February 10, 2012

No.1 New Zealand All Blacks vs. France In The 2011 IRB Rugby World Cup Final, Sunday 3 PM ET On NBC

October 21, 2011 By 1 Comment

WALES VS. AUSTRAILIA IN BRONZE MEDAL FINAL ON UNIVERSAL SPORTS

NEW YORK– October 20, 2011 – The 2011 IRB Rugby World Cup will conclude this Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on NBC with exclusive coverage of the highly anticipated Final between New Zealand and France. Universal Sports Network will re-air the final at 8 p.m. ET. The Bronze Final between Wales vs. Australia will be LIVE on Universal Sports Network Friday at 3:15 a.m. ET, with a re-air of the match at 7 p.m. ET.

The famed New Zealand All Blacks, the World No. 1 team, will attempt to capture a second world title in its first World Cup Final appearance since 1995. New Zealand’s last world title in 1987 was against France. Though a surprising finalist this year, France previously beat New Zealand in the 1999 World Cup semifinals and in the 2007 quarterfinals.

Fans can also watch the World Cup Final and Bronze Medal match on-demand the following day on UniversalSports.com as part of an online subscription package.

Coverage on both NBC and Universal Sports will feature a studio pre-game show and halftime and post-game shows with Fred Roggin and Bill Seward alongside former USA Rugby Captain Brian Hightower.

Filed Under: NBC, Rugby, Universal

NBC Sports And Universal Sports Present More Than 15 Hours Of Live Coverage Of USA Sevens Rugby This Weekend From Las Vegas

February 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Marks the First Time Ever This Event Will be Aired Live on U.S. Network Television

ADT, Bridgestone, Subway and Toyota Sign on as National Broadcast Sponsors

NEW YORK – February 9, 2011 – NBC Sports and Universal Sports will present more than 15 hours of live coverage of the USA Sevens Rugby from Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., this Saturday and Sunday. This marks the first time ever that this event will be aired live on U.S. network television.

NBC Sports will have two broadcasts throughout the weekend with four hours of live coverage, including the Cup final (Sunday 4:30 p.m. ET). Calling the action will be Terry Gannon (play-by-play), Dave Sitton, who has played, coached and broadcast rugby for more than 30 years (analyst) and Marty Snider (reporter). Rob Hyland, who serves as NBC Sports’ lead producer for collegiate sevens rugby and Notre Dame football, will produce the world feed broadcast reaching out to over 140 different countries, with NBC Sports veteran producer David Gibson producing the NBC Sports and Universal Sports broadcasts.

Universal Sports will kick-off Saturday’s broadcast at 2:00 p.m. ET and feature 11 hours of live coverage for the weekend, including the Cup Semi-finals (Sunday 2-4:30 p.m. ET) and the Shield, Bowl and Plate finals (Sunday 6-8 p.m. ET). Universal Sports will have a studio show that will be hosted by Fred Roggin and Bill Seward. Universalsports.com will stream the entire event live on a subscription basis along with replays, highlights and analysis. All of this content is available on-demand by visiting universalsports.com/rugby.

As previously announced, ADT, Bridgestone, Subway and Toyota highlight the national broadcast sponsors that have signed on for the competition in Las Vegas. In-stadium benefits of the sponsorship for each partner include signage with permanent logos on and surrounding the field, Jumbotron spots, messaging and virtual signage. Each sponsor will also retain rights during the NBC Sports and Universal Sports broadcasts, including tagged tune-in promotion on NBC Sports and commercial inventory.

USA Sevens International Rugby Championship Broadcast Schedule
(All times LIVE)

Saturday, February 12
NBC Sports Broadcast Schedule
3:30 PM – 6:00 PM ET
Featured Games: England vs. France, USA vs. Samoa and New Zealand vs. Kenya

Universal Sports Broadcast Schedule
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM ET
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM ET
9:30 PM – 1:00 AM ET
Featured Games: South Africa vs. USA, Australia vs. Scotland and Cup Quarterfinals

Sunday, February 13
NBC Sports Broadcast Schedule
4:30 PM – 6:00 PM ET
Featured Game: Cup Final, teams TBD

Universal Sports Broadcast Schedule
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM ET
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM ET
Featured Games: Cup Semi-Final; Shield, Bowl and Plate Final

Rugby Sevens features seven players per team playing on the same size pitch as a 15’s match and offers non-stop action where speed, high scoring and athleticism dominate the competition. The format allows for constant entertainment with each match split into two seven-minute halves and a new match starting about every 20 minutes. Rugby Sevens will be an Olympic sport starting in 2016.

NBC Sports and Universal Sports will continue their coverage of rugby throughout the year. The networks will serve as the exclusive U.S. television home of the 2011 Rugby World Cup this fall in New Zealand and will also televise the 2011 Rugby Sevens Collegiate Championship this June in Philadelphia.

Filed Under: NBC, Rugby

Inaugural USA 7′s Rugby Collegiate Championship Invitational Set For Debut June 4-6

April 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Inaugural USA 7’s Rugby Collegiate Championship Invitational Set For Debut June 4-6

16-Team Round-Robin Tournament Marks First Time College Rugby 7’s Will Appear Live on Network Television

COLUMBUS, OHIO – April 6, 2010 – The first-ever USA 7’s Rugby Collegiate Championship Invitational, a Rugby Sevens round-robin tournament featuring 16 historically significant collegiate rugby teams, is set for competition from June 4-6 at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.  Rugby Sevens features seven players per team playing on the same size pitch as a 15’s match and offers non-stop action where speed, high scoring and athleticism rule the day.  The USA 7’s Rugby Collegiate Championship Invitational will be broadcast live on NBC on Saturday and Sunday, June 5-6 from 4-6 p.m. ET and Universal Sports on Saturday and Sunday from 2-4 p.m. ET.

“We’ve brought together the best-of-the-best for the inaugural USA 7’s Rugby Collegiate Championship Invitational,” said Dan Lyle, Tournament Director USA 7’s Rugby. “It’s a great opportunity to expose the sport to a mass audience in anticipation of inclusion in the Olympics.”

Rugby Sevens will be an Olympic sport starting in 2016 and the USA 7’s Rugby Collegiate Championship Invitational offers fans a preview of the talent pool available for the U.S. Olympic team.

The USA 7’s Rugby Collegiate Championship Invitational features 16 Division I collegiate traditional powers, including Arizona, Arizona State, Army, Bowling Green, Cal, Dartmouth, Florida, Harvard, Indiana, Navy, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, San Diego State, Tennessee, and Utah.

“Rugby Sevens is such a fast-paced sport that once you watch it you get to appreciate how much endurance and skill it takes to play the game,” said Ohio State head coach Tom Rooney.  “Creating a tournament to match up the best of the best on the university level is a great way to showcase the sport to a growing fan base.”

Broadcast Schedule:

  • NBC Sports live coverage from 4:00-6:00 p.m. ET on June 5 and 6
  • Universal Sports live coverage from 2:00-4:00 p.m. ET on June 5 and 6
  • NBC Mobile live simulcast from 4:00-6:00 p.m. ET on June 5 and 6
  • Hulu.com full event coverage available on-demand in HD quality video

About USA Sevens:

USA Sevens owns and operates America’s premier rugby event, the USA Sevens Rugby Tournament.  Held annually, the event is one of the eight international stops in the IRB Sevens World Series. With an attendance of over 50,000 during the two day event, it is the largest annual rugby event in North America and one of the fastest growing rugby events in the world.

Filed Under: NBC, Rugby