IRB dig in over coverage dispute

RWC launchOrganisers of the rugby World Cup remained defiant yesterday in the face of mounting media exasperation at a row that threatens coverage of the tournament, which opens tomorrow.

Organisers, who on Tuesday accused newspapers of staging "a misinformation campaign", kept to the same line when they held their main pre-tournament media conference two days before the first match, between hosts France and Argentina.

World Cup chief executive Mike Miller, asked about the organisers' attitude to the media, told the conference, "I presume you saw the press release we put out yesterday and I think we said everything that needed to be said there."

The international news agencies Reuters, Agence France Presse (AFP) and Associated Press, together with a world coalition of newspapers, are seeking to settle disagreements over internet picture rights, television access and accreditation terms.

Tournament officials, however, were adamant they had conceded ground on most of the issues and had acted merely to protect their commercial rights.

Greg Thomas, the IRB's head of communications, told Reuters yesterday the IRB felt concessions had been made on most issues but "Rugby World Cup Ltd is always open for discussion".

Thomas had raised the temperature last weekend when he was reported as saying newspapers had an inflated opinion of their importance and TV coverage was all that mattered to sponsors.

In contrast to that view, World Cup chairman Syd Millar welcomed media representatives to a Paris news conference by saying: "You are very important to us and very welcome . . . we appreciate what you do for the game."

A Dublin meeting last month appeared to have settled most of the problematic issues but both sides now have differing interpretations of what was agreed there, leading to claim and counter-claim as the tournament fast approaches.

Britain's Newspapers Publishers Association issued a statement yesterday expressing grave concern about the organisers' approach and called on them not to prolong the dispute.

The statement said: "Newspapers and their news websites provide a vital role in bringing to the public's attention the essential news of the day and pictures are crucial components of news.

"The digital world of news publishing is changing fast and editors . . . naturally resent any attempts to control how they go about their legitimate editorial operations."