The top-level domain (TLD) “.rugby” is a domain extension that was officially delegated by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to the World Rugby Strategic Developments Limited, which is a subsidiary of the World Rugby organization. This occurred on September 21, 2017, as part of ICANN’s new generic TLD program, which was designed to expand the available namespace on the internet by introducing hundreds of new TLDs.
This TLD was specifically created for entities associated with the sport of rugby, such as clubs, teams, organizations, fans, businesses, communities, and others related to rugby. For example, a professional rugby team might use a .rugby domain for their official website – e.g., “teamname.rugby” – to clearly communicate their association with the sport and make their website easier for fans and interested parties to find online.
One of the internationally recognized examples is the website ‘world.rugby’ which is the official website for World Rugby, the international governing body for the sport of rugby union. This website replaces their old ‘worldrugby.org’ domain, and represents World Rugby’s commitment to the growth and promotion of Rugby Union around the globe.
The .rugby TLD is administered by the World Rugby Strategic Developments Limited. The organization has established policies for the .rugby TLD intended to maintain the integrity of the domain extension, which includes protections against cyber-squatting to prevent domain names being used in bad faith.
That said, the World Rugby Strategic Developments Limited is also committed to making .rugby accessible to the wide variety of entities associated with rugby around the world. As such, the registration is open to any person, club, union, federation, or business associated with the sport.
However, while the .rugby TLD may seem like a perfect choice for any entity associated with rugby, it comes with its own set of challenges. For instance, many popular words and phrases associated with the sport could be quickly taken by early registrants, making it hard for latecomers to get a desirable name. Moreover, ensuring that the domain names are being used within the context of the sport may require additional administrative oversight.
In conclusion, the top-level domain .rugby, managed by the World Rugby Strategic Developments Limited, creates a digital environment tailored for the rugby community, increasing the visibility of the sport and its entities online. However, these benefits come with the challenges of domain name availability and ensuring their appropriate usage.
Sources:
- ICANN. (2017). Delegated Strings. Retrieved from icann.org.
- World Rugby. (2018). World Rugby launches .rugby as part of major digital overhaul. Retrieved from world.rugby.
- World Rugby Strategic Developments Limited. (2017). .RUGBY – ICANN Wiki. Retrieved from icannwiki.org.
