rugby_rockstar says...

I went to NZ for the rwc and to be honest is was cool to have the afternoon free to go quad biking / kayaking / jet boating / sky diving / white and black water rafting / bungee jumping / canyon swinging / sky tower sky jump / sailing americas cup yachts / horse trekking / 4 wheel driving / luging / zorbing / swimming / hiking / canyoning / fishing / parasailing and the like, then catch the rugby in the evening with many pints of spates gold medal, sassy red or monteifs winter ale or original ale. Sweet as. :o)

Posted 13:13 01st November 2011

tuffnut says...

@lawynd here here.

Posted 16:49 20th October 2011

tuffnut says...

@ kenttaff you can't be serious mate.

Would you really rather see the RWC becoming an exclusive sport available only to people who can afford to pay Sky's rip off prices? As a lover of the game I certainly wouldn't. Sky/News Corporation has already sucked the life out of the SuperRugby and Trinations competitions by making them too long and ensuring that the games are only accessible to middle income earning families (or greater) or for people prepared to go to a boozer. How does that help develop youth rugby and the grass roots of the game? The only person who benefits is Rupert Murdoch.

Apart from the occasional northerner commentator butchering polynesian names, I'm really pleased with ITVs coverage. I pay a tenth of the cost with Virgin Media and can watch either full replays or 1-hour highlights of games any time on demand which has worked out especially well with the mid week pool games. In addition, anyone can watch full/part replays online at ITV whenever they want too.

This would all disappear if Sky had the rights to the games. Ever since Sky got a strangle hold over NZ rugby broadcasting, NZ's stadium attendances have continued to decrease.

Thank goodness the Six Nations has been kept away from Murdoch's clutches otherwise, like in NZ, more people would stay at home to watch games to justify their exorbitant pay TV subscriptions.

Posted 09:39 20th October 2011

coronach says...

people commenting on the tv angles and itv coverage; I'm in asia and for pool games had a choice of satellite channels with commentary teams from UK, Australia, SA, France and NZ. I could channel hop and the pics were the same; would suggest that there is ONE live camera feed available and they just add their commentaries. It just wouldn't be possible for them all to have remote control 'spider cam', there is just one of those wired up over Eden Park. They may have their own cameras for sideline comments, but as far as I can tell, the match coverage is identical.

Posted 02:57 20th October 2011

GoWalesGo says...

lawynd

It was never given to NZ to grow the game, if they wanted to do that then they would have given it to Japan.

Posted 19:34 19th October 2011

NHsaints says...

Good news, also accounts for the few empty seats at some of the games...I think we can contribute this to the fact the tournament could still have been anyones in the quarter final (unlike 2007)

Posted 19:00 19th October 2011

headhunter99 says...

@artherfish - good point about the poor level of ITV's coverage, they have had the RWC since 91 to my knowledge and I believe they have it for 2015. Do you know if they outbid Sky on this. The pundits are better this time round but the various anchors are pretty poor. Still if it keeps Guscott and Davies off the screen it cannot be all bad.

I do think that the TV ratings will increase by 2015 as the game times will be more

attractive to a bigger audience and if there are to be mid - week games as mooted even better as the sponsors and advertisers will want to get into the prime time slots.

Posted 13:23 19th October 2011

admack says...

So by "Tumble" you mean increase?

Where I am from that would normally mean fall...

Posted 12:53 19th October 2011

jonesy2 says...

crunchfit -- union not popular in aus? its popular all over. AFL is the sport in WA, SA, Vic, NT and Tas mainly but also pretty much around the country. League in Qld and NSW obviously. union is the sport that has a following everywhere like cricket but not to the degree as cricket.

Posted 10:55 19th October 2011

crunchfit says...

I thought union wasn't popular at all in AUS...

Posted 09:52 19th October 2011