RTE put in every effort to hook viewers with line-up

RT╔ outlined a comprehensive rugby package for the forthcoming season yesterday, but have not yet announced any specific details on the matches they intend to televise in the AIB All-Ireland League, which begins in December.

Coverage of the domestic league will kick off on December 1st, 8th and 15th and will continue after Christmas in March, April and May culminating in the AIL final on May 4th.

Regular weekend rugby coverage begins on September 22nd, with Scotland's home game against Ireland in the continuance of last season's Six Nations' Championship, which was postponed because of the foot-and-mouth crisis.

Leinster's European Cup matches against Newcastle and Newport as well as Munster's games against Castres and Bridgend fill in the non-Six Nations weeks in September, October and November until Ireland's three friendly matches at home against Samoa, New Zealand and Canada see out the year.

The European Cup quarter-finals on the weekend of January 25th will be screened, and weekend afterwards full coverage of the 2001-2002 season's Six Nations' Championship begins with France v Italy and Scotland v England.

Ireland's first match in the series against Wales at Lansdowne Road will be broadcast live on February 3rd.

In all the national broadcaster will show 19 international rugby matches between September and April, 10 of them involving the Ireland team. Nine weekends will be devoted to the European Cup including the semi-finals and finals and a further nine weekends to All-Ireland League matches.

TG4 will screen the newest competition of the rugby season, the Celtic League. The channel has secured the rights for the matches involving Irish sides for the next three seasons, 2001-2003.

The competition involves the four Irish provinces as well as Welsh and Scottish club sides and should provide a valuable platform for players to show their talents in the run-up to the three remaining Six Nations' fixtures from last season.

TG4 pioneered the televising of schools rugby over the past few seasons and covered the interprovincial championship live last season.

The Celtic League coverage will be provided by the Waterford independent production company Nemeton, with the first match being Leinster's opening game against Glasgow in Donnybrook on August 17th. The concluding stages in December will also be shown by TG4.