I, Jackie Finlan, formed the The Rugby Breakdown (TRB) in January 2016 with the goal of creating an exclusive home for girls’ and women’s rugby in the United States. TRB is my full-time occupation, a necessity given the lack of centralized resources and the fluctuations of a still-growing sport.

But even if the rugby world was perfectly transparent and organized, TRB is where I’d be at all hours. Writing thousands of articles, photographing long tournament days, interviewing the game’s most prominent and eager players, coaches and refs – it’s a passion. Combing the mire of social media for women’s rugby calendar additions; scouring for game results for a scores page; assembling photo albums so fans can identify their Eagles in person; decoding a league or competition that maintains no public records – it’s a labor of love and, in my opinion, an indispensable one.

These efforts are best sustained with a financial stream fed by monthly subscriptions. For a cup of (ok, fancy) coffee per month, readers not only support the existence of a women’s rugby news outlet, but also get something in return. The less time I spend on freelance projects and advertising campaigns, the more time I have to write about the readership.

The subscription model isn’t about getting rich (is there such a thing in rugby!?), but attributing value to a resource. Thank you as always, readers!