Is Rugby Union in Australia being damaged by the structure of the modern media?
Rugby Union in Australia is often associated with rich private schools, club games, where the crowds are dismal compared to Rugby League attendance, the occasional super 14 game, and the Wallabies losing to the All Blacks. Most of this can be seen as a reflection of the game’s administration over the last 5 years, particularly in the aftermath of a very successful world cup, in 2003. However, there are some, for lack of a better word, difficulties facing Rugby in Australia’s media, which affects how the game is reported. Firstly it is important to look at the financial structure of one of Australia’s most popular set of newspapers owned by News Ltd, which includes the Daily Telegraph and the Herald Sun in Melbourne. As News Ltd is a 50 percent owner of the National Rugby League, their financial interests are tied up in the success of the game. Therefore Rugby League is given much more resources in terms of journalists, and thus funding, editors and photographers. One need only have a c
