NI Conservatives spokesman for sport, Trevor Ringland, has described the IRFU’s decision to sell UK rights for Ireland’s autumn rugby internationals to Sky Sports as “a blow for rugby fans in Northern Ireland”.
“These matches will be free to air in the Republic, where RTE has the rights, while 1.8 million people north of the border, many of whom are fanatical Irish rugby fans, will have to pay a subscription to see their team”, Trevor explained. “When the Irish Rugby Football Union negotiated this deal, it should have remembered that it represents the whole island and has a responsibility to fans both north and south”.
“It sends a very unfortunate message that the IRFU expects fans in one part of Ireland to pay to watch their team, while the majority will get their rugby for free. The deal should be revisited, so that Northern Irish supporters with access to RTE can watch the internationals unscrambled, at the very least. Otherwise the IRFU will be accused of showing very little consideration to its fans north of the border”.