Taking live audiences for granted in return for £300m is a huge gamble for a sport with a thin link to the public
Sometimes we overlook the fragility of the thread connecting rugby with the public. It is not a sport that necessarily appeals to everyone, even if they do have a vague grasp of the rules. For some it is too brutal and painful to watch in comfort; if you have never played there are plenty of reasons to doubt the sanity of those who do. You don’t get cauliflower ears playing badminton.
It is also a sport heavily reliant on its heritage and history. England against Wales on Saturday would be just another game without its evocative past, its cross-border element and its “them and us” cultural undercurrents. Much like the Grand National, people of all backgrounds will watch the Six Nations even if they don’t much care for the actual sport.
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Six Nations chiefs’ refusal to rule out the possibility of the competition going behind a paywall has resulted in a motion being tabled to parliament demanding that it remain free to air.
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