Bauer Media axes Rugby League Week magazine
Bauer Media has axed Rugby League Week just two weeks into the NRL season.
The publisher has reached an agreement whereby the NRL will acquire the magazine’s Immortals listing – an honour bestowed upon the game’s greatest-ever players, which Bauer currently owns the rights to. The NRL will also take on the magazine’s historical archive.
Ruby League Week, which was founded in 1970 had a weekly readership of 203,000, according to Bauer’s website.
Nick Chan, CEO of Bauer Media, said: “For more than four decades Rugby League Week has been a prominent voice connecting the game of rugby league to its fans. While it’s never an easy decision to close a brand with such a distinguished heritage, commercial realities and our focus on key consumer categories have led us to take this action.
“I want to thank all those who have worked on Rugby League Week over the years, in particular the current team of dedicated professionals led by editor Shayne Bugden and editor-in-chief Martin Lenehan, who have consistently produced outstanding league coverage for the audience.”
The final double issue of Rugby League Week will be published on March 27.
Bauer will be discussing options with the impacted staff.
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I grew up with RLW and later had the chance to know many of the great people who worked on the title. This is a truly sad day in Australian publishing.
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Agreed Pete. Remember the old woolworth days…
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Now living in South Australia, this was my way of staying connected to the game I love. I will miss RLW greatly.
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I grew up reading RLW and in Bowral it connected me to the game as I couldn’t attend matches and we had little coverage on tv. It brought all aspects of the game – from the old Sydney Premiership first grade through to the juniors, the country, interstate and international games – together. It will be missed. I still have some pristine editions at home.
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Growing up in Rockhampton in the 60s, RL was the ONLY game and we loved it. Mate and I bought the 1st RLW edition and had a sleep over on the Friday night so we could read and argue it together page by page. I’m 59 and haven’t missed too many editions since. Very sad day.
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You can buy all our excellent imported madgazine’s that’s excellent great, now news about a place somwhere else, and white everyone cardigan you need to not know about.
We fold all your loved magazine’s and publication’s into full page in back and we’ll may keep one staff freelance!
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