Fully developed turbulent pipe flow of an aqueous solution of a rigid "rod-like" polymer, scleroglucan, at concentrations of 0.005% (w/w) and 0.01% (w/w) has been investigated experimentally. Fanning friction factors were determined from pressure-drop measurements for the Newtonian solvent (water) and the polymer solutions and so levels of drag reduction for the latter. Mean axial velocity u and complete Reynolds normal stress data, i.e. u', v' and w', were measured by means of a laser Doppler anemometer at three different Reynolds numbers for each fluid. The measurements indicate that the effectiveness of scleroglucan as a drag-reducing agent is only mildly dependent on Reynolds number. The turbulence structure essentially resembles that of flexible polymer solutions which also lead to low levels of drag reduction. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.