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BBC to show Principality Premiership games live this season

Sport | Gareth Axenderrie | Published: 11:01, Friday August 3rd, 2018.

One Friday night fixture a week will be broadcast on BBC Two Wales.

Bedwas, Bargoed and Cross Keys’ Premiership matches will be shown live on BBC Two Wales this season.

The news follows an announcement by BBC Wales that it has secured the rights to broadcast Principality Premiership Rugby for the coming season.

One match a week will be broadcast on a Friday night in High Definition on the channel, while festive derby matches on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day will also be shown live.

BBC Wales’ rugby magazine programme Scrum V will continue to be broadcast regularly on Sunday evenings.

Principality Premiership matches had previously been broadcast on S4C on an ad-hoc basis, but the BBC’s decision to show live Premiership matches follows the broadcaster losing the rights to show live PRO14 matches to subscription channel PremierSports.

The first live broadcast will be Ebbw Vale versus Aberavon on Friday, September 7.

The structure for this season’s competition has been changed to a home and away format, with no play-offs at the end of the campaign.

The threat of relegation is a serious one for Bedwas, Cross Keys and Bargoed, with the bottom four sides set to be automatically relegated to the WRU National Championship.

Head of Sport at BBC Wales, Geoff Williams, said: “Friday night rugby on the BBC has been a staple part of the sporting diet in Wales for many years, and armchair rugby fans will be delighted to see it continue.

“The revamped Premiership will be an exciting competition that’s rooted in communities across Wales, and it has a strong following amongst rugby fans. This season, there is certain to be a significant amount of jeopardy and rivalry among the sides vying to top the league and BBC Wales will be there to bring our audiences all the drama from the touchline.”

Premiership clubs have also welcomed the news, with weekly live coverage expected to be a welcome boost for the clubs’ exposure and sponsorship.

A spokeswoman for Bedwas RFC said: “We welcome the news that Principality Premiership games will be broadcast live on the BBC and we see it as a very positive move.

“It will attract exposure to both the league and the clubs, and is very important for sponsors.

“We have found that sponsors are already responding positively to the news, and we welcome businesses contacting us to see what sponsorship packages we can offer.

Some clubs have raised concerns that moving some games to a Friday night may present a conflict with the fact that most Premiership players are in full time employment.

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