Programme notes

Last week this column invited its reader to email suggestions on making rugby programmes better value for money. We promised to publish the best and that honour falls to Daire Madigan. He offered a breakdown of a recent Leinster programme pointing out there were 16 pages of advertising, three letters of welcome from corporate and branch interests, lists and picture (9), ERC tables (1) (which according to Daire got the tables wrong) and the words to the Rare Ould Times.

Daire would prefer to see in the programme: a preview to the game, including what the coaches and captains think; features on coaches and players (preferably present), teamsheet; features on the Leinster junior provincial side; a feature on the ERC, its history, previous winners, current state of play, an explanation of the rules (how to get home advantage for the play-offs, how the quarter-final and semi-final draws are made; ERC tables, features on Leinster clubs, information on the current domestic league, match reports from previous matches, information about the opposition, an historical piece and finally, player statistics.

While the cost factors mitigate against including everything Daire has suggested it would be reasonable to expect those who produce programmes could take heed of what the supporter (the consumer) wants.