Sky Sports to Show Women's Rugby World Cup - August 1, 2014 to August 17, 2014
By Joe NaughtonUpdated: April 2, 2014SKY SPORTS will be the place to watch the biggest event in women’s rugby this summer as the only English language broadcaster in Ireland covering the tournament August 1, 2014 – August 17, 2014.The top twelve nations, including Ireland, will compete in France at the Women’s Rugby World Cup this August and Sky Sports will be showing the semi-finals and final plus pool stage matches live. Ireland will be confident of a successful tournament having finished Grand Slam winners of the 2013 Women’s Six Nations Championship.The deal also includes live coverage of the IRB Junior World Championship 2014 in New Zealand, where Sky Sports will show pool stage matches plus the semi-finals and final.The coverage of both events strengthens Sky Sports’ unrivalled portfolio of live rugby coverage. Only on Sky Sports can viewers enjoy international summer tours plus Ireland, England, France and Italy Autumn Internationals. From 2014/15 season, Sky Sports viewers will also be able to watch live PRO12 matches, complimenting the existing live coverage European and international rugby on Sky Sports.Sky Sports Living For Sport athlete mentors and Ireland Women rugby players Alison Miller and Jenny Murphy will expect to have starring roles in this year’s World Cup after their performances in the 2013 Women’s Six Nations Championships, which included Miller finishing as the tournament’s top try scorer. Miller and Murphy both joined the Sky Sports Living For Sport initiative last year and were specially selected because of their inspiring journeys to success. The scheme uses inspirational sport stars to visit secondary schools throughout Ireland to help motivate pupils and encourage them to apply the life lessons they’ve learned through sport.Barney Francis, managing director of Sky Sports, said: “It’s fantastic that this summer we will have the best women’s rugby on Sky, adding to our strong year-round portfolio of women’s sport. It’s also great news we’ll get to showcase the stars of the future in the Junior World Championship across our channels. Both tournaments are going to be excellent additions to our unrivalled coverage of the game and our summer of live sport.”Bernard Lapasset, IRB Chairman, added: “Sky Sports are renowned for their passion and support for rugby and we are delighted to be extending our partnership with a broadcaster who shares our vision for women’s and age grade rugby. It’s also further proof of the great leaps made by the women’s game. In a Women’s Rugby World Cup year and with the growth of the IRB Women’s Sevens World Series, it’s good to see the game reaching out to new audiences.”The commentary and studio line up on Sky Sports boasts some of the biggest names in rugby with eight members having played for or against the Lions and over 550 international caps between them. Expert analysis is provided by Paul Wallace, Will Greenwood, Sean Fitzpatrick, Ieuan Evans, Scott Quinnell, Michael Lynagh, Scott Hastings and Dewi Morris. Coverage is presented by Alex Payne and James Gemmell with commentary from Stuart Barnes and Miles Harrison.
Taken from SportsNews Ireland
