The Sport Thread

[eladkse]

World feed commentary issue on the PSG vs Real Madrid match tonight after about 8 minutes there was German commentary behind the English commentary. It seemed to be on the effects / crowd only sound as this audio was dipped and then silenced and Martin Tyler and Alan Smith commentated with no crowd noise for a few uncomfortably sounding minutes.

The German commentary was also heard on RTÉ2 last night when Darragh Maloney & Ray Houghton were doing commentary for that match for FTA viewers in Ireland.

It was an issue with the main world feed coming from the venue - any broadcaster who takes “Feed A” would have been affected by it.

Didn’t affect UHD, which is why BT Sport were fine.

[Rdd]

In the latest episode of rugby shoots itself in the foot (but makes more money)...

https://twitter.com/FoyChris/status/1494078475631792131

Bound to happen once the SA teams moved to playing in Europe really, this “one foot in one foot out” they now have with Sanzaar isn’t sustainable in the long run. Not sure why the NZRU seems so keen for them to depart, given the money they bring, it will do the All Blacks damage in the long run to lose what sometimes (when Australia hasn’t got its act together) is their only credible challenge in the Rugby Championship and mean that great rugby rivalry will only face each other potentially in the World Cup instead of twice a year.

[Brekkie]

In the latest episode of rugby shoots itself in the foot (but makes more money)...

https://twitter.com/FoyChris/status/1494078475631792131

These rumours happen everytime a deal for the Rugby Championships with an end date is signed. Hopefully common sense prevails as usual- a tournament with South Africa routinely beating everyone would be farcworse than a tournament with Italy being beaten by everyone.

[OboeShoes]

In the latest episode of rugby shoots itself in the foot (but makes more money)...

https://twitter.com/FoyChris/status/1494078475631792131

Bound to happen once the SA teams moved to playing in Europe really, this “one foot in one foot out” they now have with Sanzaar isn’t sustainable in the long run. Not sure why the NZRU seems so keen for them to depart, given the money they bring, it will do the All Blacks damage in the long run to lose what sometimes (when Australia hasn’t got its act together) is their only credible challenge in the Rugby Championship and mean that great rugby rivalry will only face each other potentially in the World Cup instead of twice a year.

Both NZR and SARU seem to think that the other side is unreasonable and hold competition to ransom. From what I see, it it's because both sides come from a position of strength, but from a different angle.

- South Africa have a large TV audience that in theory can grow much bigger as rugby makes inroads outside of the Springboks' English/Afrikaaner roots and the South African middle class continues to grow. They also have the advantage of being in similar time zones to Europe. However, the Springbok style of play isn't seen as advertiser friendly (despite have the likes of Kolbe and Am in their backs). They also struggle to keep a hold of their own players in their clubs because of the fluctuating value of the Rand.

- New Zealand have the most successful and recognisable rugby team and brand in the world, the All Blacks. They are attracting bigger and bigger sponsorship and are tying to make inroads in less traditional areas like the US (similar to how Man U, Barca and Real Madrid are omnipresent in less successful football nations.). They also can keep a hold of their players because of their selection policy and more stable currency and economy.

So, South Africa have a higher ceiling in their own county that's appealing to other rugby nations, New Zealand have a higher ceiling to what they can make in the rest of the world.

Australia are important because as a country they have more money than both NZ and RSA. Their national team has also managed to punch above their weight for years, despite Rugby Australia's incompetence. The problem is that Union is fourth/fifth place for team sports (depending on who you ask). The move to 9/Stan for tv coverage has given Union a spotlight and seems to be paying dividends so far, but it's too early to really tell.

I think the focus on international rugby is the wrong way of looking at it, tests make a lot of money in both countries already. What they need is steady income throughout the rest of the year. The next couple of seasons of Super Rugby could be a turning point. Can Australia and New Zealand make it on their own by tapping into rugby loving demographics that they've traditionally neglected via Moana Pacifika and the Fijian Drua? Will interest in the URC grow in South Africa when the Stormers and Sharks are facing the likes of the Dragons and Zebre, rather than the Brumbies and Crusaders?

[Rdd]

The BT Sport Europa and Conference League Goals Show L-bar is very mesmerising with the use of the orange and green wave devices, and it all gets positively dizzy when full screen graphics are added to the remaining area.

[RhysJR]

The BT Sport Europa and Conference League Goals Show L-bar is very mesmerising with the use of the orange and green wave devices, and it all gets positively dizzy when full screen graphics are added to the remaining area.

Also no channel DOG, only a LIVE DOG in the top-right corner when showing live action.

[RhysJR]

S4C YouTube coverage of the Welsh Premiership rugby has a slightly confusing scoreboard. I think the teams colours is a narrow horrizontal line underneath the team three letter code (like the BBC Sport graphic) but it is hard to make out. Newport's black and amber makes it look like they've had a yellow card all match (the yellow card appears at the top of the scoreboard as seen here). To add to the confusion, the CAS has a purple background and PONT a black background for a reason I can't work out.




On the note of the Welsh Premiership coverage, S4C issued a press release a few days ago saying that their first four matches have been streamed a total of 100 000 times, which I'd take is good figures for matches hidden away on the S4C social channels and website. Not sure why they're hidden away there mind, the matches are certainly of full broadcast quality and not being done on the cheap.

https://www.s4c.cymru/en/press/post/4884...o-a-flyer/

[Brekkie]

I guess even for S4C there is a limit to how much rugby they can show. A shame we can't get to a point where these internet streams are easier for channels to add via a red button link - Arquiva do it for some channels after all (RT Docs, previously 4Music) so the technology is there, but clearly not the funds to cover the cost.

[RhysJR]

Here we go again

https://twitter.com/SkySportsNews/status...4609813513

[RhysJR]

Sky have put their Bundesliga coverage on YouTube not just virtually impossible to find on the website!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg1GNSWjBQ0

[thegeek]

The BT Sport Europa and Conference League Goals Show L-bar is very mesmerising with the use of the orange and green wave devices, and it all gets positively dizzy when full screen graphics are added to the remaining area.

Also no channel DOG, only a LIVE DOG in the top-right corner when showing live action.

That's standard for the Champions League Goals Show and Score - the BT Sport logo is part of the show logo (though it was tiny on the UEL/UECL version!)

Sky have put their Bundesliga coverage on YouTube not just virtually impossible to find on the website!!

I know it's just the World Feed score graphic, but M05 v B04 is quite Tumble Tower.

[TopOfTheHour]

Both NZR and SARU seem to think that the other side is unreasonable and hold competition to ransom. From what I see, it it's because both sides come from a position of strength, but from a different angle.

This is a very good analysis of where things sort of sit.
Speaking from living in NZ and being connected to rugby -just want to add a couple of extra things in.
South Africa had dictated Super Rugby for a long while against NZ's wishes- adding a sixth team for a period when they didn't appear to have the depth to warrant it. They flipped back eventually after that didn't work, moving the Cheetahs and Kings to the Pro14 (as it was) but weren't overly happy about that. New Zealand teams were beating up on Australian and the weaker South African sides, diluting the quality of rugby and the only games worth watching from a NZ perspective became the 'derby' games between NZ teams.

Adding to that - the time zone for games in South African games was ludicrously bad for NZ fans (kickoffs between 1am-5am NZT) and most NZ fans(apart from the diehards) simply weren't getting up and watching those matches for franchise teams - in effect those teams would 'disappear' off the radar for a couple of weeks while they were away. Unlike Europe where you are dealing with minimal timezones, throwing in NZ, AEST, AEDST, South African time, Argentina and Japan it became too much. Test matches at 3am in the morning a bit different as they have 'event' value.

So NZR probably did the right thing (from their perspective) and 'blew up' Super Rugby when Covid hit in 2020 and gave them a chance to rebuild it that they might not have had otherwise. While the new iteration isn't perfect (questions remain whether Australia has the depth for 5 teams and Fiji/Moana will take some time to find their feet), it condenses it down to 6 slots in viewable timezones either side of the Tasman or in the Pacific Islands per weekend.

To link this back to TV, I don't think NZ or South Africa will want to lose the chance for TV revenue to play each other twice per year - so it wouldn't surprise me if either South Africa tries to play in both the 6/7 Nations and Rugby Championship, or they just stick with the Rugby Championship. NZR would face a hard sell to broadcasters for a Rugby Championship without South Africa as well. Plenty of water to go under the bridge yet.

[Rdd]

Six Nations Rugby today issued an official denial that the idea of RSA replacing Italy is even under consideration. But a lot can change in three years of course.

https://www.skysports.com/amp/rugby-unio...ampionship

[Brekkie]

It is worth noting whilst the story of South Africa joining the Six Nations sparked quite a bit of conversation (mainly it being a terrible idea) it hasn't really been repeated widely as fact by other publications. Really does seem to be the Daily Mail adding 2+2 and getting, well, 6.

I think amongst fans there is a feeling it would not only compromise the Six Nations, one of the few tournaments in rugby which is profitable and does work, but also the Autumn Nations too. With South Africa in the Six Nations where do they fit into that - and could it see them lure NZ and Australia away from playing the European sides in not just the autumn but the June test window too.

It also shouldn't be underestimated how important the underdog story is too - the people pulling the purse strings may see cash in glory but don't underestimate the value of Italy in the tournament. It's not just Italy willing them on to get that first win in years (though please, not against Wales!), but fans from across the other teams too. We all love the underdog. Add to that the fan experience of a trip to Rome being something much more of a bucket list match ticket than a lengthy trip to Johannesburg.

[Amber Avenger]

Slight tweak to the C4 graphics on the Super League this week. The clock still counts down from 40 but underneath there is a new strap saying which half of rugby it is, which makes sense