PROFILE/Rob Murphy Knockon.ie: A former freelance journalist has developed a site where grassroots rugby fans can keep abreast of a scene that gets little coverage in the mainstream media, writes PAMELA NEWENHAM

AN ONLINE news source for grassroots rugby, Knockon.iewas founded by media graduate Rob Murphy. The rugby enthusiast created the site after noticing a gap in the market for coverage of amateur games and an online community for club rugby.

“The motivation behind the site is built on two pillars,” says Murphy. “The first is to provide the amateur game with a home where its profile can be increased and the commitment and endeavour of players, coaches and club members recognised.

“The second is to provide a sports website where young writers and hobby journalists can get an opportunity to write about sport to an engaged and enthusiastic audience at a time when journalism is under the same pressures and strains as many other trades.”

Local sports have always provided a considerable conundrum for media organisations according to Murphy, with the fragmented nature of the market meaning coverage of club and home town teams is severely limited, even in local media.

The website consists of game previews, interviews with players and coaches, analysis of games, statistics such as top scorers and podcasts.

“My dad is very involved in rugby. He always played it and helped re-establish the Ballinrobe club in the 1970s. So I was surrounded by rugby as a kid. I played a bit underage but wasn’t that good so got into the coverage side of it,” admits Murphy.

“I much preferred writing about it than playing it. Though there is still always that part at the back of my head that wonders if I should kept it up,”

Murphy did an arts degree at Mary Immaculate College in Limerick, before going on to do a Masters in Irish Media. He then pursued a career as a freelance journalist, working for Galway Bay FM, Mid-West Radio, the Mayo News and the Connacht Tribune.

“I was working as a freelance sports journalist and had done a two-year stint as the media officer for Connacht rugby, when the idea for Knockon came about. It started out as a blog of my rugby reporting work”

Murphy developed the blog into an online community and news service for amateur rugby in 2009, after seeing the demand for coverage of club/amateur rugby from the hits he was getting on his blog.

“It was getting 4,000 unique visitors per month, and each user was visiting the site several times a month.

“At the time, it just featured coverage of games in Connacht, so I decided to branch out and do Leinster too.”

The site now receives approximately 9,000 unique visitors per month, 30 per cent of which are rugby players.

“Lots of users leave comments on articles. They engage with each other through the comments section. Often the comments section takes on a life of its own.”

Murphy applied for The Irish Times Digital Challenge “to get advice and to tap into the expertise of a media organisation”.

“I see Knockon as a community that can only exist online but can complement media organisations with an interest in grassroots sports. The link with The Irish Times adds credibility to what we are doing.”

Murphy believes there are huge universal issues facing the majority of smaller clubs, such as finances and emigration which would be of interest to the national press.

“We can also give the papers access to details of club games.”

Where does he see the future of the site? “I would like for the site to go national and ultimately provide coverage of schools rugby as well as local/club games.”

They engage with each other through the comments section. Often the comments section takes on a life of its own