Europe’s premier club rugby tournament, the European Rugby Cup, with English clubs back in the fold, is to be broadcast by the BBC for the next four years in conjunction with the British Eurosport channel. The deal also covers the European Rugby Shield.
The Cup competition involves the top 24 club sides from England, Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales, France and Italy. It will be played in six leagues of four teams, each team playing the others home and away, between November and January, prior to the quarter-finals and final stages in April and May next year.
Alan Yentob, BBC Director of Television said: ‘This is a massive coup for BBC Sport and underlines our determination to present the key sporting events. The new relationship with British Eurosport marks a defining moment in the way in which many sports rights will be handled in the future. This deal represents a major win for the BBC- an addition to what is already the biggest portfolio of sport in the world on terrestrial television.’
Mike Miller, BBC Controller of Sport said: ‘This competition has caught the imagination of Rugby fans throughout Europe and has drawn huge crowds into the grounds. It is a brilliant opportunity to develop the European Cup into the biggest club competition of them all- similar in status to football’s Champions League.
‘ We are delighted to be working with British Eurosport to give the competition the maximum exposure for rugby fans throughout Europe. The British nations will have a special part to plat with extra games being screened in Wales, Scotland and Norhtern Ireland in addition to the networked live match each Saturday on BBC One’s Grandstand Magazine programmes in each region will summarise the progress of both competitions.
‘Make no mistake, this deal was won against fierce competition and we have proved our determination to bring the best rugby union to the biggest audience. We broadcast the great majority of the Five Nations competition- soon to become the Six Nations – and the international friendlies, as well as the best English club and cup rugby, so this competition marks a great leap forward in our ability to tell the story of Rugby union.
‘More than three million people nationally watched Ulster win the trophy earlier this year, including 73% of the available television audience in Northern Ireland, and we expect the audience to grow as the competition unfolds later this year.’
The European Rugby Cup was originally broadcast by BSkyB.
The opening tie to be broadcast live on BBC ONE’s Grandstand will be Bath versus Toulouse on November 20 1999.
Commentary on the European Rugby Cup will be led by Bill McLaren with Nick Mullins, Nigel Starmer-Smith and Eddie Butler, including analysis by Jonathan Davies and Rob Andrew among others.
For further information, please contact:
Mike Hales: BBC Sport Publicity, Tel: +44 181 225 9900, Fax: +44 181 576 7890
Pictures: Janette Dalley: BBC Picture Publicity, Tel: +44 181 576 8233