Max Wright - Analyst at Premiership Rugby
“be patient if you're able to be, it's a much bigger industry than you realise, and there are always jobs popping up”
After discovering the depth of the sports industry through a University dissertation, Max focused his energy on building a career in sport. Today he combines his passion for Rugby with his mathematical mind, dissecting sporting data as an Analyst at Premiership Rugby.
Introduce yourself!
Max Wright, Analyst at Premiership Rugby. I'm from Basingstoke in Hampshire, but now live and work in London. I'm a fan of pretty much every sport under the sun, with particular interest in Football (Arsenal), the NFL (Denver Broncos) and Cricket. I also play cricket for a team in London, despite being pretty rubbish. I'm also a fan of quizzing and anything to do with Tintin.
Tell us a little bit about Premiership Rugby and what your role is there.
Premiership Rugby is the central organisation in charge of the top-tier of professional rugby union in England. We centrally manage the Gallagher Premiership on behalf of our member clubs, talking to the RFU, partners, and plenty of other stakeholders. Personally, I am the Analyst for the Rugby side of the business, so taking on any sporting data that is pertinent to central governance, regulation or on-field product. This could be salary cap, player welfare, or simply analysing the number of tries scored we are seeing. I am the only person in my role, so I don't really operate within a data team, which is great as it gives me flexibility to look into anything I may find interesting. Premiership Rugby is a great place for this relatively early stage in my career, as there is so much dynamism in our workflow, that pretty much everyone has to put their hand up to help out across the board, so I've been exposed to things such as Diversity and Inclusion work and events/operations in the lead up to our final.
Did you take on any higher education courses (university etc?) and if so, how does that relate to what you do now?
Pretty run of the mill here, as I left school and pursued a History degree from the University of Exeter. A history degree probably doesn’t directly correlate to a career as a numbers person, but I always had a ‘mathsy’ brain, so I continue this on the side, doing part time work as an analyst for a couple of companies on the side. In my second year, I stumbled on a book that inspired me to do a project on cricketers in the First World War, which then lead to me writing a dissertation in my final year on the evolution of cricket during the 1970s, which opened my eyes into the commercial and industry side of sport.
“to be a part of making the best possible product for all the Rugby fans in England is such a great feeling”
What does your career history look like and how did you get into working in sport?
So, as I said, I worked for a bit while at Uni, but not for sporting organisations. After a year travelling, I then did a summer internship with a company called Calacus PR, which is a Sports PR firm, and this culminated in a press day at the Oval, and the work around that confirmed to me that I really needed to work in this industry, so I ended up turning down a couple of job offers in other sectors to put all my energy into working in sport. I was lucky enough to be able to do this, and a couple months later it paid off, as I secured a role with Nielsen Sports and Entertainment, a global market research company, where I worked in the Football department evaluating sponsorships and analysing audiences for clients such as the Premier League, Aston Villa and Everton. After 18 months, an opportunity to work in rugby union popped up, and I took it with both hands, which is where I've been since March 2021.
What do you enjoy most about working in the sport industry?
For me, it has to be the importance to so many people of the work we do. I know as a passionate sports fan that people live for the entertainment served up by professional sport, and to be a part of making the best possible product for all the Rugby fans in England is such a great feeling, but also seeing first hand the impact sport has at the community level, and how Premiership Rugby's HITZ programme for example can change lives of even non-rugby fans.
Name one thing that excites you about the future of sport that you have learned from your role?
It has to be the rapid growth of women's sports - the increased commercialisation of women's rugby, and therefore the wider professionalism of the game, is just brilliant to see, and the Red Roses just falling short and almost emulating the Lionnesses in the summer will surely grow it more. There will be a day soon where women’s rugby comes into the Premiership Rugby sphere I am sure, so I know all the work we do can help shape this to have the best possible future.
“be patient if you're able to be, it's a much bigger industry than you realise, and there are always jobs popping up”
Share your favourite experience that has come as a result of your work in sport.
The Premiership Final every year is a magical day out. I have been lucky enough to have been to two so far, and cant wait for the next one! It's a long and hard day as we work through the morning and early afternoon, but to be pitchside for the trophy lift at full time is amazing.
If someone reading this is wondering how they take their first steps towards a career in sports, what would be your advice?
I would say be patient if you're able to be, it's a much bigger industry than you realise, and there are always jobs popping up, and know your game - I've found it such a great interview and connection starter to be able to talk about sport in a wider setting, both in terms of the on-field action and the business side of it.
How could someone try to elevate their chances of securing a job in sport?
I would say don't be afraid to reach out anytime an idea comes into your head. When I secured my internship, I sent a lot of emails to people asking for essentially the same thing! It worked out, and the only addition to this I would look back on would have been to try and connect with the people I messaged, so maintain a wide circle of connections.
What is your one rule for success when it comes to developing a career in sports?
Don't think of it as a pipe-dream, it can happen at a young age - there are so many opporutunites that with time and patience, you'll find something great.
Want to connect with Max or learn more about Premiership Rugby?
You can connect with Max via LinkedIn, and learn more about Premiership Rugby via their website and LinkedIn page