American Rugby News Followup

Noticed today that American Rugby News finally fielded a question about the lack of Women’s Rugby on their website. Interesting that my email in January never made the Editor’s Page…

However, the response on the website is of course much cleaner and nicer than the response I received on email. And I did receive a pretty nasty response to my blog post and it just proved the point I was trying to make. I was asked not to post it and I won’t…but just for the record, I was not running my mouth and I am not trying to make enemies as you claim. I am simply asking that you look outside the box and be the tip of the hat that makes change happen. Can you imagine directing ALL the women rugby players to your site because you offer AMAZING coverage of women’s rugby? Only means more money and advertising (as you are so concerned with) will come.

Here is the excerpt from the Editor’s Page, thanks to David Scrymgeour for writing!:

I thoroughly enjoy your website and podcast, and enjoy the timeliness in reporting and game coverage. I am up to date on collegiate activities for the first time since I was a player in college.

However, I do find one portion a little lacking – the coverage of women’s rugby at the club and collegiate level. I realize that you already cover a significant amount, but please, the women deserve as much respect as the men! Even just posting the scores and ranking leading up to the Round of 16 would be a great service.

David Scrymgeour
Albuquerque, New Mexico

ARN replies: Our coverage of the women’s game is primarily focused on the women’s national team and the women’s college national championship. Since our launch in 2005, we have been tracking our readers’ preferences in terms of content and the reality is that the majority of our readers are more interested in the men’s game.

That probably has a lot to do with the fact that our core demographic is male 18-34, 35-54, but it would be tardy business practice for us to ignore that fact. The other variable of which we are very much aware is that advertisers are not drawn to the women’s game to the same degree that they are to men’s rugby. There are several reasons for that; suffice it to say that in the eyes of advertisers/sponsors the product is not as good.

And as advertising and sponsorships are how we stay afloat, again it would be bad business practice for us not to recognize that fact.

One other point of note, ARN is not alone on this. International rugby news and information sites such as Scrum and Rugby Heaven for example do not carry much, if any, women’s content for exactly the same reasons.