It is a level two in Wales I read meaning that it can be sold to a subscription channel as long as a secondary/highlight package is available FTA, similar to test match cricket in England.
The fact that it is FTA is a huge unique selling point given the time of year it is held and it has a captive audience. Would be a very bad move to shift it off the FTA.
I’ve had a right cut off Wales at 6/4
Yep, and England were threatened with expulsion from the competition for it.
It’s not on it here or in the UK apart from highlights. Getting off those lists is about lobbying power.
Apart from getting grants so people would buy more bicycles from his shop, Eamonn Ryan spent most of his political capital in Government trying to get the Six Nations and ERC games on the list so himself and his son could watch the games.
The Heineken Cup never really recovered from being taken off FTA did it? Its why that Munster team are generally remembered more fondly than the superior Leinster teams of the last 10 years
Don’t think that’s entirely accurate.
Attendances only went up after then. The last game (before Virgin Media started broadcasting last year on FTA) was Munster’s 2006 final. 2008 they won again and it was popular, along with the 2009 semi final and then Leinster’s surge was very well supported.
The shenanigans over the ERC did far more damage really.
A nonsense.
So many people just don’t get it.
Rugby will eat itself yet
If SA join it won’t be 6 Nations
It will be if they replace Italy
Is that the plan mooted here ??
You think they have a plan?
No harm, six nations must be the most overrated competition in world sport.
The answer you were looking for is The Munster Championship
It’s not 6 nations now
I don’t disagree.
There needs to be a rugby Czar globally
Thank god there’ll always be the Leinster Schools Senior Challenge Cup.
So the Saffers will play in the Northern Hemi championship and the Japs will play in the South. The Rugby Championship will end up going the way of the Connacht Hurling Championship.
The poor Azzuri will get shafted to a tier 2 before you can say “Rome in the spring time”