Setanta Sports chief executive Niall Cogley has confirmed the new sports channel will televise Leinster Schools Cup matches from Donnybrook this year - starting with delayed coverage of the Clongowes Wood College and St Michael's College first round tie on January 31st.
The plan is to go live for the senior semi-finals - on February 28th and March 1st - and the St Patrick's Day final at Lansdowne Road, with all other matches to be screened in evening slots of 7 p.m. and 10.30 p.m.
At least 20 games, including Junior Cup matches at Donnybrook and, it's hoped, the penultimate stages of the Munster Schools Cup will also be shown.
Representatives from the Leinster Branch meet with Cogley today and the topic will be on the agenda at tomorrow evening's Branch meeting.
"We hope a certain level of interest will be generated," said Cogley. "Considering the cost, it is being done more as a service rather than a scoop so we will be following the requests of the branch."
The move brings an even brighter spotlight on to the Leinster Schools Cup, which requires, as one rugby correspondent once described, a small forest to be cut down to accommodate the print coverage.
Now, not even the boss with no comprehension of the competitions tradition can deny the 'old boys' a chance to view the drama unfolding as delayed screening times will allow those unable to attend, due to work commitments, to see the matches.
With outside broadcast units costing anything from €15,000 to €40,000, all the transmissions will be confined to Donnybrook. The Ulster Schools Cup is not being approached as BBC traditionally screens that final on March 17th anyway.
The regular Celtic League commentators will be available, but Cogley is keen for any input from the participating schools themselves.
"It will be predominantly watched by schoolboys so we are hoping to get the schoolboys involved - whether this be the introduction of teams or whatever."
Setanta sports is officially launched next month, but their seven-day a week viewing starts in the coming days running from 5 p.m. to midnight, Monday to Friday, and 8 a.m. to midnight at the weekend.
Setanta will be developing a rugby slot on Tuesday nights that will include Celtic League repeats and highlights, along with action from the French championship, where Irish internationals Trevor Brennan (Toulouse) and Mick O'Driscoll (Perpignan) currently earn a crust. A live French game will be aired each weekend.
This Saturday, Premiership leaders Chelsea's match against Tottenham at White Hart Lane will be shown live (3 p.m.), as will Celtic's SPL clash against Aberdeen and Juventus' Serie A tie with Cagliari. Setanta will also broadcast live coverage of this season's Formula One action.
