In a move that is the broadcasting equivalent of the 1992 Parramatta Eels defeating the travelling Lions side, Channel Seven has secured the Australian rights to broadcast every match of the 2013 Rugby League World Cup.
That is pretty damn cool, if a little bit unexpected. No scratch that, completely unexpected.
When my rugby league affiliates first told me the news Channel Seven would be hosting the World Cup, I wondered why people kept talking to me about hockey. Or badminton. Or horse racing.
No, no, no… the Rugby League World Cup.
Eh?
And they would be showing all matches, live, in high definition “as part of an all-encompassing agreement covering broadcast and subscription television rights, IPTV, interconnected TV, catch-up TV, HbbTV, pay per view, video on demand and digital rights, including online and mobile.”
Is this… real life man?
The news is remarkable on a number of fronts.
First of all, the level of coverage for free-to-air TV is unprecedented. For a an international rugby league fan, like myself, used to trying to find some grainy stream in the remote corners of the interwebs for any games not featuring Australia, having the ease of access via Channel Seven and Seven Mate is quite novel.
This is not to say Fox wouldn’t have covered the Cup in full and do a good job of it, but hey not everyone has the remote with the big buttons.
And then there’s the fact that Channel Nine’s rugby league monopoly has been so stunningly broken, without any real warning.
When Channel Seven spoke about being involved in the bidding process for rugby league games in the last TV rights deal it was a bit like hearing about plans to re-develop Brookvale Oval. Good for a bit of speculation on The Roar, yeah, but never going to happen.
The station had thrown a lot of dough at the AFL, and it had been years since it had showcased Test match rugby league in the early 90s.
Hell, I can remember in the days before the 2008 World Cup opening match the face of Channel Seven, David Koche, going on an extended tirade about the tournament being a ‘farce’ and generally speaking about it as if it was a giant dog turd squished to the bottom of his Italian leather ankle boots.
Yet, here we are.
But where is Nine?
As the face of free-to-air rugby league, it’s pretty easy to slag off Channel Nine for every mistake they make, but in the furious mob’s defence they have made a few over the years.
Their treatment of the 2008 World Cup was extraordinarily shabby, with the coverage level shrinking from mediocre to poor as the tournament progressed.
And, if there Rugby Union World Cup coverage from 2011 was any indication, things didn’t improve an awful lot in this area over time.
While it will be interesting to see the final details of the deal particularly with regards to coverage in each state and a commentary team, Channel Seven appears to have has slotted through a gap, drawn the fullback and put the viewer in support comfortably under the posts for a four pointer.
Here’s hoping that international rugby league can nail the ‘conversion’.
harry hopworthy
Guest
i totally agree with you, col quinn. rugby union is actually my second favourite game. behind rugby league, but ahead of my third game of football. that's the one with goal-keepers and eleven-a-side. i find that by following both codes of rugby you can actually get the best of both worlds. it's a very nice feeling. i can't understand why australians and new zealanders refer to rugby union as simply rugby, and rugby league as simply league, in the very same sentence. it makes no sense, particularly when rugby league is as just as much rugby as rugby union. i'm writing this post in the midst of a very successful rugby league world cup. the quarter-finals should be fantastic. a 75,000 sell-out is on the cards for the final. that's got to be marvellous for the world game. i also look forward to seeing the rugby union world cup in 2015. here's to both codes of rugby. just one more point, as well as calling my three favourite sports by their proper names : rugby league , rugby union and football, i always refer to the ball in both codes of rugby, as the rugby ball. i only use the term : the football , to describe the round ball, as used in the game of football.
harry hopworthy
Guest
there are plenty of nations in the rugby league world cup that have born and bred players of their own country in the national team. yes, i personally wish that every nation had only native-born folk in their respective national teams. but rugby league is not the only sport where this currently does not happen. looking back to the last rugby union world cup, i recall a number of nations that had foreign players in their teams. : england, japan, usa, italy, canada, wales, scotland and so on. even new zealand and australia look outside of their own countries for talent. new zealand in particular look to samoa , tonga and fiji for rugby union talent.
harry hopworthy
Guest
andrew voss is working for premier sports here in england, and doing an excellent job, too. he's supported by daryl halligan, who's also very good. this world cup is fantastic, and will provide a solid platform to build the game upwards in the years to come. i hear that south africa has put in a bid for the 2017 world cup. i feel that might be a little too soon for them. much better to go for the 2021 world cup instead. that will give the south africans a good eight years to really build their rugby league into a much stronger position than it's in at the moment. australia and new zealand will most likely co-host the 2017 rugby league world cup. 16 nations are most likely to contest the cup, south africa will certainly be one of those 16 countries, mark my words. football and rugby union will always be the most popular ball games in south africa, but rugby league will certainly have it's place there, that's for sure. there's been some wonderful games in the world cup so far. in the last of the pool games, samoa were physically just to strong for the french, who need some bigger men in their 13. i'll be supporting fiji against samoa in the quarter- finals. here's looking forward to some more terrific games in the 2013 rugby league world cup. regards from me in exeter, devon.
Daniel Bradley
Roar Rookie
But then again, aren't we all glad that Hadley isn't coveraging the World Cup?
Daniel Bradley
Roar Rookie
The funny thing about this is that ever since 2002-03, Channel 9's coverage of international sports and events has been from mediocre to poor. Look at last year's London Olympics coverage. That was the worst coverage ever supplied by an Australian broadcaster in the history of the Olympics being coveraged on television. If Channel 7 do an excellent job with the Rugby League World Cup coverage then you would think in the next 5 years Channel 7 could take the rights to broadcast Rugby League away from Channel 9. I know Channel 7 is a dedicated AFL broadcaster but the commentary and broadcast hasn't been great and expect Fox Footy to take over the full rights if the Australian Government gets rid of the anti-siphoning laws. Andrew Voss has always been a great commentator for Rugby League games and he would be a great selection for Channel 7's coverage if they do take over. I believe he is coveraging the Australian and New Zealand games for the BBC who are providing the feed for Channel 7's Rugby League World Cup. But it is clear that watching a Friday Night NRL and/or AFL game has become a bit of a joke with Warren/Gould and Cometti/McAvaney.
Antmac
Guest
Totally agree about Ray Warren being the worst commentator,i,ve always thought he gives the impression that he,s more important than the players,you,ll often hear him say 'I remember commentating on this game or that game'..big deal!..you were,nt out there playing!..we have an equivalent down here in the southern states that we have no choice but to put up with and thats Bruce 'The Goose' Mcvaney.An absolute cringefest when he commentates.
carl vagg
Guest
anyone and anything but that crotchety old racing dog caller whose mind wanders off to 'the crowd in 1970' during the play.. always behind the play, like an out of synch video soundtrack.. calls the wrong names, calls wrong penalties, makes it up, reduces interesting plays to shorthand like 'now its' or 'its with' or 'it comes away' or 'it goes away' [wish he' go away] loses interest or the plot then suddenly yells his silly head off as if this is somehow genuine excitement.. anyway, anyone not past their use-by-date who has real understanding and feeling for the game as its played such as genuine ex-players etc will be icing on cake of this much anticipated world cup of league.. and no ray warren :)
Odyssey Sports
Roar Rookie
Fantastic News, that all RLWC matches to be shown live on 7, great for the game, nine's coverage in 2008 was awful, thankyou 7.
Football_illiterate
Guest
people really think the wallabies can win the world cup?!?!? lets have a real look - NZ are currently 2.62 to win so there is 38% of the market.. so according to someone who thinks there are 10 who can win theres 9 other teams fighting over 62%.. how much would u like on Samoa on at 140/1 - or Argentina at 80/1?? yep, its wide open all right..
Andy Dandy
Guest
Glad to hear that channel 7 got the League World Cup. Any TV station who allows the people who cant afford pay per view TV to watch all the games is pretty good. Just hope that they know what they are talking about and aren't as biased as the channel 9 commentators. It'll be wonderful not to have to listen to Gus Gould's biased accounts of a game. Channel 9 have screwed the viewers of many non-Sydney areas. I hope they don't finish the coverage directly after the final whistle as Channel 9 has done on numerous occasions.
toni reihana
Guest
awesome that the pinnacle of rugby league play will be matched by an equally high quality of coverage and broadcast surely channel seven will have the commentating downpat by series kick-off - are you listening seven so far so good fellas just give us the icing on the cake too (commentarywise) go the kiwis !!!
Mal Archer
Guest
I don't care who the hosts are getting to see the footy in high def is AWESOME nine will not give us high def on anything ,over 2 grand for a high def t.v when all you get is crappy old movies and 30 year old sit coms thanks 7
harry hopworthy
Guest
As far as I'm concerned, It's the Rugby UNION World Cup. You'd thought that those characters involved in that sport would be proud enough to give the FULL name of that game. It's simply a rather cheap trick to kid the ignorant, that there's one form of Rugby. Well, they're not kidding me. !!! WHY is this Davey chap on a Rugby League thread ? He seems to be bitter and unhappy. Maybe he would be better off on a Rugby Union thread.
robbo's rabbit's
Guest
Out of the ex and current crop of commentators I would go for Graeme Hughes....he calls it how it is and doesn't get side tracked with drivel co-commentators........NO - NO - NO......or......WHY DID THEY DO THAT RABBIT'S.....WHY..
Gavin Cooper
Roar Rookie
... and as a follow on, lets leave Voss and Hadley at home and try someone new, fresh blood.
Gavin Cooper
Roar Rookie
OK, when heard the 7 news I gotta admit I was T-boned. This came from so far out of left field I hadn't given it any thought. Now that 7 has he rights and come out blazing I am stoked. Nine has had it too good for too long, and this (competition) will be good for business.
Fra-Dog
Roar Rookie
I seriously do hope Andrew Voss is part of this commentary team, I have missed listening to him calling the matches these past 2 seasons. Ray Hadley is a great radio commentator, but he does not have what it takes to call televised matches.
robbo's rabbit's
Guest
We all wanted the NRL rounds programmed in advance like the Mexican game and they listened and it failed... Does that mean we have blown any chance of getting rid of Gus & Hadlee with our constant complaints...I fear so... Looks like I will have to stick with listening to the ABC and watching -9 on mute for a while yet....shame that. But I can't stand listening to Gus and his expert comments after viewing 4 replays before committing himself so he is never wrong....late but never wrong.
Col Quinn
Guest
Thing is Davey or whatever other pseudonyms you have used in the past or currently, knowing you to be employee of the NZRU, my father taught me over 65 years ago never argue with a fool.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
One of your best jus.Coverage of all games is not a positive apparently.Cough,splutter.sneeze!!! Someone must be paying you per post ,to comment in your usual anti rl style. Either that or your practising comedy scriptwriting for Jim Carrey or Robin Williams.Your routines at times are hilarious.Or is rl ignorance just a natural gift?