Photo: Paul Rudman / KLC fotos
There is too much girls’ and women’s rugby happening in the U.S. to cover it all – and that’s a good problem to have. The Rugby Breakdown welcomes the submission of match and tournament reports, and so here’s a guideline in terms of what we’re looking for.
Below are the basics of a match report, but definitely indulge some creative license:
OPENING PARAGRAPH
– Game date, location, teams’ full names, league/division in which the teams play, and score
– Context: Why is this game/result important and what effect does it have on the standings/records/playoffs/etc.?
BODY
There is no script for the body of an article, but make sure to address the following:
– What was the difference in the contest, i.e., why did the winning team win?
– Who scored and when (lead changes?)
– Leading/MVP performances
ADD’L REQUIREMENTS
– Quotes: From the team you’re representing (coach, captain or MVP) AND your opponent. The latter is important for balance. And try to be specific with your questions; it lends itself to more insightful quotes.
– Photo: At least one of decent quality – i.e., not from a phone – and it doesn’t need to be from that specific game. Be sure to get permission/photo credit for the photograph you submit.
– Names: Do not use nicknames. We need to cross-reference players against the USA Rugby CIPP roster.
BONUS
– Want to add a short bio at the end of the article? Feel free!
– Is your team hosting a clinic or fundraiser? If you submit a match report, then feel free to include those details in the closing, as well as a link.
– Is you have game video, feel free to submit as we work with the lovely Celena Handojo to produce highlight reels
DEADLINE / WORD COUNT
– The Thursday following game day
– Write to your heart’s content; it’s easier to edit down.
– Submit articles and photos to editor@therugbybreakdown.com.
Finally, you don’t have to be the winning team in order to submit a match report. Every game has more than one storyline, and if yours is about an all-freshman team that played the state champion, then run with it. Just be sure to alert us if your story has already been published elsewhere. We’re happy to recirculate articles via social media; however, the site endeavors to feature original content.
Still have questions? E-mail editor@therugbybreakdown.com.