PRO14 back on the BBC
COVERAGE of the Guinness PRO14 is to return to BBC Wales, with two highlights shows starting from this weekend.
There has been no action from the cross-border competition on the BBC since they lost the TV rights to subscription channel Premier Sports last year.
But Premier’s firm focus is on their live coverage of all 152 matches in the league, which features the Welsh regions, as well as sides from Ireland, Scotland, Italy and South Africa.
Speaking in September, their chief executive Richard Sweeney suggested that the BBC should maybe be doing a highlights show. And now that’s precisely what is going to happen.
Starting this weekend and running through until the end of the season, Scrum V will show highlights of games involving the Welsh sides at 5pm on Sunday on BBC2 Wales.
There will also be a competition-wide hour-long BBC highlights show on Monday evenings in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Here in Wales, that will be screened at 11.15pm on Mondays on BBC2 Wales, with different time slots in Scotland and Ireland.
That programme will also be available via the BBC iPlayer from 7pm on Monday evenings right through to the PRO14 final, which will be held at Cardiff City Stadium on June 20 next year.
Dermot Rigley, the competition’s commercial director, said: “BBC’s return to the Guinness PRO14 is terrific news for our fans and adds yet another committed broadcast partner to our Championship.
“As a tournament we have set a new standard by ensuring every single game is available live to our viewers in the UK and now with our highlights available to free-to-air audiences via BBC, rugby fans will have unprecedented access to the Guinness PRO14.
“There has always been widespread interest in our highlights, but choosing to work alongside BBC once again allows us to pick up on a relationship that we know will deliver the right result for sports fans.
“BBC were on hand at our very first Celtic League Final in 2001 and played a part in our journey over the subsequent years, so it is fantastic that they return at a time when the Guinness PRO14 has never been stronger.”
Geoff Williams, BBC Cymru Wales’ head of sport, added: “Together with the fascinating Rugby World Cup in Japan and a dramatic challenge at the top of the conference tables, this is a great time to see the championship highlights return to the BBC.
“Rugby forms part of our national conversation and we’ll bring all the action to fans across the country.”
This weekend’s first Scrum V highlights show will feature action from Edinburgh v Dragons, Cardiff Blues v Cheetahs, Scarlets v Benetton and Ospreys v Southern Kings.
In addition to the highlights package, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Radio Scotland will all continue their live commentary of PRO14 matches each weekend. The BBC PRO14 highlights schedule from this weekend: BBC2 Wales: Sunday, Scrum V (regions fixtures) at 5pm BBC2 Wales: Monday, Hour-long programme at 11.15pm BBC Scotland: Monday, Hour-long programme at 7pm BBC2 Northern Ireland: Monday, Hour-long programme at 11.05pm (this will change to Sundays at 10pm in NI in due course)
BBC iPlayer will run the hour-long programme from 7pm on Mondays