremony surrounded by a parade of LGBTQ+ progress flags carried by citizens of countries that criminalise homosexuality. The Games is using its platform to deliver some of the most pertinent and powerful messages to the world.
Speaking of nations, one of the mange issues surrounding the Commonwealth Games, as well as many other events, is around the challenge of finding a host nation. An increasing number of nations are unable to host sporting events due to lack of funding or infrastructure, let alone security and political issues. The 2022 Birmingham Games for example were originally meant to be in Durban. It would have been the first time the Commonwealth Games would have been held in Africa but unfortunately, after not being able to secure their budget, the Games had to go elsewhere.
It's a shame really, as there’s clearly a positive impact that hosting tournaments such as the Commonwealth Games can have on nations and cities, let alone the opportunity to make their mark on the global stage. We have to ask, is there more that can be done to allow more countries to have their moment?
Right now, we are seeing first-hand how Birmingham is buzzing with the energy of the Commonwealth Games being hosted there and has been an incredible opportunity for them to showcase the history and culture of their great city not only to the rest of the UK but all over the world. Not only have the games been a big boost for tourism but potentially local economies as well.
We always talk about legacy around major sporting events. We know that major sporting moments such as London 2012 ten years ago, or even the recent Lionesses win won’t spark a shift in participation and drive huge number of people to sport. The real work needs to happen behind the scenes to capitalise on this moment and create a sustainable future for grassroots sport.
But, for now, fair play to Birmingham. The city has seized this moment to spread important messages and are having a blast hosting the Games!
Share via:
Team of the Week - 18.07.25
Team of the Week - 11.07.25
Team of the Week - 04.07.25
Are we finally starting to see Starmer’s plans for sport?
Team of the Week - 27.06.25
Behind the Bowls: The PR Push That Delivered 24,000 New Players
JJ Spaun and Bath Rugby both secured huge wins this week. For Bath, it was a win on and off the pitch, announcing a three-year contract extension for Finn Russell. Mimi Rhodes continues her heroic debut season on the Women’s PGA Tour, and Mondo Duplantis is doing what only Mondo Duplantis can.
9 April marks four years of New Reach. It’s been a remarkable journey so far, with much more to come. Our MD and Founder, Nick Rewcastle, reflects on the milestone. If you said to me four years ago, that I would be writing this post, I may not have believed you. When we set out, we had a clear mission; to make a difference in the development of sports, talent, and communities through ethical, impactful, and strategic communications. We promised to never compromise trust, morals or rules to profit. I can proudly say that we’ve stuck by our principles and delivered some amazing results along the way. What began as a small idea has grown into a team of dedicated PR, social media and video professionals, united by a shared set of values. We’ve had the honour of collaborating with a diverse range of clients, playing a role in telling the stories that matter the most. There’s too many highlights and amazing projects to name them all, and we don’t want to miss anyone out. Just looking at some of the sports we have worked with, the variety is incredible; football, rugby, cricket, squash, bowls, climbing, rowing, table tennis, triathlon, running, basketball, gymnastics, sailing and even chess. The past two years has seen us really drive growth across our digital offerings, growing our expertise across social media management and video, aligned with our ongoing PR work. None of this would be possible without the incredible people I get to work with. Our team is small but mighty, and every single person brings passion, skill, and care to the table. Together, we've built something that feels authentic — something I’m genuinely proud of. As we celebrate this milestone, we also look forward to the next four years. We remain committed to our mission and are extremely excited about the future. We want to further grow the team, work with new clients, experiencing new sports and sectors. We extend our heartfelt thanks to our clients, partners, and the communities we've worked with over the past four years. Your trust and collaboration have been vital to our journey. Here's to continued growth, meaningful impact, and many more milestones ahead.
Motiv Sports UK has renewed its agreement with New Reach for a third year.
Will Lloyd, Communications Executive One of the more valuable traits in social media management is adaptability. Rarely does everything work out exactly according to plan, so the ability to step back and consider why your plan didn't work, adjusting accordingly, is often the difference between a successful campaign that resonates with your audience and one that goes largely unnoticed. When creating content plans for a new client or platform, we are often making an informed guess, whilst trying to demonstrate what we can do ‘in theory’. You’ve done the research and crafted a strategy that seems promising, but until the posts go live, there’s no guarantee of how things will play out. This is when we start to look at tweaking posting times, being more graphic/video/image led or even scrapping certain aspects completely. That’s because social media doesn’t work the same way for any two accounts, and what performs well for one client or audience might struggle elsewhere. While it’s frustrating, this is what makes us good at our job - the ability to adapt to the needs of the account. Social media rewards those who can step back, assess what isn’t working, and try something new. It can feel messy and unpredictable at times, but like any creative industry, trial and error is how you uncover what really works. Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks’ original project struggled horribly before they *adapted* and joined Fleetwood Mac; now look at them - or at least their music… It’s worth remembering that content plans aren’t set in stone. They’re a starting point and a vague concept, not a rigid programme. It might feel wrong to abandon a plan that you worked hard to come up with, but the best results often come when you allow yourself to be more creative and impulsive with your content. If a series doesn’t gain the engagement you hoped for, you haven’t wasted your time. Treat them as experiments, and each time one doesn’t work, check it off the list and move on to the next idea. Eventually, you will find the trends and nuances that get people engaged - put yourself in the shoes of your audience, what would you like to see in your feed? It’s all part of the process, and more often than not, your ability to adapt will be rewarded. Clients and audiences will appreciate content that feels fresh, creative and tailored to them.