Sky Sports commentators Miles Harrison and Stuart Barnes will go on loan to ITV for the IRB 2007 Rugby World Cup.
Harrison and Barnes will team up on major matches for ITV throughout the tournament in France, including the final on October 20.
They have worked together at Sky Sports since 1996, covering more than 100 internationals, including three Lions tours, five Heineken Cup finals and the BAFTA award-winning England-New Zealand game in 1997.
Vic Wakeling, Sky Sports managing director, said today: "Miles and Stuart have formed a superb partnership - one of the best commentary teams in any sport. They deserve this chance, and we are delighted to let them go out on loan for a brief period.
"They work on, and see more games from around the world than anyone else in rugby thanks to the coverage we have on Sky Sports - Guinness Premiership and Heineken Cup, plus some Twickenham internationals - alongside our international summer tour coverage from Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, including the next Lions tour.
"They are up to date on the form players in those territories, and players who have emerged and who might come through in the next few months, because we see them all in tri-nations, Super 14s and Currie Cup.
"They will do a great job for ITV - and they will return to Sky immediately after the final to pick up our coverage of the Guinness Premiership and Heineken Cup."
Mark Sharman, Director of ITV Sport, said: "The Rugby World Cup is an exclusive ITV event and hugely important to our Autumn schedules.
"We want to provide the UK audience with the very best coverage and Miles and Stuart are the best in the game. I am delighted that they will be leading our commentary team."
Stuart Barnes won 12 domestic ***les and cups as a player between 1983 and 1994. He also played 10 times for England, and was in the Lions party for the 1993 tour to New Zealand.
Miles Harrison counts his commentaries on the 1997 Lions series win in South Africa, England's critical pre-World Cup wins in New Zealand and Australia in 2003, and Munster's emotional Heineken Cup success in 2006 as the highlights of his career so far.
He was recently awarded the annual Guinness Rugby Union Journalist of the Season Award for 2007.[/b]
