RUGBY: He who pays the piper calls the tune and so the Six Nations Committee yesterday put the BBC before the paying public by confirming that there will be five Sunday fixtures in this season's championship.
Already condensed into an intensify seven-week format at the behest of the English and French clubs, the Six Nations Committee have further risked diluting the fervour and flavour of the European game's golden goose by agreeing to the appalling vista of Sunday games. Each round will feature two Saturday games with scattered kick-offs and one Sunday game, with all bar Wales (whose five games are on Saturdays) obliged to play one at home and one away.
Two of the Sunday games will involve Ireland, who play Scotland away in their first game on February 16th and then play Italy away the following Saturday. None of this is particularly surprising, as the fixtures were printed here pending confirmation some weeks ago, and the Irish management are already looking into the feasibility of flying directly from Edinburgh to Rome.
Logistically difficult and demanding for the playing squad, it is bound to deter Irish supporters from travelling to successive away games, with the Edinburgh trip (given it is also a Sunday game) likely to suffer in deference to the Italian jaunt the following week.
Ireland then host France on March 8th, and after another fortnight interlude finish the championship with back-to-back games away to Wales on March 22nd before hosting England in Lansdowne Road in the last game of the championship on Sunday March 30th.
John Feehan, Six Nations' commercial director, said: "2003 will be the first year for many in which we have had unified television arrangements, and I am delighted that our relationship with the BBC is already proving to be one based on partnership and co-operation.We are now playing 50% more matches than used to be the case, and this had led to Sunday matches, necessary in order to avoid congestion and conflict."
Saturday, February 15 - Italy v Wales 13.30; England v France 16.00. Sunday, February 16 - Scotland v Ireland 15.00. Saturday, February 22 - Italy v Ireland 14.30; Wales v England 17.30. Sunday, February 23 - France v Scotland 14.00. Saturday, March 8 - Ireland v France 14.00; Scotland v Wales 16.00. Sunday, March 9 - England v Italy 14.00. Saturday, March 22 - Wales v Ireland 14.00; England v Scotland 16.00. Sunday, March 23 - Italy v France 14.00. Saturday, March 29 - France v Wales 13.00; Scotland v Italy 15.00. Sunday, March 30 - Ireland v England 14.00
