Working in a match-day media team

Part of being a media intern at RugbyWA means I have the opportunity to attend Western Force games, working in the match day media team. On Friday night I attended my third Western Force game for the season, where they would face the Crusaders at nib Stadium in a heart-wrenching one-point loss.

I arrived at the stadium an hour early, where I would set up the TV’s in the print media’s press box, go downstairs to nib Stadium reception and get the Wi-Fi password, then set up in the main media box for the Western Force’s media team.

My main role for the evening was to write the match report, which would then be distributed to the media in the form of a press release, as well as published on the Western Force website. I have written many match reports over my time with RugbyWA, covering their West Australian senior grades so the structure as process of writing a match report is routine to me. Take notes throughout the match, get quotes from a coach after, put an interesting spin on the main takeaway from the match, compile it together and send it away.

However, when you’re sitting five metres away from the Fox Sports media box at nib Stadium dressed in the Western Force game day uniform, you know there is a lot more pressure on you to perform than there would be when covering local rugby, and there is an element of professionalism that must be shown in everything you do.

Working at a large-scale event such as a Western Force game gave me an idea as to how much effort and professionalism it takes to work at a major sporting event. There is so much preparation and planning that goes into the event, and although the match report I wrote was only around 500 words, every single one had to be constructed to the best of my ability, as it is sent to some of the companies most important stakeholders, and it has my byline on it.

At the end of the night I went to the press conference, transcribed the interview and went back upstairs to the media box where we would finalise the match report by about 11:30pm. Despite this being my third time writing the match report for the Force this season, each time feels just as exciting and as important as the last one.

Here is my match report for the Force v Crusaders match on 8 April 2016 - https://www.westernforce.com.au/article/brave-force-go-down-one-point-thriller

Until next time,

Luke Worthington
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