Scheduling clash with Wallabies and NRL semi-finals

[beige]

CHANNEL 9 will be forced to decide between its traditional rugby league fans or the station's multi-million dollar investment in rugby union's World Cup when the two rival sports clash dramatically this year.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal that a week-two NRL semi-final at the SFS on September 17 will be played concurrently with a World Cup Pool C Test between the Wallabies and Ireland in Auckland.

Nine will logistically be unable to telecast both games live.

Rugby league's semi-final is scheduled to kick off at 7.45pm, while the Wallabies Test is to start at 8.30pm in Auckland, which is 6.30pm in Sydney.

The rugby union Test would overlap the rugby league semi-final by up to 30 minutes.

NRL officials have already met Nine management to talk about the dilemma, while Australian Rugby Union chief John O'Neill told The Daily Telegraph last night he would seek urgent meetings with Nine CEO David Gyngell and managing director Jeff Browne.

Souths chief executive Shane Richardson yesterday predicted the rugby union Test would attract just 50 per cent of those watching the NRL semi-final.

Officials from the NRL and ARU are terrified their codes might be embarrassed publicly by being shunted or switched to Nine's digital channel, GO!

The NRL could be asked to push back its kick-off by 30 minutes, although an 8.15pm start would be unsuitable for many children and pensioners.

Read more: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/spo...-1226094256255

[The InnFORCEr]

Australia is also due to play New Zealand in a netball international here in Perth the same day as the RWC Final.

[brokendown gunfighter]

If they were smart,the netball court could be wheeled out on Eden park at half time & played there.
It could be then claimed to be the biggest crowd to ever view a netball test!

[GIGS20]

Jon should tell nine to televise the test live or stick their contract! Fox are telecasting every match live anyhow aren't they?

[blueandblack]

Won't affect us here in Perth. Union will start at 8.30pm AWST time and League will start at 7.45AM AEST the next day. Business as usual.

[jargan83]

At this stage in Perth neither will be on until at least 11:30pm!

[mudskipper]

Won't affect us here in Perth. Union will start at 8.30pm AWST time and League will start at 7.45AM AEST the next day. Business as usual.

Wont concern us here in Sydney either, who'd watch nine and its novice commentators anyway... I want my unbalanced view of world rugby from the Fox specialist commentators... or I’m planking for the duration of the tournament...

[zimeric]

Wont concern us here in Sydney either, who'd watch nine and its novice commentators anyway... I want my unbalanced view of world rugby from the Fox specialist commentators... or I’m planking for the duration of the tournament...

the key word there is "special" they are special thats for sure... Marto can go eat a d**k, hes the most useless commentator currently in circulation.

[jargan83]

AND the winner is ... rugby league. Australia's World Cup rugby union match against Ireland is set to bumped off free-to-air by an NRL semi-final at the SFS.
Channel 9 has to decide whether to cover a week-two NRL semi-final at the SFS on September 17 or a World Cup pool C Test between the Wallabies and Ireland in Auckland. Both games will be played concurrently with the Test to overlap the league game by up to 30 minutes.

The Daily Telegraph understands, though, that Nine will cover the NRL match - but union fans should not be too disappointed.

The Ireland game will be shown live on Fox Sports, live on Nine's digital channel GO! and then replayed on free-to-air straight after the league.

It is understood that the Federal Government's anti-siphoning laws state the World Cup game must be shown live or near-live on free-to-air.

That means it will be replayed on Nine as close to full-time in the NRL game as possible, probably about 9.15pm. It will also mean the union Test will enjoy a huge ratings lead-in through the NRL match.

Rugby league's semi-final is scheduled to kick off at 7.45pm, while the Wallabies Test is to start at 8.30pm in Auckland (6.30pm in Sydney).

The rugby union Test would overlap the rugby league semi-final by up to 30 minutes.

An online poll on The Daily Telegraph website yesterday gave league a clear victory, with more than 60 per cent of respondents wanting the NRL match shown live.

"Channel 9 have been a long-term broadcasting partner of rugby league and I know they are looking forward to our finals series as much as NRL fans are," said NRL director of football operations Nathan McGuirk.

"Rugby league's popularity on free-to-air television was clearly shown with the record-breaking rating results from the State of Origin series."Nine director of sport Steve Crawley is in England and unavailable for comment.

"Fox Sports will have live coverage of the Wallabies match against Ireland," a Fox Sports spokesman said.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/...-1226094924897

Given that we rarely get Live Rugby League here in Perth I would have thought It would be not much of an issue.

Whilst alot of us have Fox anyway, not alot of Rugby on FTA is a hinderence to the code especially in areas where the game is growing such as Melbourne and Perth

[shasta]

Jon should tell nine to televise the test live or stick their contract!

Yeah, you tell 'em GIGS. The networks always listen when JON reads 'em the riot act about programming and ratings.

[jargan83]

Not to mention Channel 9 are also contractually obligated to show all Finals of the NRL Live (I assume only in Brisbane and Sydney)

[shasta]

(I assume only in Brisbane and Sydney)

I'd better get along to the Mod Shop.

[Darren]

I don't see the big deal about being "bumped" to Channel 99/GO - isn't that the whole idea of the extra channels?

[Fullback]

At this stage in Perth neither will be on until at least 11:30pm!

Channel Nine has taken on board the Channel Seven handbook of Union broadcasting. I can see that RWC matches are going to get the same attention from them as this match, not to mention games post RWC.




http://www.rugby.com.au/wallabies/Ga...stDetails.aspx

[jargan83]

I asked Wide World of Sports via Facebook what they were planning for the World Cup in WA, Vic and SA and it does sound dodgy

Nine's broadcast schedule for the Rugby World Cup has not been finalised. Discussions are ongoing – especially in light of all the feedback we have had over the past week in regards to the scheduling of the Wallabies v Samoa match. We're hoping that this feedback will result in more viewer friendly broadcast times for the World Cup.