Pronunciation is one of those wonderful markers that we can use to unite or divide, at will.
Having been brought up in Oz at a time when the influence of British cultural ancestry was being challenged by American culture I thought I was adept at identifying idisyncracies like the Ralph/Rafe one. And then I met a (rather famous) concertina player from the Geordie part of Pommy Land, who was touring Oz.
I was introduced to him and I said "I'm Rowan", pronouncing the "Row" as in in "row your boat" and the same as the "cow" part of "Moscow" as pronounced in most parts of the English-speaking world outside the US. He commented (kindly, I might add) that "Rowan", as a name coming from the Gaelic world where he lived, was more correctly pronounced with the "Row" as in "Having an argumentative row" and the same as the "cow" part of "Moscow" as pronounced in the US. BUt he subsequently pronounced it (in my hearing) the way I did. Nice man, as you'd expect of a concertina player.
I've since had Scots from much further north pronounce it both ways and it doesn't affect me much. either way; having been called Rowan, Roland, Robin, Robert, Brian, Warren and a few others I forget, I don't care so long as you don't call me late for dinner.
But I suspect RVW may have had different thoughts.