Make the All Blacks clash a TV free-for-all
WHAT a week for TMOs. After Glenn Newman was publicly admonished by World Rugby for his decision not to award Gareth Anscombe a try for Wales at Twickenham, there was another saga involving a TV official — in Salford on Friday. Referee Luke Pearce consulted with his assistants and TMO Stuart Terheege after a skirmish between Sale and Saracens players. Pearce suggested he wanted to show yellow cards to Rob Webber and Liam Williams. Terheege, correctly, told him that he shouldn’t sin-bin Webber but Pearce over-ruled him and did so anyway. The TMO was right and the referee was wrong. Given the backdrop, that point needs emphasising.
ENGLAND versus Wales at Twickenham nine days ago generated a peak television audience of 8.4 million for ITV, reinforcing the sense of a major national event. Rugby needs more of that.
This year’s NatWest 6 Nations is maintaining the annual tradition of bringing the sport into the living rooms of people far beyond the normal constituency, those who support clubs and the grassroots game.
It is a powerful tool, which should be wielded at other times of the year, especially this year, given what else is coming.
The viewing figures on terrestrial TV for this familiar championship clash of neighbouring nations were around 10 times more than Sky’s reach for the autumn Tests.
The satellite broadcaster has a rights deal for those November matches at Twickenham and they commit vast resources and expertise to the task.
It is no slight on them but England’s encounter with New Zealand on November 10 is worthy of special treatment. As with England v Wales, it should be a major national event, a highlight of the sporting calendar which is savoured by the masses, not by a niche audience. It is four years since the last instalment of this particular fixture and this year it will see a collision between the world’s top two sides — unless heaven and earth are moved in the meantime.
As such, the RFU should find a way to make the game available as a freeto-air blockbuster. If it requires a hefty one- off payment to make it happen, it would be worth it for the levels of exposure and interest it would generate. Sky could screen the match live as normal in midafternoon, before a delayed, as-live re-run on the BBC or ITV in the prime Saturday evening slot.
Just imagine the impact if England were able to lower the colours of the ‘most dominant team in the history of the world’ and it was watched by 10million people.
The sport would be boosted in a way that is unquantifiable — and it would also partly offset the effect of a hike in ticket prices, as a response to the supply-and-demand market forces which put the game out of reach for most people.
What a waste it would be if most of those who can’t access the stadium that day can’t access TV coverage either. Make it a special case. Make it happen. Make it a national event.