Fall NH tours on TV

October 31, 2006

Attention Canadian and American rugby fans.

The annual Fall rugby tests of southern hemisphere rugby powers touring Europe is upon us, and Canada is a part of it too.

What's on store for the North American rugby viewer?

Mediazone Rugby Channel has a good menu of test matches available online. Cost is USD$7.99 per test match. These matches are available as live streams and downloads for repeated viewings later at no extra cost. Unfortunately, they don't have the broadcast rights to test matches involving England or France.

Canadian viewers (at least) have a chance to see England's test matches on PPV television at Viewers Choice for a princely CND$24.99 per test match. I just got off the phone with a Viewer's Choice representative and he assured me that they are only broadcasting test matches invloving England. For further details, call Viewers Choice at 1-800-565-6684.

American viewers should call their local cable provider and enquire.

French Fall internationals are not available at this time. Sometimes Canadian French-language TV5 shows international test matches from France live or on a same-day tape delay, so keep your eye on them. If I find more I will be sure to post it.

Schedule:

Saturday, November 4, 2006
WALES vs. AUSTRALIA
09:30 am ET
Rugby Channel Pay-Per-View for USD$7.99.

Sunday, November 5, 2006
ENGLAND vs. NEW ZEALAND
10:30 am ET
Viewers Choice PPV for CND$24.99.

Saturday, November 11, 2006
ENGLAND vs ARGENTINA
09:30 am ET
Viewers Choice PPV for CND$24.99.

Saturday, November 11, 2006
WALES vs. PACIFIC ISLANDERS
09:30 am ET
Rugby Channel Pay-Per-View for USD$7.99.

Saturday, November 11, 2006
SCOTLAND vs. ROMANIA
09:30 am ET
Rugby Channel Pay-Per-View for USD$7.99.

Saturday, November 11, 2006
IRELAND vs. SOUTH AFRICA
12:00 noon ET
Rugby Channel Pay-Per-View for USD$7.99.

Friday, November 17
WALES vs. CANADA
2:30 pm ET
Rugby Channel Pay-Per-View for USD$7.99.

Saturday, November 18, 2006
ENGLAND vs. SOUTH AFRICA
09:30 am ET
Viewers Choice PPV for CND$24.99.

Saturday, November 18
SCOTLAND vs. PACIFIC ISLANDERS
09:30 am ET
Rugby Channel Pay-Per-View for USD$7.99.

Sunday, November 19
IRELAND vs. AUSTRALIA
11:00 am ET
Rugby Channel Pay-Per-View for USD$7.99.

Saturday, November 25, 2006
ENGLAND vs. SOUTH AFRICA
09:30 am ET
Viewers Choice PPV for CND$24.99.

Saturday, November 25
SCOTLAND vs. AUSTRALIA
09:30 am ET
Rugby Channel Pay-Per-View for USD$7.99.

Saturday, November 25
WALES vs. NEW ZEALAND
12:00 noon ET
Rugby Channel Pay-Per-View for USD$7.99.

Sunday, November 26
IRELAND vs. PACIFIC ISLANDERS
09:45 am ET
Rugby Channel Pay-Per-View for USD$7.99.

[UPDATE Sat. Nov. 4:] Att'n: American rugby fans!

I was just sent a short press notice from Mediazone:

Celtic Tests Live on Dish Network in November

The 2006 Celtic Autumn Internationals feature all the home fixtures involving Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The Irish will play the Springboks, Wallabies, and Islanders at Lansdowne Road. The Scots face off against Romania, the Islanders, and Australia at Murrayfield and the Welsh do battle with the Wallabies, Islanders, Canadians, and All Blacks at Millennium Stadium. All ten matches will be carried LIVE on Dish Network and are available at $79.95 for the complete Celtic package or $9.95 per match!