It has been a busy week for the United Rugby Championship with major sponsorship deals involving BKT and Qatar Airway, both of them new to the sport.
Yesterday it was time to pit the players front and centre stage, at a media day held at Burnham Beeches, to the West of London.
In a recognition of the international nature of the sport, the competition and the return to more normal travel patterns that was to facilitate teams, players, officials and media flying in from across the continent.
Overseas sport was to the fore in the conversations held as well with CEO Martin Anayi defending the new partnership with Qatar Airways, saying that the values of rugby can play a part in helping countries across the Middle East make progress in social areas.
He ruled out taking major Derby games including Munster against Leinster on tour to the United States, saying that the loss of the games in their own stadia last year had been a real blow and there was no intention in moving them away now that full crowds at Christmas can be expected.
He was also quizzed on the impact of Ireland’s emerging players tour to South Africa that will cut across the third and fourth rounds of competition, arguing that the absence of these younger players would mean more game time for the senior players who were already part of the international set up and a likely stronger than ever selection for the provinces and the clubs over that period.
It was a day of content capture and digital media as well as for players and journalists to sit and chat.
The URC branding is going into Year two now and still looks fresh and vibrant. Inpho’s team of photographers were there to capture the players and we will be following the different layers and levels of content the tournament will be prodicing as the season progresses.
Munster will be the first Irish team in action on Friday, September 16th with live coverage of their game away to cardiff on RTÉ2. Leinster’s trip to Zebre will be similarly shown on Saturday ahead of the first derby game between ulster and Connacht, live on TG4 on that Saturday evening.
