Have people missed the opportunity that England's match in Japan won't be shown on a major satellite or terrestrial TV channel? Photo: AFP/Nicholas Toukat
Even in the middle of a general election cycle, you'd be hard-pressed to find a press release more packed with action than the announcement that England's summer match against Japan – officially the Lipovitan D Challenge Cup – will be shown on RugbyPass TV.
The Rugby Football Union called it an “exciting partnership”, while a World Rugby spokesperson spoke of “delivering world-class live content and unique storytelling” and “increasing accessibility to rugby”. A more realistic assessment would be that the appearance of the England Test match on a website subsidized by World Rugby is another worrying sign of rugby's appeal to mainstream broadcasters.
It may not be the biggest match of the summer, but it is arguably the best match, with Eddie Jones facing England for the first time since his second recent defenestration. Surely the coverage of the press conference alone should be enough to prompt the BBC to drop the Money Wasted repeat from its morning schedule. Apparently not.
The free-to-view element is welcome and the RFU privately says it has rejected offers from pay-TV broadcasters. However, watching English rugby's core audience will only be free if they can download the required apps, register their details and remember to log in in the early hours of June 22. For some it is easier than for others. , especially those who are used to watching sports only on traditional television. They can't even benefit from radio coverage as the BBC won't send a team to the Far East.
Japan coach Eddie Jones will face England for the first time since his dismissal. Photo: AFP/Richard A. Brooks
I'm going to make a bold prediction and say that 15 minutes before kick-off this Saturday morning there will be an unholy amount of swearing throughout the county.
Ugh, they're dinosaurs according to England Rugby's chief marketing officer Ewan Turney, who is targeting “younger audiences [who] are gravitating towards streaming platforms”. Presumably they'll all be paying £200 for tickets to the England v New Zealand game this autumn, which will fund the new Professional Games Partnership supporting Premiership Rugby. What is that? Will it actually be the old geezers you don't seem to appreciate? Oh…
There is also a long and sad history of international sporting matches being broadcast on websites – England v Ukraine in 2009, anyone? – which often end in disaster. RugbyPass at least has experience broadcasting matches in the southern hemisphere. This is no small thing, partly because they are funded by World Rugby.
But this in itself raises another set of questions. Will their commentators and analysts want to challenge the controversial referee's decision? Or question the logic behind World Rugby's new laws? It's never entirely clear what the extent of the editorial separation is between the sport's governing body and the supposedly separate broadcaster and accompanying news site. Of course, you can't claim they are completely independent.
Another worrying development is the fact that Sky Sports will not be sending its own team of reporters for the two-Test series in New Zealand. Again, what does it say that one of our major broadcasters is willing to cover a potential final series against the All Blacks on the cheap?
Instead, it will be left up to a small group of newspapers, including Telegraph Sports, to provide the boots on the pitch, ask the tough questions and provide an independent assessment of England's best and worst performances on and off the pitch. It's probably just as well, given that scandal never seems to be around the corner when England lands in the Land of the Long White Cloud – be it ferries, gnomes or good old-fashioned sex.
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