Rugby in the Media - January 30, 2024

Despite poor coverage of rugby union by US newspapers during last Fall’s Rugby World Cup, there is a lot more for the armchair viewer to get excited about as we move into 2024. True, rugby is a minority sport in sports-obsessed America but as the growing number of players and spectators agree, there is much in this sport to find attractive - simply put: effort, excitement and ethics.

Matchday coverage: 2024 will be a busy year for rugby in America: the now 12-team MLR (Major League Rugby) kicks off its 7th season in February and the Summer Olympics in Paris, France will bring the USA Rugby 7-a-side team into the spotlight, a code where American talents (size, speed and athleticism) excel.

MLR will be shown on The Rugby Network, a subscription-based streaming service which also shows England’s Gallagher Premiership, Allianz Premiership Women’s Rugby in England, Collegiate Rugby Association of America, National Collegiate Rugby and U-23 games.

The Olympics will be broadcast by NBC through cable and Peacock, their subscription streaming service which will offer the widest coverage of events.

For American rugby fans and the large expat community here in the US, live games in the Gallagher Premiership (England), United Rugby Championship (clubs from Wales, Scotland, Ireland, South Africa and Italy), Investec Champions Cup (top European Clubs) and the Six Nations Tournament can be seen in their entirety.

Gallagher Premiership: The Rugby Network URC: Flo Rugby Investec Champions Cup Flo Rugby Six Nations Peacock*

* Please note, a few weeks ago I read Flo Rugby would be streaming the Six Nations games starting on February 2. However, it appears that despite nothing being displayed on their sports menu as of today (January 30th), Peacock will be showing the matches, kicking off with France vs. Ireland in Marseille this Friday.

Documentaries: In the style of Drive to Survive (Formula 1 racing), Break Point (tennis), Last Dance (Michael Jordan) and Beckham (David Beckham), Netflix recently launched a rugby documentary, “Six Nations: Full Contact”, an 8-episode “behind the scenes” look at the 2023 Six Nations Rugby championship between the major European rugby nations.

Scheduled for a February 1 release, RugbyPass TV (via rugbypass.com) will air “Whistle Blowers” a feature about the lives and experiences of elite-level rugby referees, talking about the recent World Cup and the unwelcome attention referees sometimes get - to the point where they hang up their whistle. Great viewing for anone interested in this critical side of the game. No refs? No match.

Finally, for people in the US (or elsewhere) if you’re interested in knowing more about the game, especially how it’s played, its origins and its ethos, please take a look at my book “Scrums, Lineouts & Tries. Rugby Union, America’s newest, oldest game”. Available in soft cover or E-book on Amazon, it will help you make sense of this intense, uncompromising but strangely honorable game. https://store.bookbaby.com/book/scrums-lineouts-and-tries