Scottish Rugby can today confirm that all 21 matches in the FOSROC Super6 Sprint Series will be broadcast live to a global audience.
Every Friday night game in the Sprint Series will be broadcast live on television by broadcast partner FreeSports and both Saturday games will be available on BBC Sport website, BBC iPlayer and the Scottish Rugby website.
FreeSports will also make each Friday night fixture available to view on their FreeSports Player within the UK and Ireland, those out with those territories will be able to watch the games on the Scottish Rugby website.
They first partnered with Scottish Rugby last summer to deliver every Sunday fixture and the grand final in the 2021 FOSROC Super6 and are the only free-to-air sports channel in the UK and Ireland. Formed in 2017, FreeSports are the sister channel of Premier Sports who broadcast the United Rugby Championship and French Rugby’s Top 14 competitions.
The broadcasting of the tournament will be produced by Glasgow-based production company QTV who were integral to the broadcasting of the inaugural FOSROC Super6 tournament in 2019.
Bringing the action to life will be the experienced commentary team of Stuart McFarlane, Paul Mitchell, Hugh Dan MacLennan, Jamie Lyall, Dale Clancy and Bruce Millar, who will be joined by guest co-commentators.
The FOSROC Super6 Sprint Series will commence next month, with all six participating teams playing each other once. The league will then be split with the teams who finished in the top half playing the teams who finished in the bottom half over three weekends of play-offs to determine the final placings.
Scottish Rugby Head of Performance Programmes, Grant McKelvey said: “We’re delighted that both FreeSports and BBC Scotland will be continuing as broadcast partners of the FOSROC Super6. To be able to broadcast all 21 matches to a worldwide audience is a significant landmark development for the competition.”
“Although the FOSROC Super6 Championship in the summer will be our main competition, the FOSROC Super6 Sprint Series will play a crucial part in building towards the first full season of Championship fixtures.”
“With cross-border opportunities on hold for this season due to the ongoing impact of the pandemic, we’re focused on delivering a quality season of rugby at this important level. The FOSROC Super6 Sprint Series gives all players and teams an opportunity to showcase themselves with the expansive brand of rugby we saw in the last edition, played in better, hopefully warmer weather.”
“Once all Super6 clubs have managed to reset after the sprint we move into the block of 10 intensive fixtures for the FOSROC Super6 Championship, which culminates with the semi-final play offs for the top four placed teams in the league, followed by the grand final at the end of October.”
Stirling County Super6 Head Coach, Ben Cairns, commented, “It’s great to be getting ever closer to league action. The players have had a chance to rest and recuperate over the winter break – having been back in preparing since February. There was a definite improvement in the product of the FOSROC Super6 last season and a big part of that was the broadcasting element. so it’s great to see this being further enhanced with all matches being shown to a worldwide audience.”
Sprint Series action will kick-off on Friday 15 April with Ayrshire Bulls hosting Boroughmuir Bears in the first match of the tournament broadcast live on FreeSports. The next day Watsonians Rugby will host Stirling County whilst Heriot’s Rugby will welcome Southern Knights to Goldenacre, with both games available to watch on the BBC iPlayer and the Scottish Rugby website.
In round two Boroughmuir Bears will host city rivals Heriot’s Rugby at Meggetland on Friday evening with Watsonians Rugby making the trip to the Borders on Saturday to face Southern Knights and Ayrshire Bulls traveling to play Stirling County.
County then make the trip to Southern Knights on Friday 29 April, the following day Watsonians make the short hop to face Boroughmuir Bears whilst Ayrshire Bulls host Heriot’s Rugby.
In the penultimate round of fixtures before the split Stirling County host Boroughmuir Bears on Friday 6 May. Watsonians Rugby host Heriot’s Rugby on the Saturday with Ayrshire Bulls travelling to face Southern Knights.
In the deciding round of matches Southern Knights travel to face Boroughmuir Bears on Friday 20 May, Ayrshire Bulls host Watsonians and Stirling County host Heriot’s Rugby on the Saturday.
With the league standings confirmed by the first five rounds of fixtures, the team that finishes in third place will travel to the team who finishes in second for a live broadcast game on Friday 27 May, on the Saturday fifth place will play host to sixth.
The next weekend third place will host first place on Friday 3 June, with fourth traveling to sixth the next day.
The winner of the league will be decided when the team who ends the five regular rounds of fixtures in first place hosts the second-place team on Friday 10 June, with fourth playing fifth on Saturday 11 June.
FreeSports can be found on Freeview HD channel 65, Sky HD channel 422, Virgin HD 553, TalkTalk 64, BT Vision channel 64 and on the online FreeSports Player.
FOSROC Super6 Sprint Series Fixtures
Friday 15 April
Ayrshire Bulls v Boroughmuir Bears, 7:45pm – Live on FreeSports
Saturday 16 April
Watsonians Rugby v Stirling County, 2pm – Live on BBC iPlayer and Scottish Rugby website
Heriot’s Rugby v Southern Knights, 4:30pm – Live on BBC iPlayer and Scottish Rugby website
Friday 22 April
Boroughmuir Bears v Heriot’s Rugby, 7:45pm – Live on FreeSports
Saturday 23 April
Southern Knights v Watsonians Rugby, 2pm – Live on BBC iPlayer and Scottish Rugby website
Stirling County v Ayrshire Bulls, 4:30pm – Live on BBC iPlayer and Scottish Rugby website
Friday 29 April
Southern Knights v Stirling County, 7:45pm – Live on FreeSports
Saturday 30 April
Boroughmuir Bears v Watsonians Rugby, 2pm – Live on BBC iPlayer and Scottish Rugby website
Ayrshire Bulls v Heriot’s Rugby, 4:30pm – Live on BBC iPlayer and Scottish Rugby website
Friday 6 May
Stirling County v Boroughmuir Bears, 7:45pm – Live on FreeSports
Saturday 7 May
Watsonians Rugby v Heriot’s Rugby, 2pm – Live on BBC iPlayer and Scottish Rugby website
Southern Knights v Ayrshire Bulls, 4:30pm – Live on BBC iPlayer and Scottish Rugby website
Friday 20 May
Boroughmuir Bears v Southern Knights, 7:45pm – Live on FreeSports
Saturday 21 May
Ayrshire Bulls v Watsonians Rugby, 2pm – Live on BBC iPlayer and Scottish Rugby website
Stirling County v Heriot’s Rugby, 4:30pm – Live on BBC iPlayer and Scottish Rugby website
Friday 27 May
2nd v 3rd, 7:45pm – Live on FreeSports
Saturday 28 May
5th v 6th, 2pm – Live on BBC iPlayer and Scottish Rugby website
Friday 3 June
3rd v 1st, 7:45pm – Live on FreeSports
Saturday 4 June
6th v 4th, 2pm – Live on BBC iPlayer and Scottish Rugby website
Friday 10 June
1st v 2nd, 7:45pm – Live on FreeSports
Saturday 11 June
4th v 5th, 2pm – Live on BBC iPlayer and Scottish Rugby website
For further information please contact:
Sarah Bell
Super6 Communications Co-ordinator
Mob: +44(0) 07870545068
sarah.bell@sru.org.uk
