Charlie Dewhirst, MP for Bridlington and The Wolds and who previously worked for the Rugby Football Union (RFU), has secured a debate in Parliament next week where he will raise concerns with the Government about the future of the Six Nations Rugby Championship. Reports in the media earlier this week suggested that the tournament may move from free-to-air on the BBC and ITV to subscription service TNT Sport when its current broadcast deal ends.
Dewhirst will raise the future health of the game in the UK if viewing figures plummet behind a paywall and fewer young people are inspired to take up the game. Six Nations matches are a much-loved fixture in the national sporting calendar and attracted an estimated 120 million viewers during the 2023 tournament.
The MP will ask the Government to consider adding the Six Nations to Group A of ‘listed’ sporting events to ensure they remain free-to-air, the same as the FA Cup Final, Grand National and major international football tournaments. Currently the Six Nations is in Group B, which means only the highlights need to be shown on free-to-air television.
Commenting ahead of the debate, Charlie said:
“The Six Nations is one of our most popular annual sporting events and this weekend millions of people across the UK will be watching at home and in the pub. It celebrates old rivalries between the Home Nations and inspires so many children to get involved in the game.
“It also fills a void in the sporting calendar during the cold and wet weekends in February and March when there are not many other major events taking place. My fear is that a move to subscription television will see audiences plummet and we risk missing out on the next generation of rugby players and fans.”
“I understand the need to maximise broadcast income but denying widespread access to the tournament will damage the sport in the long term. Cricket has suffered since England Test matches were moved behind a paywall and I don’t want rugby union to make the same mistake. It is time for the Government to review ‘listed’ sporting events and put the Six Nations in the top tier, where it belongs.”
