IPL 2018: Royal Challengers Bangalore taking steps to extend their female fanbase

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) are one of the franchises that is yet to taste the glory of winning a season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). They have reached the finals of the competition a couple of times but failed to replicate their league performances in the big matches. However, despite the fact that they’ve not won the tournament, RCB have a substantial fanbase, who back the team in all situations. In the ongoing season of IPL 2018, the Royal Challengers have taken a unique step to encourage the female RCB fans to come out and support their team.

They have created a Grand Terrace at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, where the fans can enjoy the match with a scenic ambience. Indian Women’s cricketer Veda Krishnamurthy has also been designated the fun job of interviewing the RCB players and also talk about the transformation of women in cricket.

“One of the teams with the most number of female fans in the IPL is RCB. The team gives equal importance to the ladies by engaging them in various events and bringing them all together. Be it meeting the players, having contests or gifting merchandise, we’ve been included in all of this. The special videos they’ve made for girls, motivate us to watch the game and also tell us — whether we win or lose, you need to stand bold and be fearless,” said an IT professional Preeti Padmanabhan as quoted by the Deccan Chronicle.

We don’t want any stone unturned to engage with all our fans: RCB Chairman

The RCB Chairman, Amrit Thomas, mentioned that the franchise has received a lot of support and love of the fans in the different parts of the country and the team also wishes to repay the faith with their performances on the field and off the field. Thomas also noted that the female supporters have always been an integral part of the RCB fanbase and their role cannot be forgotten.

“RCB has received the love and support of fans from across the country and we would not let any stone unturned to engage with them at every level. Female supporters have been integral to the fan community and we cannot leave that unnoticed. Every year, we take a step forward to increase the levels of fan engagement through our mindful initiatives. And we are proud to have become gender neutral and are taking conscious efforts to have progressive representation of men and women,” said Thomas.

“Therefore, we have the ‘Fun Captains’ by Captain Morgan in the form of cheerleaders. Bringing a series of content on the digital platform about women knowing the game too, is an effort to showcase the knowledge and involvement of the ladies with the game. RCB is happy to have an inclusive fan base.” the RCB Chairman added.

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