According to this in yesterday's Observer www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/ ... rt-shakeup Apologies if already posted, couldn't see it. So is this the end of the Challenge Cup?

According to this in yesterday's Observer www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/ ... rt-shakeup Apologies if already posted, couldn't see it. So is this the end of the Challenge Cup?

The word is that the CC may be droipped from the 'obligatory' list, that's all. There's nothing to stop the BBC still showing it, or the RFL from selling the Beeb the rights.



The cretins who seem to be in charge of 'deliberations' want sacking though, if they genuinely believe that the Challenge Cup Final, like the Derby, do not have "special national resonance", whereas a first round Wimbledon tennis match on Court 73 between a Bulgarian and a Filipino apparently does resonate in the English soul.



How does the CCF not have as much "special national resonance" as Wales or NI playing in World Cup qualifiers, then?

The lobbying undertaken by the Beeb and ITV to get this list changed is an appalling piece of opportunism attempting to get live sport on the cheap IMO.



It would be interesting to see whether someone like the Welsh Rugby Union would consider taking legal action in the European Court if they were effectively forbidden from selling the rights to their home games to anyone other than a free-to-air broadcaster.



If the Challenge Cup ends up on pay TV, then IMO it has lost the only reason for keeping it alive and should be scrapped in order to reduce the length of the season.

It's the ONLY true RL competition left in this country that has interest for all.



Kill that and the game will be on an even more steepened decline in interest at all levels.

It has an "interest for all"?



Someone ought to tell the fans of clubs at all levels who seem to have given up on the competition until it reaches the Final.

Eammon Holmes

Great - let`s scrap a tournament which actually means something to the community as 30k Warrington fans proved ...

Should imagine the BBC will still want to broacast the CC, the only difference now, Sky will be able to bid for the game, the downside is you will have to pay to watch if Sky get it.

Flatcapper









[size=59I completely agree, as you can imagine.[/size

You could say the same about the play-offs, and even then the final isn't a sell out. Shall we scrap that as well?

But that isn't in free to air tv, which is the matter in hand

The comment I quoted was in relation to interest in the competition and attendance levels, rather than it's television coverage.