European Rugby on Aussie TV
Roar Rookie
By The Riddler, 24 Sep 2008 The Riddler is a Roar Rookie
- Tagged:
- BSkyB, Europe, Guinness Premiership, Heineken Cup, rugby, Rugby Union, Setanta, TV
Whilst I am very grateful to Setanta for showing a small bit of European rugby, it is a great shame that there is not more on offer.
This week, there does not appear to be any Guinness Premiership matches being shown and just two Magners League games show today, a few days after they were played.
Is anyone aware of what is stopping more European matches being shown in Australia?
If Setanta are able to show some Guinness games then I would have though they would have had the rights to show all of them. What is going to happen when the Heineken Cup comes around? It would also be nice to be able to watch The Rugby Club, the UK review show that is similar to Inside Rugby.
I notice that BSkyB in the UK are currently showing live coverage of both the NPC and Currie Cup games in addition to the European games and they also showed live Super 14 matches during the season. It would be nice if the licensing agreement could be reciprocated here. Would also be nice to see the French championship that is of course now featuring more and more antipodean players.
I have sent an email to Setanta asking if more games could be shown. Perhaps if other Roarers did the same, it might make a difference? In the meantime, is there any other way of watching European games in Australia – other than have friends/family up there send recordings down here? 
Finally, on the GP game Setanta did show last week, it was great to see Googy Harrison run out for Bath – and of course be the agent provocateur for the first big dust-up in the match. Good to see that some things don’t change.
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True Tah said | September 24th 2008 @ 9:27am | Report comment
The Riddler,
I don’t have Setanta, but given that Foxtel is unlikely to show any European rugby here anytime soon, so I can’t get my summer rugby fix any other way!
Is the UK version of Inside Rugby better than the Aussie version, I guess without Greg Martin it would be!
Dave said | September 24th 2008 @ 9:37am | Report comment
Setanta have 2 channels so what we get in Oz maybe is a combination of Setanta 1 & 2. Have just put it on for a trial month because of all the football they show mainly WC qualifiers. I would say the reason more Rugby is not shown is because there is so much football on.
True Tah
You might help me here. Setanta have been running an ad for the biggest game in Celtic Rugby…Munster vs Leinster? Who/what are these teams?
True Tah said | September 24th 2008 @ 9:50am | Report comment
Dave
Ireland is split into 4 provinces – Munster, Leinster, Connacht and Ulster, this is not just a rugby thing, it is a historical thing going back centuries.
In Irish rugby, with the move to professional rugby, the decision was made to have the four provinces be the professional teams. Munster and Leinster have been the strongest teams, Munster – rugby is far more of a working class game there, whereas Leinster rugby is essentially middle class.
This game is the biggest in Celtic rugby without any doubt, in the past, clashes between the 3 good Irish sides generally draw the biggest crowds in the comp (once they drew 45,000 at Lansdowne Road before it was redeveloped), admittedly the Scottish crowds are pathetic and aside from the Ospreys the same could be said of the Welsh.
I guess Setanta does show any European rugby at all, it is likely to be Six Nations or Heineken Cup, neither of which have started yet.
Dave said | September 24th 2008 @ 10:10am | Report comment
Thanks True Tah
Sounds like a game that may be worth watching when it comes on Setanta.
Chris Ash, syd Aust said | September 24th 2008 @ 10:32am | Report comment
ESPN show Heineken cup games too, also the occasional NH match (eg: USA vs Musnter & USA vs clermont tour matches last month)
You just have to check out the guide on a week to week basis online in case of any updates etc.
i too would like to see more NH rugby…
The Riddler said | September 24th 2008 @ 10:45am | Report comment
I have received a response back to my email to Setanta which reads :
“We can show any game shown by the host broadcaster Sky Sports. Unfortunately they didn’t make a game available this week to us. There have not made any highlight show available to us. Often the selected games clash with our SPL coverage which is one of our feature products so games are often only on delay. ”
How sad that Scottish Premier League Soccer is seen as a more valuable product than GP Rugby! However, very nice that they took the time to respond to my query. As per my original post, perhaps if a few more rugby fans were to write to them, complimenting them on their existing coverage and requesting more games, it could have an effect. The address I used was setantaoz@setanta.com
True Tah, the UK show (the Rugby Club) doesn’t have Greg Martin but it does have Brian Moore!!
netrug said | September 24th 2008 @ 12:46pm | Report comment
It is possible to get some Rugby from Europe live streamed over the internet, mainly from Georgia ans Russia. This year I was able to see the Georgia/Russia, Georgia/Portugal, Russia/Romania and Russia/Portugal games live. Russian games are actually on a delay so you will need to find out the broadcast times
Spain is in the first division this time and it may be possible that their home games will be broadcast live as well.
Rugby broadcasts can befound but it does require a bit of searching. Try smotri.tv for Russia and the public channel of Georgia TV for starters
True Tah said | September 24th 2008 @ 1:06pm | Report comment
netrug,
I cant wait to see Georgia play Russia next time, given the recent hostilities between the two countries, its a chance for our Georgian friends to get something on the board.
Especially when you what the Georgian rugby players in France had to say.
“We’ve been speaking amongst ourselves. We consulted each other and 80 per cent of us are ready to go off to battle, if in the next two or three days, the situation does not improve. We’ll all go together. We’re obliged to go, its our country. We want to defend it” Davit Kinchagishvili, Brive.
kenikenipat said | September 24th 2008 @ 1:55pm | Report comment
Fox sports had 6N’s and Heiny Cup for a while, but my guess is, that the rights cost way over the odds for the amount of Ad sales they are able to recoup. Otherwise, it would be a permanent fixture. Maybe the home nations are asking too much for the rights?
netrug said | September 24th 2008 @ 2:13pm | Report comment
True Tah
You are correct. The Georgians can’t wait for the clash with Russia. Even the home based players are looking iat it for revenge for the invasion.
The first round game between Russia and Georgia is scheduled 21st March, 2009, in Russia. It will probably be in the Rugby mad Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk. Hopefully, Russian TV will show a delayed replay over the internet.
By the way, ltwo wweks ago, a local seven a side tournament was held in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi. An American team was entered but I don’t know who it represented, most probably “military advisors” based in Georgia.