RUGBY NEWS: SETANTA SPORTS have confirmed their two existing sports channels will broadcast the Magners League for the coming season but the television rights will go back to tender ahead of the 2010/11 campaign.
Setanta Ireland will televise most of the 50-plus matches live with Setanta Sports 1 also showing some games. The company recently went into administration yet remains afloat in Ireland but Setanta Sports 2 and Setanta Golf are no longer available.
Meanwhile, Ulster and Munster have confirmed next month’s pre-season matches. Ulster, under a new coaching ticket headed up by director of rugby David Humphreys, will host the Newcastle Falcons on Friday, August 21st and Italian club Viadana five days later before an away friendly against Mike Ruddock’s Worcester Warriors on August 28th.
The Sale Sharks face league champions Munster in Musgrave Park on Friday, August 15th, with London Irish arriving in Cork a week later before an enticing trip to Welford Road to play English champions the Leicester Tigers on Friday, August 28th.
On the same night (7pm kick-off) London Irish end their mini-tour of Ireland against Leinster back in their old Donnybrook fortress.
The previous week, Michael Cheika takes his squad, minus the Lions contingent, to Nice for a training camp and a match against Nice Cote d’Azur on Saturday, August 22nd.
Connacht are expected to announce their pre-season programme next week and should also confirm the recruitment of two new players.
Five players have already come in – Bernie Upton, Mike McComish, Jamie Hagen, Miah Nikora and Brian Tuohy – but this hardly covers the 13 who departed at the end of last season.
*Jonny Wilkinson will be allowed to participate in England's elite squad training camp in August despite its proximity to the start of the French season, his Toulon club confirmed yesterday.
“We have signed an agreement with the Rugby Football Union, we shall not stop him from taking part in the camp nor in any future training sessions,” club chairman Mourad Boudjellal said.
Wilkinson was named in the 32-man England squad that will assemble for their first training session of the season from August 9th-14th, just weeks before the French championship starts.
PRE-SEASON FIXTURES:
Friday, August 14th: Munster v Sale Sharks, Musgrave Park, 7pm.
Friday, August 21st: Ulster v Newcastle Falcons, Ravenhill, 7.30pm.
Munster v London Irish, Musgrave Park, 7pm.
Saturday, August 22nd: Rugby Nice Cote d’Azur v Leinster, Nice, TBC
Wednesday, August 26th: Ulster v Viadana, Ravenhill, 7.30pm
Friday, August 28th: Worcester Warriors v Ulster, Sixways, 7.30pm.
Leinster v London Irish, Donnybrook, 7pm.
Munster v Leicester Tigers, Welford Road, TBC.
