According to Rugby World Cup Limited (RWCL), the deal will deliver unprecedented coverage within Canada of the 2011 tournament in New Zealand and the 2015 competition in England. TSN will televise all of Canada’s pool matches as well as some other selected pool matches, the quarter-finals, semi-finals, bronze final and the final itself in high definition on its TSN and TSN2 channels.
With TSN carrying the Rugby World Cup for the first time since the 1995 tournament in South Africa, extensive coverage will also be provided via TSN.ca and TSN Mobile TV. RWCL managing director Mike Miller described the deal as “a significant boost for the reach and profile of rugby in Canada”.
“TSN is Canada's leading sports broadcaster and is renowned for its high quality broadcasting of major international sports events,” said Miller. “They will bring their unique sound, style and passion for live sport to a tournament that is firmly established as one of the world’s premier sports events.”
TSN vice-president of programming Shawn Redmond added: “Rugby World Cup is a huge, internationally-celebrated event that attracts billions of viewers from across the world and continues to grow in popularity in Canada. We are looking forward to showcasing rugby’s marquee event to Canadian sports fans across all TSN platforms as the Canada team takes on some of the finest teams in the world.”
