How Principality Stadium Cut Support Cases By 48% And Delivered A World-First In Accessible Matchday Experiences
Customer
Welsh Rugby Union (The WRU) & Principality Stadium
Introduction
As one of Europe’s most iconic stadiums, Principality Stadium hosts everything from Six Nations rugby to global music acts. Yet with growing complexity in fan expectations and accessibility compliance, delivering a world-class experience for every supporter, especially disabled fans, was becoming increasingly resource-intensive.
The WRU needed to:
Improve and measure DE&I performance.
Unlock ROI from investment in disabled supporters.
Gain deeper audience insight beyond ticketing data.
Reduce support case volumes and frontline pressure.
Comply with the European Accessibility Act (2025) and the Equality Act (2010).
Create new growth and revenue opportunities through inclusive engagement.
They sought a scalable, data-rich solution that empowered their team’s commitment to inclusion without adding operational burden.
The Solution
Using Different Breed's self-service platform, The WRU created fully branded, interactive fan guides tailored to each fan's access needs, whether for rugby matches or music events.
Key Features:
Dynamic Personalisation: Fans filter content based on their access needs, such as mobility, sensory, cognitive, or chronic illness, and receive a tailored experience in real-time.
Visual Journey Planning: Helps fans with sensory and neurodiverse needs prepare for events by previewing key spaces and routines.
Interactive Content: Maps, videos, photos, and sensory alerts help fans build confidence before arrival. This content is especially impactful for autistic and neurodivergent supporters who benefit from clear, pre-event planning.
Self-Service UX: Proactively answers common queries, reducing pressure on frontline staff and driving satisfaction.
Real-Time Data & Insights: Unlike static guides, help centre articles or PDFs, Different Breed provides quantitative, event-specific metrics on how disabled and non-disabled fans engage with content.
The WRU uses these insights to:Identify emerging access trends across events.
Align staffing and layout decisions with demand.
Justify DEI investment through data-backed reporting.
Accessibility Controls: Fully customisable interface, screen-reader compatible and built to WCAG 2.2 AA standards.
“The real-time insights Different Breed unlocks are unlike anything we’ve seen before. It’s not just about supporting disabled fans, it’s helping us understand and serve every supporter better.”
The Results
Monthly Metrics Snapshot
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
Unique Visitors
| 148,000 |
|
Interactions
| 7.2 Million |
|
Reach
| 856,000 |
|
Reduction In Support Cases
| 48% |
|
Outcomes Delivered
Cost savings from reduced frontline pressure, with fewer inbound support queries across event types.
Data-backed DEI strategy and EAA 2025 compliance, with real-time metrics informing staffing and direction on ROI based improvements.
New sponsorship and partner opportunities through high-traffic, in-guide advertisements tailored to the fans' journeys.
Strong fan retention across sports and entertainment, with repeat use and high engagement from diverse audiences.
In collaboration with ticketing partner Tixserve, Different Breed’s fan guides were embedded directly into The WRU’s digital ticketing app, giving supporters instant access to personalised event information. For third-party events hosted at Principality Stadium, including those powered by Ticketmaster, fan guides were shared with all ticket holders via their ticketing provider. This approach demonstrates a shared commitment to delivering a fully accessible, world-class experience across the entire event ecosystem.
What's Next?
The WRU is building on this success by:
Exploring partnerships with innovators such as Zensory and Give Vision, extending the matchday experience beyond the guide itself.
Piloting visual impairment (VI) solutions for fans, after Different Breed insights revealed a gap in accessibility formats and an opportunity to connect deeper with fans. This led to a collaboration with GiveVision, trialled at Kendrick Lamar’s live music performance and documented in this dedicated fan guide.
Using real-time fan data to refine DE&I planning, ensuring future events are guided by lived experience and quantitative evidence.
Co-developing new platform features with Different Breed to help scale inclusive experiences to other stadiums and partners.
Let's Build A World-Class Fan Experience Together
Discover how our platform can support your venue in reducing support demand, meeting compliance requirements, and delivering more inclusive experiences that cater to every fan.