WHY CHANGE a winning formula? That is the question many have asked in response to the proposal by Minister for Communications, Eamon Ryan, to designate Six Nations and Heineken Cup rugby matches as free-to-air on television. The Heineken Cup rights currently belong to a pay channel, and the Minister has highlighted the possibility of Six Nations games going the same way after the next rights renewal unless they are designated as free-to-air.
He argues that his proposal will bring rugby to a wider audience, at less cost to television viewers, and that it can be done without damaging the sport – of which he is a strong supporter. The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) thinks otherwise. Mr Ryan’s proposal, it suggests, is financial folly and would ruin the professional game in this country. The IRFU maintains that a free-to-air designation would result in a serious loss of television revenue which would have significant implications for the sport.
Ireland’s rugby success is a relatively recent phenomenon. The foundations for it are clear. From the outset, the IRFU has shown vision and foresight. It used the existing provincial structure to create four professional teams and exercised centralised control over those clubs and the payment of players.
But others too have made their contribution. Government, by changing the tax code, gave players a financial incentive to play their rugby at home. Taxpayers, above all, have made a huge contribution to rugby, whether by funding the tax break for players, or advancing € 191 million towards the cost of the new Aviva Stadium on Lansdowne Road.
The return on that public investment in the game has been considerable, whether counted in titles won or in the incalculable boost to national morale that sporting success has provided in times of economic adversity.
No one can fault Mr Ryan’s desire to ensure taxpayers, who have been generous benefactors of Irish rugby, have easier access to major sporting events by making them available free-to-air on television. Certainly, there is a case to be made, and it may well be that the arguments for designating the Six Nations games are stronger than for the Heineken Cup matches, particularly in the early stages of that competition.
So far, however, the Minister has failed to make a compelling argument for his current proposals and it is easy to understand why rugby administrators are fearful about their implications.