England's Six Nations matches will be back on the BBC next season after Sky today confirmed they will not be bidding to screen the tournament.
It brings an end to the controversy that arose when the Rugby Football Union decided to go it alone and negotiated separately for broadcast rights for England's home games in the annual competition.
The decision by Sky Sports no to bid for the England contract improves the possibility of RTE screening live England matches.
A Sky spokesman said: "We see England's showpiece autumn internationals at Twickenham as the major events in our rugby schedules and a new contract for those matches kicks in later this year.
"We shall also continue to cover the domestic game at all levels, plus all tours by home nations - and the Lions - to the Southern Hemisphere, alongside the Tri-Nations tournament".
Sky have already agreed a deal, starting in August, for live coverage of all England internationals outside the Six Nations, including the autumn internationals, home matches in the warm-up to the 2003 World Cup and the annual England versus Barbarians match.
A new four-year deal to broadcast the Zurich Premiership and end-of-season Zurich Championship began this season.