Magners Celtic League rugby will be coming to STV this season, thanks to a new partnership between the Celtic League Association, Scottish Rugby and STV for the forthcoming season.
The deal means that all the action from the Magners League involving Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors will feature on a new one-hour highlights show at 5.30pm on Sundays called STV Rugby, starting Sunday September 6th. The show will also be available online on the STV Player after the broadcast. In addition, Jim Telfer, the former Scottish captain and British Lion, and one of the most respected voices in world rugby, will continue his unmissable column for stv.tv/rugby with additional comments from current leading players.
The programme brings together two of the biggest names in Scottish Rugby. The presenter will be former Scotland captain Andy Nicol, and alongside him will be regular co-host and fellow ex-internationalist Scott Hastings.
Scotland and British and Irish Lions scrum-half Mike Blair will be a guest on rhis Sunday’s opening show. Scotland coach, Andy Robinson, has been lined up to appear on a future edition of STV Rugby, which will also air the big talking points in the Scottish game.
In addition, the deal features live coverage of both 1872 Cup games between Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors over the Christmas and New Year holiday period.
The programme will feature regular full outside-broadcast coverage of home and away Magners League games for both Scottish pro-teams; there will be highlights of other matches involving the Welsh and Irish sides in the league, plus all the other breaking news in Scottish rugby.
Scottish Rugby’s Chief Executive Gordon McKie said: “This is tremendous news. It’s a wonderful opportunity for Scottish Rugby to have our sport back on free-to-air television on a regular basis.
“The game needs the oxygen of television coverage. Edinburgh were runners-up in the Magners League last season and Glasgow Warriors enjoyed some spectacular victories. Regular television coverage and related online promotion by STV can let a bigger audience see what these two teams have to offer and act as the catalyst for larger attendances at their grounds.
“Coverage can also make the pro-teams a more attractive commercial proposition and offer additional reward to our sponsors for their investment,” he declared.
Bobby Hain, MD of Broadcasting at STV, said: “We’re thrilled to be able to bring STV viewers coverage of the Magners League. Sport is very important to STV and we welcome the opportunity to work with Scottish Rugby to bring rugby fans live coverage and highlights shows, with content available both on-air and online at www.stv.tv.”
Andy Nicol, who ended his distinguished career – which included appearances for the British and Irish Lions and capturing the Heineken Cup with Bath – with the Glasgow pro-team, said: “Scottish Rugby needs the kind of platform that STV can deliver. We’ll be bringing viewers an insight into what it takes to play top-level rugby as part of extensive highlights of the Magners League, a competition that’s packed with 29 players from the most recent British and Irish Lions tour party and includes the reigning Heineken Cup champions, Leinster, among its participants.”
David Jordan, operations director of the Celtic League Association, the body that oversees the Magners League, hailed the news. He said: “This is great news, not just for rugby fans in Scotland, but it allows Magners League rugby to be displayed throughout Scotland and will add significant value to our competition.
“STV is joining us at an exciting time with the introduction of play-offs which is bound to make the tournament even more compelling viewing right through to end of the season.”
Andy Irvine, former Scotland and Lions full-back and recent SRU president also welcomed today’s announcement. “Well done to Scottish Rugby and STV. It’s vital for the continued development of the game that the sport gets this level of exposure on terrestrial television,” he said.
“I’m really excited that the two 1872 Cup derbies between Edinburgh and Glasgow over the Christmas and New Year holiday will be live on STV.”
