Rugby Australia has taken the opposite stance of every other sporting body in the country by calling for the government to ensure rugby games are broadcast live on free-to-air television.
The country’s major sporting bodies, including Tennis Australia, the AFL, and NRL, recently called the government’s anti-siphoning list — which dictates key sporting matches are broadcast live and free-to-air in Australia — “unfairly anti-competitive”, “unreasonable” and inappropriate”.
In contrast, Rugby Australia wants assurance its Wallabies, Wallaroos, and Super Rugby matches run live on the free-to-air networks, on their main stations.
“I think the AFL, NRL and Cricket have proven you can have your cake and eat it too,” Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan said.
“Australia has one of the healthiest traditional media ecosystems in the world, and the anti-siphoning regime has gone a long way to protect it.”
The anti-siphoning laws expire in April, and are under review. Free TV, which represents Seven, Nine and Ten said the list was vital.
“Simply put, without sport, there would be no Free TV services,” it said.
