S4C is to provide more live Magners League and Welsh Principality Premiership rugby at peak viewing times than ever before during the 2009-2010 season.
The Channel’s flagship rugby show Y Clwb Rygbi will broadcast live coverage on Saturday evenings at the new, slightly later time of 6.00pm, with kick off at 6.30pm. Kick off of Sunday matches will be at 5.05pm, with coverage starting at 4.55pm.
The Magners League fixture list was unveiled today (Thursday, 30 July) by organisers Celtic Rugby, with S4C starting its coverage on Saturday, 5 September by providing live action of
Scarlets v Leinster from Parc y Scarlets. Coverage starts at 6.00pm with kick off at 6.30pm.
Among the highlights on S4C will be the live broadcast of the Magners League’s first-ever Play-off Final on 28 May.
Other early season matches include Ospreys v Ulster on Saturday, 12 September, Glasgow Warriors v Scarlets on Sunday, 13 September, Scarlets v Munster on Saturday, 19 September and the first ever match between Cardiff Blues and the Scarlets from the new Cardiff City stadium on Saturday, 26 September.
Live matches from The Magners League will also be broadcast by BBC Cymru Wales and Setanta Ireland, with S4C set to televise a number of Welsh Principality Premiership matches.
Geraint Rowlands, S4C Content Editor, Sport said: “This season, S4C rugby flagship Y Clwb Rygbi will provide more live rugby at peak viewing times than ever before. The later Saturday and Sunday evening coverage should prove popular with rugby viewers and boost the profile of the leagues even further.”
