Nick Morris: The man behind the Barbarians’ social media phenomenon
Nick Morris has been part of the Barbarians social media team since 2013
©Nick Morris
The Barbarians is a rugby institution with a decorated history. An elite team which is made up from some of world rugby’s most notable stars comes together each year to provide exciting, spirted and passionate rugby for spectators to enjoy.
Since the formation of the Barbarians in 1890, they have produced some scintillating performances against the likes of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa as well as England and in the 21st century; the Baa Baas continue to hit new heights as well as making a name for themselves in the world of social media.
In the last few years, the @Barbarian_FC twitter account has increased the profile of the team and their following of over 61,000 emphasises this point. It is a social media platform which lights up the Twittersphere before every match they play in the calendar year.
And the man behind their success on social media is Nick Morris. The former Bath player has been part of the Baa Baas set-up for nearly five years and ahead of what promises to be another entertaining 12 months, we spoke to Nick about life as the Digital and Social Media Manager of the Barbarians.
1/ So firstly Nick, how much do enjoy working with the Barbarians?
The Barbarians is phenomenal and is like nothing else I've ever experienced. It's a privilege to be a small component in the wider workings of the club and to help share the story with modern supporters.
While admittedly biased, I passionately feel it still has a core role to play in guarding the spirit of rugby through bringing the world's best players together whilst ensuring fun, enjoyment, respect and global friendships remain at the heart of the sport. I love it!
2/ Is it something you look forward to each time the team meets up because there could be different characters/players to work with + you are working with some stars of the game?
Absolutely! The week structure is broadly similar with a few tweaks based on venues or location. The backroom staff remains the same which is brilliant for continuity and familiarity.
But you never know what each player or coach will be like. It’s always a little mysterious to start but without exception, everyone has ‘got’ the spirit of the club and added to it. Naturally, there is trepidation and some players take a day or two to understand the environment, but they love the freedom and camaraderie of touring.
3/ Who is/are the best player or players you have worked with in the Baa Baas camp?
Very tough question... As a former second row, Bakkies Botha and Victor Matfield were legends so it was pretty cool to have them both in camp at the same time, as well as Brad Thorn the year before.
Some of the British and Irish players like Adam Jones, Ugo Monye, Tommy Bowe and Alex Goode were really easy to work with and left a great legacy behind as have the likes of Andy Ellis, Steven Luatua and Adam Ashley-Cooper, while Robbie Deans has been exceptional across his multiple tours.
The funniest was undoubtedly Nick Cummins. There’s too many to namecheck them all, but it is surreal watching test matches and seeing so many familiar faces!
4/ The social media following of the Baa Baas has certainly grown over the last couple of years, but how did you get involved with the role?
I got involved halfway through my journalism Master’s degree when there was a chance to manage the channels prior to the 2013 May Tour. Things progressed nicely and I was then able to continue managing everything around my day job once I graduated after the Tour finished.
Its hard work juggling it all, but it is something I love doing and feel lucky to have the chance to do. It’s a cliché, but it’s an honour to be involved in adding to the history of the club in a small way, especially last year when we launched the club's first ever Women's team.
We're all very excited to see it develop as a stepping stone into international rugby in the years to come, with social media hopefully helping to amplify the team's growth.
5/ What is the vision you have had for the way you promote the Baa Baas on social media? Is it all about engaging with fans so they are even more excited to watch some of the top players in the game compete alongside each other
We’re a unique club who in many ways are a challenger brand despite our history. We have short windows each year where we’re highly visible and have daily contact with the squad to create, share and distribute. Therefore, it’s about making sure we replicate the creative, innovative and iconic playing style on our social channels to have the maximum impact we can in those time periods.
We are proud of our history, but we're even more excited by what the future will bring. It’s easier said than done, but hopefully we’ve got close. I have heard the channels described as Nick Cummins-like which we take as a compliment! Equally, we want to bring fans closer to the club and to share the special environment we have.
This is why the photography essay with The Guardian and the access all areas documentary with World Rugby from the last tour are so important to what we do as is remaining in contact with our alumni network of players.
6/ The Baa Bass meet up on a couple of occasions during a year so how much work goes into running the team account especially around match days?
It has peaks and troughs. We’re always planning and assessing content but when we post, we want it to be relevant. It’s a mix between balancing quality and quantity of activity throughout the year with major early summer and autumn peaks. The tours themselves are flat out, but the effort is always worth it in the end.
Away from tour, we have regular updates about possible coaches and players so we can start planning ahead, while also working out who to focus on for ticketing efforts. It’s often forgotten that the club is a charity which does some incredible work globally, with ticket sales a key enabler of the process, so there’s plenty to keep us busy!
This is particularly true now that we have the Women's team, where we want to demonstrate our inclusive values. We see it as two teams, but one club.
7/ Finally Nick, what have you and the team got planned for 2018. Any new social media surprises which we should look out for?!
Ha! Well that would be telling...
We've been consciously upgrading the depth of access available to our audience recently through the likes of the World Rugby documentary and the embedded photographers.
It's something we're committed to and would love to expand in future. Expect more content around the Women's team as we want to give the Women's side the platform it deserves. Wherever possible, we want our social media to be fun, engaging and insightful, offering the sort of real-time access other teams cannot provide.
