eric launches Rugby Stories podcast
Following on from the success of premium quarterly journal Rugby, eric has taken its storytelling to a new platform with the launch of Rugby Stories
The tale of transgender rugby player Verity Carl Smith takes centre stage in the first episode of Rugby Stories. ‘Vez’ plays for Rotherham Ladies and has starred at the highest club level of both league and union, playing senior rugby from the age of 11, but his decision to transition to become a man 18 months ago has led to numerous episodes of violence and online abuse. “Vez has been through so much that every other sentence seems to include something that stops you dead in your tracks,” explains Alex Mead, eric’s content director. “The things he’s experienced throughout his life: from losing both his parents to the challenges of being gay, to ultimately being born in the wrong body, makes his story one that had to be told.”
Rugby Stories is available via iTunes, Acast and other podcast platforms, and is the latest channel to be added to the Rugby family by eric, following the quarterly journal Rugby (issue 3 of which has just launched), therugbyjournal.com website, and social channels on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. A monthly newsletter and events are also on the horizon for the brand. “We want to make Rugby a full-360 offering, both in terms of platforms and the calendar year,” explains Mead. “Rugby journal is all about classic storytelling, and Rugby Stories is in exactly the same vein, both celebrate the people and clubs that make the sport what it is, and we give each story the amount of space and time it deserves to tell truly compelling tales.”
Rugby has won plaudits ever since being launched late last year with players, coaches, fans, officials and brands lining up to praise the new journal, not to mention the likes of Monocle – who featured it on their own podcast The Stack.
As the only ‘owned’ brand in the eric stable, Rugby is also unique. Less than two years since launching, eric has already produced multi-platform content for a wide variety of brands including Crabtree & Evelyn, The North Face, Cigna, Rhino, Aropec, GolfTraveller and New Zealand Rugby
To order back issues of Rugby or to subscribe For content enquiries, email Alex, for Rugby sales enquiries, email Jason.
