Your Scrumhalf Connection - Women's Rugby Blog

I subscribe to a lot of rugby blogs, news sites and internet sites. Most of them I have in my Google Reader (LOVE IT!), but some of them I visit on a daily basis to keep up to date with the rugby world.

However, I have stopped visiting one site and am sad to say why. American Rugby News (http://americanrugbynews.com/) hasn't had a new story on Women's Rugby since December 15, 2007. There has been so much happening in the world of women's rugby that I was perplexed as to why they didn't have any updates. So on Jan 23, 2007 I emailed the editor of American Rugby News and asked them why they didn't have more stories about women's rugby.

Here is my email to them:

Hello,

I am writing today to ask one simple question. Why is your coverage of women's rugby so dismal?

You haven't had a new story about women's rugby since Dec 15, 2007. More than 30 days and you haven't written one thing about women's rugby. There has been plenty happening if you didn't know:

http://westrugby.blogspot.com/2008/01/san-diego-7s-womens-usa-7s-team-chosen.html
The USA Women's National 7's Team as selected just this morning

http://westrugby.blogspot.com/2008/01/usa-rugby-elite-camps-2008.html
They also held a rockin' camp about a week ago.

Women's rugby teams are working hard in the USA and they deserve your recognition. While I definitely appreciate the coverage of the Round of 16 and accompanying Final Four Tournaments, as well as the great coverage of the Women's National UK Tour 2007, there is plenty of news out there on a daily basis that should be reported.

I am not trying to promote my Women's Rugby blog, but simply ask that we get at least HALF (we deserve equal) the press that the men's youth, collegiate, club and national teams get on your website.

Thank you,
Wendy

I will not be posting the full reply that was emailed back to me. To say the least it was disappointing and showed their true color. I believe this excerpt sums it up pretty good:

"The reason we don't spend a lot of time covering the women's game is because generally speaking there's not as much interest in it...Coupled with that, advertisers aren't exactly banging our door down demanding to sponsor women's rugby."

While I understand business and understand advertising, I don't understand this mentality. What could be the easiest way to boost your readership and sponsorship which equals funding the bottom line...than thinking outside the box? If you could cater to women and quickly become the best source of news for women's rugby, you could corner the market! We all know that Goff thinks he has the market cornerd for rugby in general, but his poor reporting and accuracy is a problem.

So while your news site is biased against women and is so worried about the bottom line, my little blog will keep chugging along as these women rugby players deserve recognition. You have lost one reader that won't be responding to your advertisements or helping your bottom line.