SCOTS FANS MISS OUT ON FREE-TO-AIR PRO14 DEAL
ScottiSh rugby fans are set to miss out on free-to-air Pro14 matches involving Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh despite a last-minute agreement being reached to screen them in Wales. it was announced yesterday one game per round will be screened live by Welsh language station S4c until 2021. of the 21 matches, 17 will be shown live in the Principality in conjunction with primary-rights holder Premier Sports, the pay-per-view channel, with a further four games — all Welsh derbies — screened on delayed coverage. S4c will also be allowed to screen live the Pro14 final if a Welsh region is involved. While Warriors and Edinburgh could appear on S4c when taking on Welsh opposition, no agreement could be reached with BBc Alba, who had traditionally shown a Scottish game live every weekend up until their contract ran out last season. there was also no deal reached with BBc Scotland, who had shown live derby matches between Edinburgh and Warriors over the festive period for the past few years. Now the only way Scottish fans can be sure of watching Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors in action is to pay £99 a year to Premier Sports. the top three teams in each conference will progress to playoffs next May, with the two conference winners having byes into the semi-finals, when they also get home advantage. the final will take place on May 25, with celtic Park a possible venue. in the meantime, Edinburgh fans have to wait three weeks to see their team in action at home as their first two matches are away to ospreys on Friday, August 31 and then against Ulster in Belfast seven days later. their first home game is against connacht at Murrayfield on Friday, September 14. Warriors start their league campaign with an away match against connacht on Saturday, September 1. they then play Munster at Scotstoun on Friday, September 7. on the eve of Scotland’s game against Wales in cardiff on Saturday, November 3, Glasgow will take on ospreys in Swansea. on the same Friday night, Edinburgh take on Scarlets at Murrayfield. As the Scotland-Wales game falls outwith the international window, there is no obligation on the English or French clubs to release their players. that will put a massive strain on the Scottish and Welsh professional club sides involved in the Friday night games as they will lose lots of their players because of the following day’s international. the first of the two Edinburgh and Glasgow derby matches over the festive period will be held at Murrayfield on Saturday, December 22, with the return at Scotstoun on Saturday, December 29. the third and final derby will be held at Scotstoun on the final weekend of this season on either April 26/27 or 28. Edinburgh head coach Richard cockerill accepted his side had a tricky start to the season. ‘Away games are always tough and it will be like that against ospreys and Ulster,’ he said. ‘Every team will be thinking they are having a good preseason but we are confident with the group we have and will be going into the games with the mindset to win.’