TV3 Announce World Cup Coverage Plans
TV3 will be Ireland’s national broadcaster for the 2007 Rugby World Cup. The Ballymount-based station have announced their plans to broadcast the tournament’s top ten matches live, including all of Ireland’s games.
TV3, Ireland’s leading commercial broadcaster, today announced details of its exclusive terrestrial rights for the much-anticipated 2007 Rugby World Cup, offering coverage of all of Ireland’s games as well as the tournament’s opening match (France v Argentina), two quarter-finals, both semi-finals and the final.
All live games will be hosted by Matt Cooper, presenter of ‘The Last Word’ on Today FM. Matt will be joined in the studio by three pundits for each game including Paul Wallace, Trevor Brennan, Jim Glennon, Michael Cheika, Jim Williams and Victor Costello.
The station’s commentary team will consist of BBC Radio Five Live’s Conor McNamara and former Ireland international Phillip Matthews.
TV3’s team in France will also include sports reporter Sinead Kissane and news reporter Laura Ryan who will be based there for the duration of the tournament, providing daily reports from the Irish camp and on the ground with the fans.
In addition to the live coverage, TV3 will air a series of special rugby programmes in the run up to and during the tournament. TV3 will broadcast four preview programmes on Thursday evenings from August 9 onwards. Over the six weeks of the tournament, TV3’s Sports Tonight team will present ‘Rugby World Cup Weekly’ – a round-up of the major stories coming out of the tournament.
TV3 have also announced that it has secured a major deal with significant rugby sponsors Heineken to be the exclusive broadcast sponsor of all TV3’s Rugby World Cup coverage.
David McRedmond, TV3’s CEO, said: “As the national broadcaster of the Rugby World Cup, TV3 will provide the best Irish coverage ever for this tournament. We have secured a world-class commentary team and panel to have the broadcast appeal for the widening rugby fan base. We are delighted to have Heineken as a brilliant sponsor.”
Heineken Ireland’s National Event and Sponsorship manager Pat Maher added: “Heineken is delighted to sponsor TV3’s coverage of the 2007 Rugby World Cup to add to our continued involvement in quality rugby events. While we are an official sponsor of the 2007 World Cup, we are proud to play a role in bringing all of the action closer to the fans in Ireland.
“Heineken enjoys a long-standing involvement in the Rugby World Cup, which stretches back to the 1995 World Cup in South Africa. More recently Heineken was a worldwide partner to the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia.”
DETAILS OF TV3’S 2007 RUGBY WORLD CUP COVERAGE:
Thursday, August 9 – ‘All Blacks: Behind the Legend’
Thursday, August 16 – ‘History of the Rugby World Cup’
Thursday, August 23 – ‘Road to the Rugby World Cup’
Thursday, August 30 – ‘RWC Preview Documentary’
Thursday, September 6 – ‘RWC Studio Preview’
Thursday, September 6 – ‘Chasing the Lions’
Thursday, September 13 – ‘Rugby World Cup Weekly’
Thursday, September 20 – ‘Rugby World Cup Weekly’
Thursday, September 27 – ‘Rugby World Cup Weekly’
Thursday, October 4 – ‘Rugby World Cup Weekly’
Thursday, October 11 – ‘Rugby World Cup Weekly’
Thursday, October 18 – ‘Rugby World Cup Weekly’
LIVE MATCH DATES:
Friday, September 7 – France v Argentina, 8pm
Sunday, September 9 – IRELAND v Namibia, 7pm
Saturday, September 15 – IRELAND v Georgia, 8pm
Friday, September 21 – France v IRELAND, 8pm
Sunday, September 30 – IRELAND v Argentina, 4pm
Saturday, October 6 – Quarter-final (1), tbc
Sunday, October 7 – Quarter-final (2), tbc
Saturday, October 13 – Semi-final (1), 8pm
Sunday, October 14 – Semi-final (2), 8pm
Saturday, October 20 – Final, 8pm