Foxtel comes to rugby’s rescue with last-minute broadcast deal

Foxtel has agreed to sign up to the remaining domestic Super Rugby seasons in Australia and New Zealand.

Rugby Australia chief executive Rob Clarke applauded the work of the RA board and the broadcaster in coming to the agreement. Picture: AAP

Foxtel has agreed to sign up to the remaining domestic Super Rugby seasons in Australia and New Zealand, despite Rugby Australia previously turning down a $40m-a-year offer from the broadcaster.

While the new deal with Fox Sports and Foxtel’s sports streamer Kayo does not guarantee a broadcasting deal for RA into next year, it does provide much-needed financial backing for the code, which has been on the verge of financial collapse and plagued by infighting.

It is understood the new deal comes in at just over a 30 per cent discount to the previously agreed 2020 Super Rugby season, which has been severely curtailed because of COVID-19.

The deal does not include the broadcast rights to international games (should they be played) between Australia and New Zealand, set to be announced in the coming weeks.

RA chief executive Rob Clarke applauded the work of the RA board and the broadcaster in coming to the agreement, which will allow the Australian season to kick off on July 3 when the NSW Waratahs take on the Queensland Reds.

Mr Clarke would not comment on the specifics of the rights deal when asked by The Australian on Wednesday, but said: “We would have only gone ahead with this comp if it was commercially viable, and this broadcast deal makes it commercially viable.”

It also brings some relief after what has been a sorry saga for RA’s broadcast rights, which were thrown into disarray in ­November when former chief executive Raelene Castle rejected an offer from Foxtel boss ­Patrick Delany to roll over its old deal for another five years.

In the wake of the Wallabies’ disastrous World Cup campaign, Ms Castle sought out interest from telco giant Optus for an ­increased offer, only to have the company withdraw its interest with the onset of COVID-19.

The Australian has since revealed that RA was on the verge of bankruptcy, after chaos at the board level led to the resignation of both Ms Castle and former chairman Cameron Clyne.

Mr Clarke would not be drawn on the decision of his predecessor not to do a deal with Foxtel last year, but paid credit to Mr Delany as well as Fox Sports head Peter Campbell.

“A key task of mine has been to re-establish what has been a fantastic broadcasting relationship with Fox Sports since the game went professional in 1996, and I’m delighted we have been able to achieve that,” he said.

Foxtel is majority owned by News Corp, the publisher of The Australian.

Super Rugby is the most international sporting competition in the world, with teams ­previously travelling between Argentina, South Africa, Japan, New Zealand and Australia in a four-conference arrangement that was hard hit by COVID-19 travel bans.

The new domestic seasons for Super Rugby AU in Australia and Super Rugby Aoteara in New Zealand drastically reduce the amount of games played. They will now be run over just 12 weeks, including finals.

Foxtel will screen the kick-off of the New Zealand tournament this week, with Highlanders v Chiefs on Saturday, followed by Blues v Hurricanes on Sunday.