RABODIRECT PRO12 LEAGUE
For the second year running, BBC ALBA will be providing exclusive coverage of the competition in Scotland and has the rights to cover the competition over the next three years until the 2013/2014 season.
RaboDirect PRO12 is rugby’s premier professional club competition in Scotland, Ireland, Wales and Italy and the BBC ALBA broadcast package will provide at least eight select home matches throughout the season featuring either Edinburgh or Glasgow Warriors.
BBC ALBA has also teamed up with Irish and Welsh broadcasters to gain reciprocal feeds so will also be providing live coverage of some of Glasgow and Edinburgh’s vital away games.
Live coverage will be provided on Friday and Saturday evenings and with BBC ALBA being available on Freeview this is a great boost for the professional game as all rugby fans throughout the whole of Scotland can now watch live coverage of their two Scottish teams, with catch-up viewing available via the BBC iPlayer.
Match coverage will be produced for BBC ALBA by mneTV, one of Scotland’s leading sports production companies, with commentary in Gaelic along with trackside analysis and interview features in English.
The competition season kicks-off on the first weekend in September 2011 and the live RaboDirect Pro12 coverage matches lined up on BBC ALBA for rounds 1 – 13 are as follows:
Home |
Away |
Kick-off |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday 4 December | Newport Gwent Dragons |
Glasgow |
16.30 |
|
| Monday 26 December | Edinburgh |
Glasgow |
17.35 |
The Next Phase
The next phase of matches from January – March 2012 will prove crucial to both teams and will cover rounds 13 – 19 with BBC ALBA providing live coverage of seven matches involving Scottish sides throughout this period, with home productions and feeds from host broadcasters, as follows:
| Round | Date | Home |
Away |
Kick-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Thursday 9 February | Glasgow Warriors |
Scarlets |
19.05 |
| 14 | Friday 10 February | Edinburgh Rugby |
Ospreys |
19.35 |
| 15 | Saturday 18 February | Connacht |
Glasgow Warriors |
17.30 |
| 16 | Saturday 25 February | Glasgow Warriors |
Leinster |
18.00 |
| 18 | Friday 23 March | Glasgow Warriors |
Aironi |
19.35 |
| 19 | Friday 30 March | Edinburgh Rugby |
Scarlets |
19.35 |
BBC ALBA will also cover either one of the games from round 17 on Friday 2 March with a kick-off time of 19.05, when Glasgow Warriors take on Ospreys and Edinburgh Rugby face Ulster. Details will be confirmed at a later stage.
As well as live action involving Scottish sides, BBC ALBA will have live coverage from one of the biggest matches of the PRO12 season – Munster v Leinster:
| Round | Date | Home |
Away |
Kick-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | Saturday 31 March | Munster |
Leinster |
19.30 |
BBC ALBA will also bring rugby fans live action throughout the festive period as Glasgow and Edinburgh battle it out over two matches for the 1872 Cup, as well as vital league points. The first match will be live from Murrayfield on Monday 26th December at 5.35pm with the second match coming live from Firhill on Sunday 1st January with a kick-off time also at 5.35pm.
Glasgow are currently sitting fourth in the standings with an impressive five wins from their eight games so far, whilst Edinburgh sit tenth having managed three wins from their eight matches. With internationalists who starred at the World Cup now back in action with their respective domestic sides, competition for places and results is increasing as the campaign enters the mid-season fixtures.
Alan Esslemont, head of content for BBC ALBA said: “We have been delighted with the level of interest in our PRO12 coverage and the availability of BBC ALBA on Freeview has helped rugby fans across the country access the best action from Glasgow and Edinburgh fixtures.
“It has been good to once again go behind-the-scenes with both clubs and provide fans with an insight on what the clubs do on a day-to-day basis from community involvement to the training pitch and beyond.
“Both Glasgow and Edinburgh have had some great moments in the campaign so far and we hope they can continue to record as many wins as possible as we move into 2012. We’d like to wish both teams all the best as they compete for crucial points in the forthcoming rounds of the league.”
BBC ALBA has signed an exclusive deal to show live RaboDirect PRO12 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, Welsh and Italian broadcasters to also provide live coverage of selected away matches for both sides.
Home match production will be produced for BBC ALBA by mneTV, with commentary in Gaelic along with trackside analysis and interviews in English.
The 22 round league season kicked-off on the first weekend in September 2011 and runs through until the weekend of 4th May 2012. The final phase of live matches on BBC ALBA covering rounds 20 -22 will be announced at a later stage.
