A new deal between the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) and the national broadcaster, RTE, ensures that all international rugby played in Ireland will be televised live for the next three years. This will include Five Nations Championship matches and games involving South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. The agreement allows for more than 40 matches to be shown live, principally from the Five Nations.
A deal has also been agreed to elevate the domestic game with six All-Ireland League games being screened live each season. In addition, highlights from a number of other league Saturdays will be shown.
The agreement, estimated at close to £1 million for the three years, does not apply to international matches staged outside Ireland. The England games at Twickenham, for example, have been bought by Sky. Any deal there is strictly between RTE and SKY.
It is quite likely that because of the change of format in the league i.e. the playing of two semi-finals and a final, that these three games will be included in the live domestic package. The three other matches are likely to be decided on their own merits.
RTE's Head of Sport Tim O'Connor said: "It took a long time to complete the deal because of the competitiveness of the new, professional rugby market. But we got there in the end with a little bit of help from our friends in the IRFU."
The IRFU see the agreement as vitally important, to boost the rugby at club level and to continue to ensure that the show-piece international matches are shown to the widest audience possible.
