Peter Bills: Walls between rugby and the media are getting higher

Augusta National golf club in America, where I spent last week, is a world away from the rugby grounds of the world, my usual working habitat. But I've come to the conclusion that it isn't just facilities that are superior in the game of golf.

Attitudes in this sport leave rugby union light years behind. You only had to listen to Ireland's Padraig Harrington speaking to the US media at their pre-Masters, annual dinner last week to understand the vastly different attitudes prevailing in golf, compared to rugby.

The core message Harrington delivered was that it was more essential than ever that top golfers worked closely with the media. He told his audience that he regarded the secret of media liaison as forging closer links, not becoming more distant. He said that there might be a perception by some in golf that, in recessionary times with newspapers all around the world under threat, they didn't matter so much now.

Quite the contrary, was Harrington's view. It was crucial to have a close working relationship with the media. “It is a time to work with the media because we need you more than ever. The tour and everybody appreciates that we need you more than ever in these times and we have got to give a little more back to you guys for what you do”.

All this struck me as light years away from rugby. I just don't think you'd ever hear a rugby player talking in those terms..

Increasingly, most parts of professional rugby are going down the same depressing path as soccer, where walls are erected between the media and most players. Of course there are individual exceptions, people who remain courteous, helpful and co-operative with the media.

But in general, all that the despised wordsmiths are offered is a few unappealing morsels, and basically told to get on with it. Anodyne stories are now even offered to the media by PR people who then tell the media, the player won't say anything else. But they haven't said anything in the first place in these artificial ‘interviews' with their ‘lapdogs'.

Press conferences are stage managed and, quite often, requests for interviews with rugby officials or players are refused.

You might think that none of this matters very much to the ordinary fan, that it's just an internal relationship problem within the game. But you would be wrong. Is it good for the sport that Gavin Henson, the Welsh international, greets the esteemed BBC radio commentator Ian Robertson, who was seeking an interview before a game, with the curt query, ‘what do you want'. On being asked if he would do a short piece, Henson brusquely informed Robertson that he wasn't interested.

Compare that with the approach of people like Harrington. But then, anyone who works in professional sport in America, knows that operating here is like chalk and cheese compared to dealing with rugby's pampered prima donnas. When you arrive at Augusta, you are handed a pass that gives you access not just to the swish media centre, but the players' lounge and dining room and even their locker room. You can walk in and have a chat with whom you wish; Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Fuzzy Zoeller, Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington….anyone..

Try doing that at a major rugby match.

Professional golf in the USA, and particularly the Masters, understands that it NEEDS the media. It makes no attempt to hide the fact that it actively courts the press, written and electronic. They are seen as valued colleagues, because if they're not on-side, who would give places like Augusta so much wonderful, free publicity?

The great Gary Player addressed this issue last week on his final appearance at Augusta. Player said “I realise what the media has done for me and for golf. But some athletes these days don't quite get it, in terms of what the media means. If it wasn't for the media, Augusta wouldn't have all this attention or all these sponsors.

“Sports athletes have got to realise they should never ever turn down requests for interviews. I have never turned any down and I still don't. If I can't do it at that moment, I ask my office to arrange it for some time soon. I get calls for two or three interviews a day and I make a point of doing every single one.”

You have to conclude that in the world of professional sport, golf is as cute and street-wise as it's possible to be. Rugby, by comparison, is like a bunch of rank amateurs.