Memo to the BBC: oval-ball game wants a Match of the Day too

Rugby fans are dismayed at the lack of attention given to the sport on terrestrial television (AP)

Not content with 'Match of the Day', the BBC introduced its sibling 'Match of the Day 2', providing a double fix for the footie addicts. They are 2-0 up on the rugby fraternity, who are dismayed at the lack of attention on terrestrial television.

Attendances at rugby matches have increased dramatically but the same cannot be said of the BBC's coverage. Now Ben Cook, for one, has decided to do something about it. A supporter of Northampton Saints, he has launched a campaign to persuade the Beeb to introduce a Match of the Day for rugby.

"They have free rights to show highlights of many competitions and it beggars belief they choose to do very little with them," Cook said. "The game badly needs broader coverage to reflect the widespread interest. Nobody can understand why there isn't a round-up of a weekend's action in a highlights programme."

A business development manager for Strategic Marketing in Cardiff, the 32-year-old Cook has attracted the support of the Professional Rugby Players' Association and their chief executive, Damian Hopley, who calls for a "greater terrestrial footprint", not to mention thousands of fans who visit the website motdrugby.com, and are asked to sign an online petition.

"We've debated this at our board meetings and feel that rugby warrants an hour-long weekly magazine programme," Hopley said. "The Beeb has tremendous commitment to international rugby but the time is right to widen the coverage to showcase the real talent that is coming through. Sky's coverage is first class but it doesn't spread to a broader church."

A spokeswoman for the BBC said: "We don't have a sports channel and have to prioritise airtime for all sports as well as other genres that licence-fee payers expect. The appetite among viewers for sports highlights is limited, with people preferring live coverage.

"The only sport that bucks this trend is football. The BBC shows highlights of Premiership rugby and has a very strong offering for live rugby across the season."

Cook is undaunted. "We have a link to Facebook and the support of 24,800 fans. The clubs want greater exposure in the right format to raise the profile, understanding and following of the game.

"We used to have 'Rugby Special' but it didn't appear until halfway through the season and then they put it out at midnight on a Sunday, which was a dead slot. The game deserves a regular, dedicated programme at a sociable hour."

Cook has a vision of what rugby's 'Match of the Day' would look like. "We could have a try of the week and the tackle of the week. There would also be all the latest news. The BBC can show highlights of the Guinness Premiership and the Magners League, but with a little imagination there could be much more. Why ignore National League One and the thousands of clubs operating at grass-roots level?

"The BBC is always banging on about the importance of sport and what a unique role it has to play in British society, but as far as rugby union is concerned it has made no real effort to try to capture what is a very frustrated audience.

"I accept that football is more popular but there is simply too much focus on it," adds Cook. "Apart from anything else, rugby has a whole different set of values to teach youngsters. The BBC should start listening to the voice of the rugby public. They should give it a try." That sounds like a decent slogan.