Leinster -v- Munster should be available to all

Posted by Keith Martin on April 17, 2009 at 12:50 PM

I'm really looking forward to the Leinster -v- Munster Heineken Cup semi-final, but I'm very concerned that most people in both provinces won't be able to watch it because it's not available on free-to-air TV stations (like RTÉ, TV3 and TG4).

Minister Ryan just announced he is willing to take submissions on events of major importance that should be considered for free-to-air television.

The deadline for submissions is May 8th. This should be brought forward to May 2nd to include the forthcoming Heineken cup semi-final, an event that has captured the attention of the nation in its build up and promises to be an event to remember.

It may be too late to implement such a change but two Irish provinces meeting in Croke Park to compete for a place in a European final is, I believe, an occasion of huge cultural importance to the Irish people and should be made available free-to-air.

We are likely to have an 80,000 plus sell-out crowd in one of the world’s finest stadia and is set to be one of the biggest sporting events of the year in Ireland. However, the opportunity to enjoy this exciting spectacle will only be available on subscription. This, I believe, is grossly unfair to the hundreds of thousands of fans across the country.

We should recognise the value and importance cultural citizenship. Sporting and cultural events such as the upcoming Heineken Cup match should not be up for auction. It these difficult economic times many families will be canceling their sports channel subscriptions to save money.

An encounter between two Irish provinces in the final stages of the Heineken cup is an occasion that should be made available to the entire nation, not just the highest bidder.

While I accept that sports organisations rely heavily on television deals, I must also point out that it is also in their best interests to make their events available to as many people as possible and to keep them accessible to ensure interest in their sport continues.

The Heineken Cup is the most exciting club rugby competition there is and if two Irish sides are set to clash in the final stages, I believe the Minister should use his discretion to make that event freely available to the Irish public whose support, after all, is the backbone of recent sporting success.

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