Ryan rejects claim rugby plan based 'on a hunch'

MINISTER FOR Communications Eamon Ryan has strongly rejected suggestions he decided “on a hunch” to designate key rugby matches…

MINISTER FOR Communications Eamon Ryan has strongly rejected suggestions he decided “on a hunch” to designate key rugby matches free-to-air on television.

In an opinion piece in The Irish Times today, Mr Ryan argues that the viewpoint of the IRFU should not be allowed to monopolise the debate on his proposals to make the Six Nations and Heineken Cup competitions free-to-air.

The public have contributed to the success of Irish rugby in recent years through ticket sales and supporters’ clubs and “through massive tax revenues that have been given to the sport,” Mr Ryan writes. He said the public interest should be taken into account.

Separately, Taoiseach Brian Cowen said yesterday the Government will make a “common sense” decision on whether or not Mr Ryan’s proposals would be upheld when the consultation period ends in July.

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Mr Cowen said any policy development would have to be consistent with “the development of the sports that are doing so well internationally for us at the moment”.

He said he would like to see the list of free-to-air sporting events retained. Neither the Six Nations nor the Heineken Cup is on the free-to-air list at the moment, although the international series is available for free on terrestrial television until 2013 because RTÉ holds the rights.

Mr Ryan has argued that unless the decision is taken now to designate the Six Nations as free-to-air, there would be nothing preventing the rugby unions making a deal with pay-to-view broadcasters such as Sky in 2013.

The Heineken Cup, or European Rugby Cup, is available live only to Sky Sports subscribers. RTÉ shows deferred highlights.

In response, the IRFU has contended that neither Mr Ryan nor the Government has any right to make decisions in relation to the televising of Irish rugby.

Its chief executive Philip Browne has claimed the union will lose €12 million in revenue each year. He also claimed Mr Ryan made a decision ‘on a hunch’ that had the potential to destroy Irish rugby.

In the article, Mr Ryan has contended that sports events that have transferred to pay-per-view channels have led to dramatic reductions of up to 80 per cent in audiences.

“The people most disenfranchised by moving major sporting events to pay TV are the poorer sections of society, the elderly, rural dwellers and children.”

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said yesterday the system in place now has worked and there is no need to tamper with it. Echoing the views of his party’s communications spokesman Simon Coveney, he expressed concern about the effect of the revenue loss for the rugby union.