BBC ALBA TO SCREEN LIVE COVERAGE OF THE MAGNERS LEAGUE GRAND FINAL
Munster v Leinster
BBC ALBA – Saturday 28th May 17:00
The Magners League Grand Final showdown between Munster and Leinster will be shown live this weekend on BBC ALBA.
BBC ALBA was recently made available on Cable channel 188 which will now allow this grand final to be enjoyed by a wider rugby fan base.
Coverage of the game at Thomond Park will begin this Saturday at 5.00pm and will be presented by Murray MacLeod, with commentary from Hugh Dan MacLennan. The match itself will begin at 5.05pm.
The final will see the top two sides in the league table battle it out for the title of Magners League champions.
Munster, champions in the 2008-2009 season, go into the final with home advantage having finished first in the league table on a total of 83 points. Munster reached the final following an 18 – 11 semi-final victory over Ospreys.
Leinster, league winners in 2007-2008, enter Sunday’s showdown as the new European champions after a stunning 33-22 win over Northampton last weekend.
The regular season saw Leinster placed in second overall, amassing 70 points from their 22 league matches. Their place in the final was secured via an 18-3 semi-final win over Ulster at the RDS Arena.
The all-Irish final will be the third encounter between the sides this season after one win apiece in their two league tussles this season. More than 50,000 fans packed the Aviva Stadium last October to see Leinster secure a 13-9 win in their first meeting of the campaign.
However, Munster gained revenge in the return meeting at Thomond Park in April with a hard-fought 24-23 victory over the Dublin side.
As well as the live action, there will also be a package of features and interviews including a half-time look back at the Magners League campaigns of Edinburgh and Glasgow.
BBC ALBA has signed an exclusive deal to show live Magners League rugby in Scotland until the 2013/2014 season. The channel is committed to showing at least eight Edinburgh or Glasgow home matches per season, and has teamed up with Irish and Welsh broadcasters to also provide live coverage of selected away matches for both sides.