THE
KICKOFF.
EAST COAST RUGBY MAGAZINE
An editorial rugby magazine celebrating East Coast communities, culture, and grassroots storytelling through bold visual design.
OVERVIEW
The Kickoff is an editorial magazine project focused on celebrating rugby culture on the East Coast of Aotearoa. The project was created to highlight local clubs, players, and communities that are often overlooked in mainstream sports media, using editorial design and storytelling to capture the identity and energy of grassroots rugby.
PROBLEM
A lot of rural rugby communities and local competitions don’t receive the same level of visibility or representation as larger professional teams and organisations. This creates a disconnect where important local stories, traditions, and community identity are often lost or ignored within mainstream sports media.
CONCEPT
The concept was to create a bold editorial magazine that captures the energy and culture of East Coast rugby through strong typography, photography, and storytelling. The visual direction combines modern sports editorial design with local narratives to create something that feels authentic to the communities it represents.
KEY INSIGHT
Through research and reflection, I realised that rugby on the East Coast is more than just sport, it’s deeply connected to identity, whānau, and community. The stories surrounding local clubs and players carry strong cultural and social value, which led me to approach the magazine as more than just a sports publication, but as a platform for storytelling and representation.
