: Mon Nov 02, 2009 1:28 pm
This reply from Peter Catt, sports editor...
Many thanks for your email but I have to say I'm completely baffled by your comments.
In the build up to the game we probably gave it more coverage than any other newspaper - local or national.
We were the first to announce the game was on (many months ago), we ran a competition to be a mascot at the match (which was advertised on the front page), we ran adverts three weeks in a row to say the game was on and carried a preview of the match the day before!
Contrary to your comments I would have thought anyone interested in rugby league would have been well aware of the match if our coverage was anything to go by.
We did not carry a report of the match itself because, by the time we came out again, the game was already a week old and the result was widely known having been covered extensively in the papers that weekend.
Had there been a Dons player involved that may have been different, but there was no 'local' interest in the game.
The same has applied with football internationals and big games involving other sports at the Keepmoat.
When it comes to the profile of rugby league in Doncaster again we have led the way.
We carry previews of all Dons games including a round up of the previous weekend's match with comments from the coach, as well as as reports on local amateur rugby league games.
Our extensive coverage of the Dons' financial struggles off the field has been praised inside and outside the club and some articles have actually won journalistic awards.
We carried many exclusive stories when the club went into administration and we were the first to carry an in depth interview with new chairman John Scarrow, which extended almost to a full page, when the new set up was announced.
Despite the poor attendances at Dons' matches, and the apparent lack of interest in the sport locally, we hope to maintain the high standards of coverage we already devote to rugby league in the future.
Regards,
Peter
