Rugby Petition: Lack of Rugby on Television in USA

from my inbox:

It’s Vic from the Harlequins. I’m trying to fill a petition to get more rugby on TV. Think you could give it some attention on your blog and/or mailing lists and/or facebook? :)

CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION
SUPPORTING MORE RUGBY ON T.V.

To whom it may concern,

Live coverage of International rugby matches on network or cable TV is essentially non-existent in North America, even during the Rugby World Cup.

Thus, the January 21st announcement by BBC America to air matches from the 2010 Six Nations Championship is welcome news to the thousands of rugby players and fans in American.

In addition, we expect the popularity of rugby to increase in preparation for the 2016 Summer Olympics and thus live rugby could be a growth area in both America and Canada for broadcasters of this type of programming.

Thus, we the undersigned strongly support BBC America in their live broadcast of the 2010 Six Nations Championship as announced on 21-Jan-2010 and would encourage both BBC America and BBC Canada to schedule more live programming of rugby union.

Yours in rugby,
The Undersigned

This petition will be sent to :
BBC America
ATTN: LeToya Glenn
747 Third Avenue, 6th Floor
New York, NY
USA 10017
212.705.9436 (B)
letoya.glenn@bbc.com

Canwest/BBC Canada
ATTN: Jane Collins
121 Bloor St. E.
Suite 1500
Toronto, ON
CANADA M4W 3M5
(416) 967-2471
jcollins@canwest.com

CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION
SUPPORTING MORE RUGBY ON T.V.

Wendy Young

Editor of Your Scrumhalf Connection. Passionate Rugger since 2001. Want to know more about me? Go to About Us on the bar up there.

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  • http://scrumhalfconnection.com Wendy

    UPDATE: BBC in America may not have much success as it turns out that Fox Soccer Plus will have the rights:

    We do have plans to provide rugby coverage, however, further details will be provided in the near future.

    Please check back soon to the FOX Soccer page:

    http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer

    Regards,
    Cody
    FOXSports.com Customer Support

  • http://whatisrugby.com Vic Drover

    Thanks!

  • http://scrumhalfconnection.com Wendy
  • http://scrumhalfconnection.com Wendy

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  • http://www.nursedude.blog.com nursedude

    Scrumhalf, I am not holding out much hope. If you remember, once upon a time, before it was Fox Soccer channel, it was Fox Sports World. They initally had a lot of rugby untill over time, it dwindled to just once a week at 2-4am, central time.

    FSC getting Setanta’s sports rights in the US(Setanta Canada will still be operational)was meant to go after the English and Scottish premiere leagues, the crown jewels on that network in terms of soccer.

    At least the BBC America showing the Six Nations is SOMETHING. But at this point, I trust FSC as much as I trust congress…which is pretty low expectations, indeed.

  • http://learningrugbyunion.blogspot.com/ Jim Nariel

    Hi – like the stuff on here and will be coming back – good stuff

  • Robert Apperson

    Please Fox let BBC America show all of the 6 Nations. We want rugby on a non premium channel. The only people going to watch Fox Soccer Plus are going to be die hard soccer fans.

  • M K

    What about SKY? Or can they not broadcast in the US? I am sooooo peeved at Setanta and FSP – you have no idea.
    I didn’t mind paying the $15 we were paying for Setanta. I don’t mind paying a subscription anywhere else either.
    Just want to watch rugby on my flat screen and not on the puter monitor ….

  • Mark Q

    GRETINGS MK

    My sentiments are similiar to yours. I am a expatriate Dubliner living in Florida at the moment and was content with donating my $15 per month for Setanta which provided me with the Gaelic games +Heinekin cup rugby and magners league And Six Nations on taped delay, sometimes live. BBC America kindly provided one six nations game a week, always the English game versus whomever, thus maintaining the British interprepation of fair play at no extra cost to me. Fox Sports plus takes over and elimates Six Nations games and I cancell my subscription. If you could kindly inform me how I can access the remainder of the Six Nations games even on my flat screen moniter,I would be forever grateful. I have tried Justin tv with no success
    Thanks Mark

  • Adrian H

    Please please please…show some rugby in the USA. I am a Welshman in Cali and it’s torture not being able to catch a game!

  • blm

    Your petition isn’t exactly correct. While rugby coverage in the United States may be impossible to get, Setanta Canada is still showing a lot of games. Just watched our boys thrash Uruguay in the Churchill Cup. I understand that it is possible for at least some households in the USA to access Canadian satellite TV — that might be your answer.

  • Melvin McNamara

    I’ve just moved to DC in the US and I want to watch Rugby on TV. Can anyone tell me what I need to do?

    I can go to a pub (Fado in DC) and pay $20 each time to watch a game or I can subscribe. When I say ‘Subscribe’, who or what channel to I subscribe to?

    I hope to watch specifically Ireland play against SA, NZ, The Pumas and Samoa. Of course I’d be happy to watch any rugby match. Please advise with exact instructions. Thanks a bunch in advance.

    Worried in DC.

    Best Melvin

  • Gordoncf_s

    6 Nations and Super 15 have both been dropped from Fox Soccer Plus, unless after 2 years I can no longer read their TV schedules. Now is the time that BBC America can step in and give rugby lovers in the USA a share of viewing world class rugby. Please get rugby especially international tournaments onto the BBC America schedule. Thanks,