WORLD RUGBY’S PROPOSED Nations Championship is now off the table but rugby is facing into a period of change nonetheless.
The Six Nations has a major decision to make imminently, after private equity firm CVC Capital offered £500 million [€555 million] for a 15% stake in the tournament, according to the Daily Telegraph.
As one of the member unions in the Six Nations, the IRFU has been pondering the value of accepting the investment from a private source, which would mean relinquishing some of the power the union possesses but also swell their coffers.
CVC involvement would likely result in a move to the Six Nations no longer being shown exclusively on free-to-air television, with some games being screened on subscription service channels, or potentially a streaming service provided by the Six Nations itself.
It’s understood that a deal with CVC would also involve the November Tests hosted by the Six Nations unions.
Whatever the terms of any agreement between the Six Nations and CVC, it appears that investment from a private equity firm is now a case of when rather than if.
CVC has already paid £230 million [€255 million] for a 27% stake in the Premiership, pumping new funds into England’s top clubs, while it’s believed that the firm is in talks with the Guinness Pro14 about a similar deal.
Speaking yesterday in Dublin, IRFU CEO Philip Browne stated that investment from private equity firms “is the reality of the here and now,” while accepting that the Six Nations being screened on free-to-air television is important.
“It has to be,” said Browne. “The big challenge is trying to maintain the balance between free-to-air and the more lucrative pay-per-view or going right out into the digital space where people can buy highlights.
“My kids don’t go to matches, they’d much rather be at home watching it on the television or on the laptop – it’s curious. It’s trying to find that balance.
“The reality is there isn’t the same revenue available from selling rights to free-to-air platforms or broadcasters.”
Browne said there has been “a paradigm shift in the way sports media rights are being purchased” and pointed to the value of the Six Nations unions “aggregating” their rights to make the product more attractive.
“We ended up last autumn with matches kicking off at the same time on different channels,” said Browne of last year’s November Tests. “That is not a very rational way of selling the sport.”
The IRFU chief executive also underlined that digital platforms must be considered in the same vein as television has been in the past.
“We’re seeing it in the States and the Far East, where it’s all about digital platforms with tablets and iPhones,” said Browne.
“For people of my generation, it becomes a bit difficult to keep up but the reality is that people are consuming sport in a very different way, across different mediums and platforms.
“That requires a significant change in the way we present our sport and that requires a significant investment.
“To some extent, that’s why there’s a lot of interest in private equity… that allows you to make the investment required to deliver across all these channels and platforms.
“Everything is changing. The best place to look to see what the future will look like is in America. You look at basketball, which is a prime example.”
The National Basketball Association [NBA] in the US owns its own NBA TV service but is also in broadcasting deals with television networks ABC, ESPN, and TNT.
Intriguingly, Six Nations CEO Ben Morel, who succeeded John Feehan last year, previously worked with the NBA.
The Six Nations being removed from free-to-air television, even partially, will be unthinkable to some, but while Brown accepted that making rugby accessible to the wider public is important, he pointed out that change must be accepted.
“We’ve been pretty responsible up until now in the Six Nations in making sure that we have that balance,” said Browne.
“I think the way things are changing, it’s very hard to predict where it’s going to go other than linear broadcasting is likely to become a thing of the past. We can either stick our heads in the sand or embrace the change.
“We’ve all agreed as the Six Nations that doing the same old thing is going to end up with the same old results and we’ll end up going backwards.
“So, we have no choice. You have to embrace the change.”
While World Rugby’s attempt to launch the Nations Championship is now “dead in the water,” the IRFU was not completely against the concept.
As with other unions, it did have concerns over player welfare in the proposed new competition.
Browne stated his belief that Tier 1 rugby nations can do more to aid the development of Tier 2 unions in the coming years but said that possible relegation from and promotion into the Six Nations was unrealistic right now.
“I don’t think anyone has any issues with promotion and relegation per se, provided you know what you’re being relegated into is not going to destroy you,” said Browne.
“The difficulty at the moment is the gap between the competitions – the Six Nations and the Rugby Europe Championship [essentially the B Six Nations] – is just too wide.
“In the future, if we can bring the performance levels up so they’re closer then you can start having a discussion about it but at this point and time, the gap is too big.”
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Defence is the biggest difference that sexton ( and henshaw) will bring. Taking the line up is a very strong part of his game. Leinster over the past few months have been very passive in defence this has to stop. Seanie looks like he’s going to start ( not sure I’d go with that but hey) he needs to dominate contact, so far this year he’s been very passive, he’s not go the skills and ability of Max or the work rate of Ruddock so he needs his best game in about 2 seasons.
@Chris Mc: O’Brien shouldn’t start this game. He has no form at all. Leinster have plenty of practice winning massive games without him.
@grandslamkbo: I agree, my backrow who be Fardy, Conan and Ruddock. But it looks like Sean is starting.
@Chris Mc:
So Chris do you think J Lowe wont make the team , even if we need tries ::can you let us see your team ::thanks
@Martin Quinn: I never said lowe not to start. I wouldn’t pick O’Brien.
My team
Healy, Cronin Furlong
Ryan and toner
Fardy toner and Ruddock
McGrath and sexton
Henshaw ringrose in the centre
Lowe, Kearney and larmour
With Leinster back to more or less full strength they should have too much powder for Toulouse. It’ll be a cracking game but I think home advantage is worth around 7 and with the bookies calling it an 8 point Leinster win I’d say that’s about right, maybe even slightly more.
The two key factors will be the form of their returning key men – sexton and ringrose especially and secondly they need to tighten up defensively. They’re leaking on average 24 points a game over the last 7 games so if they can bring that number down then there should be handy enough winners against a young but very talented Toulouse side.
@Jim Demps: gun powder. Toulouse like leaking points as well haha
@Fred McHugh: they absolutely do but getting into a high scoring slug out wouldn’t be the best idea for Leinster. Structure and wear them down and they’ll walk it.
Your anti Leinster bias is old and predictable. You might pepper it with occasional compliments but everyone knows you can’t stand us.
At least some of us admit we can’t stand the other.
@Fred McHugh: apologies Fred that reply was meant for Jim Dumps.
@Baz Dunne: i thought you had me muted? Couldn’t go a week without me eh?
@Jim Demps: you get some amount of stick on here. Good job your not sensitive. Anyways tell your mob to keep up their end and we’ll see you in the final.
@Chris Mc: era I take no notice. If some grown man spends his day slinging insults at me then I figure let him at it, he can’t have too many important things going for him. Once they make it personal I normally just ignore them until they want to talk about rugby. The only person I’ve muted is Martin though.
I fully expect munster to win. It won’t be easy but the result is there for us if we show up.
@Chris Mc: bless you Chris you say every yr there’ll be an all Irish final and it never happens. Can’t see it happening this yr.. in fact I’d say Sarries v Toulouse is more likely than Leinster v Munster in my opinion.
@Jim Demps: He misses you Jim. Baz gets lonely with all those Dubs ; )
@Baz Dunne: It’s going to be a Munster vs.Leinster HC & Pro 14 final .Believe Baz , believe.Eire Abu !!Éire Abú!!!
@Baz Dunne: this is the third year in a row where both sides got to the semis. It might be this year, I hope so. As long as we win the 5th I’ll be ok but it would be so sweet to beat munster in the final.
@Baz Dunne:
Baz I hope are not annoyed with me, just because he has Muted me and not you, does not mean you need to up your game !! He does run away when things get hard and someone sees his hidden knife jabs at all things Leinster.
@Martin Quinn:
Just love his comments saying you are a “grown man spends his day slinging insults at me” Baz all your posts are about 2 sentence’s long and you post maybe 2 posts where his 10 posts a page tells it all >> One page had 28 posts ::WOW now he is hoping for the 42.ie to hire him ::the lad has a problem ::and he says you “cant have too many important things going for you”
Keep happy : ) ; )
@Fred McHugh:
Regarding the 24 points per game I feel we were through to the play off for all that time. I feel it would a lot less if we put a better team out, but it does not matter now as it all comes down to this weekend .
Regarding Munster
I believe Munster will bring out one of their famious European games and get through (and I may have a go at some posters but I will always cheer for Munster in these games) Wish you the very best
COYBIR
“We can’t kick loosely to them or their counter attack Will punish us.”
He has a tenacity to kick when there’s a need to keep possession, I hope he remembers this during the game. COYBIG
@Con Cussed: You really are concussed.
@Camroc: What for? This is the biggest weakness in his game, other scrum halfs too within the Irish setup, they keep kicking the ball away when we need to protect it. We often kick the ball to the opposition at crucial parts of the game (often the last few minutes) and have lost games as a result.
@Con Cussed: I think some of that is he’s trying to show joe he can do the Conor Murrary role. There’s a time and place for kicking the ball away and Luke’s not really a master at it.
@Con Cussed: Which games have we lost as a result?