Players speak out
Both Welsh and English rugby players have now expressed their displeasure that internationals are not being shown on free-to-air television.
At a press conference before Wales’ match against the USA the captain Hannah Jones said she was expressing the views of all her team in bemoaning the absence of TV coverage.
Source: INPHO
Ellie Kildunne – Photo Inpho
For England Ellie Kildunne took the floor, saying that either the BBC or ITV should have shown willing to add the two games against Canada to their schedule.
In the event England Rugby filled the gap, using YouTube for the purpose. Nick Heath, our commentator, reports a combined live stream audience of over 100,000, which is very gratifying, but only goes to show what the audience might have been seated in front of a TV set.
BBC2 does now cover Six Nations games and was delighted to see how many people tuned in to view. But it has to watch its expenditure like a hawk, given HMG’s hostile attitude to the service.
This may help to explain why there is no news yet of live coverage of the new PWR league in England. This was one of the company’s stated aims as it unveiled its takeover of the Premier 15s.
In Wales the game will be available via the WRU on YouTube too. There is the added detail that two languages are involved. S4C will make the game available on its app S4C Clic and Facebook page, and in both Welsh and English. Radio Wales and Radio Cymru will offer commentary as well.
Women’s sport – yes or no?
The situation reflects the medias’ inconsistent reaction to the fast growth in women’s sport. While the public is now far more aware of its existence, and attendances have mushroomed, broadcasters remain hard to convince of its worth, set against all the other competing interests they have to cater for.
So we have got used to live stream in all its different forms. The quality here varies from very good to barely acceptable. At its worst the viewer can suffer a weak signal, fixed cameras, no commentary (or any sound) and so on.
The matter grows more serious as we approach the two big game-changers: the WXV, starting next month, and the ninth World Cup, due in England in 2025. It would have been comforting to find both those major events already assured of full live coverage. But matters are at best only at the negotiating stage.
We must take comfort from WR’s announcement that WXV matches will be live streamed on RugbyPass. Its standards remain to be discovered.
A representative for S4C said the company was in discussion with World Rugby ‘about rights to the new WXV international competition in October and November, as we expand our coverage of women’s rugby.’ Whatever S4C is able to offer will be available worldwide – that is the good news.
I sense that if TV companies were more willing to respond positively, they would have done so long ago. If WR isn’t able to assure us of full coverage, then we can hardly expect individual unions to do so.
It’s easy to imagine the whole picture changing for the better in the near future; every game available at the flick of a switch. The trouble is, the events we want to see are imminent.
