RTÉ To Carry Ireland's 2019 Rugby World Cup Matches

Rugby fans "will be able to follow Ireland's World Cup odyssey next autumn" on free-to-air TV, according to Gareth Morgan of the IRISH INDEPENDENT. RTÉ will broadcast 14 live matches from Rugby World Cup 2019, including all of the games involving Manager Joe Schmidt's team. RTÉ and Eir Sport reached a sub-licensing agreement between the two broadcasters in relation to Rugby World Cup 2019. It is "another twist in the rivalry between RTÉ and TV3," which have been battling over rugby coverage in recent seasons. The national broadcaster "was dealt a blow when TV3 landed a deal for the annual Six Nations tournament," which will give it broadcast rights until '21. Eir Sport, a "relatively new player, threw down a marker" when it secured the rights to the 2019 Rugby World Cup. But as part of the deal, Eir Sport "had to ensure that 13 live games from the Rugby World Cup will be on free-to-air TV." This "almost inevitably meant a sub-licensing agreement with either RTÉ or TV3" (IRISH INDEPENDENT, 11/23).