Kick off times

[tommo0608]

Hi Guys

This is my first post, so go easy on me

Anyway my question is, who decides kick off times for the RaboDirect games?

The reason i ask this, is i am looking at kick off times for the Scarlets games for the rest of the season, and there is not a single home game that kicks off in the afternoon. We have around an hours drive to Parc y Scarlets, but obviously coming home you can normally add on a good 30-40 mins extra by the time you get out of the ground and car park (ospreys match took us 45mins just to get out of the car park). The only game i cant seem to find a KO time for is the home game to Munster, so there maybe some hope yet.

But my point is, everyone is complaining about low crowds, but for regions like the scarlets whose area spans a fairly large proportion of Wales, expecting people to travel down for games which dont kick off until gone 6 is asking alot given the time people will be getting home by. Surely 2 or 3 o'clock KO's would be far more beneficial, and would be alot more attractive to both local supporters (who then have a free evening) and those who are required to drive a good distance to the ground. I do fully understand there are people who have far more than 1 hour journey times to the stadium. Perhaps this is not as bigger issue for other Regions, like the Blues for example who are based within the largest city in Wales, where you would not expect people to be travelling as much to the ground from other counties.

The only answer i can think is that its got to be something to do with television deals?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I know in the premiership the clubs get to decide their own kickoff times (i presume they say to PRL when they want their home games to be and then they sort it out so there's no clashes) however when the TV get involved then they change it.
For example: Sale's home games are Friday evenings, however we've had Thursday, Saturday and Sunday games, due to sky/espn wanting them changed to show them on TV.

With the amount of Pro12 games televised I imagine that the TV channels have a big say in it.

Sent from my HTC Incredible S using Tapatalk

 

[Seaton]

The great thing about the RaboDirect is the fantastic Thursday games.

I mean, it's not like anyone has work or anything.

The guys who thought that one up deserve a medal of somesorts.

Otherwise what Olyy said.

 

[munstermuffin]

As far as I know it the TV that decide. RTE and S4C I think have first picks then rest usually sort something.
Irish teams now usually get Friday or Saturday evenings which is better than Setanta who used to think only time a game could be played in Musgrave Park was at 5pm on a Sunday

 

[welshglory]

I know in the premiership the clubs get to decide their own kickoff times (i presume they say to PRL when they want their home games to be and then they sort it out so there's no clashes) however when the TV get involved then they change it.
For example: Sale's home games are Friday evenings, however we've had Thursday, Saturday and Sunday games, due to sky/espn wanting them changed to show them on TV.

With the amount of Pro12 games televised I imagine that the TV channels have a big say in it.

Sent from my HTC Incredible S using Tapatalk

I think it also has to do with the profile of the teams. Northampton, Leicester, Gloucester and Bath tend to get good kick off times while Sale, Newcastle, Worcester get crap ones. In the Pro12 every team gets crap kick off times!

Also, the Welsh games are free to air. Would they really gain anything from changing the times?

I'd personally like Sky or Espn to buy the rights. Maybe it should be Aviva - Sky, Pro 12 - ESPN. I find the BBC Wales and S4C coverage to be so amateur. Hopefully it would also lead to more people attending the matches.

 

[tommo0608]

I think it also has to do with the profile of the teams. Northampton, Leicester, Gloucester and Bath tend to get good kick off times while Sale, Newcastle, Worcester get crap ones. In the Pro12 every team gets crap kick off times!

Also, the Welsh games are free to air. Would they really gain anything from changing the times?

I'd personally like Sky or Espn to buy the rights. Maybe it should be Aviva - Sky, Pro 12 - ESPN. I find the BBC Wales and S4C coverage to be so amateur. Hopefully it would also lead to more people attending the matches.

I do actually rather like the BBC coverage, Scrum V, nice thing is we dont get any Advert breaks. However i am sure ESPN had the magners league last year?

Does seem strange, i know alot of the games away to the Irish teams we are not able to watch as its on an Irish channel, RTE?, but those on BBC or S4c surely could be put on a more reasonable hour of the day. Think most would agree often their is very little on in the afternoon anyway on a weekend (if you dont own skysports anyway) and its not as if it would be replacing any high demanded programmes.

Also if you consider it in direct competition to football, often there will be an early KO and a late one but 3'o clock games arnt shown, so it would certainly offer an alternative afternoon option to those who may not normally go to a rugby game as in the evening they are going out or watching the footie.

Either way though these late kick offs in the rugby are not helping the attendance numbers, and it amazes me that the WRU have not seriously looked into changing it.