FreeSports X Super6 - Stirling County RFC

FreeSports X Super6

FOSROC Super6 Secures New Broadcast Partner

Pictured: Broadcast cameras in place at Stirling County’s ground Bridgehaugh
(credit: Bryan Robertson)

Scottish Rugby can today confirm that every Sunday fixture in the second season of the FOSROC Super6 competition will be televised live on free-to-air television by the competition’s new broadcast partner, FreeSports.

FreeSports is the only free-to-air sports channel in the UK and will broadcast 11 matches in the FOSROC Super6 exclusively live on TV, and on the online FreeSports Player, within the UK and Ireland.

Formed in 2017, FreeSports is the sister channel of Premier Sports, which will show next season’s United Rugby Championship and French Rugby’s Top 14 competitions.

The FreeSports coverage will also include highlights of every Friday and Saturday match played across the tournament’s 10-week regular period. Highlights of all 33 matches will also be available, with more information to follow ahead of the competition kicking off at the end of July.

For anyone living outside of the UK and Ireland, all the Sunday matches and the three finals will be available live on Scottish Rugby TV. All Sunday games will kick-off at 1.30pm BST.

The FOSROC Super6 commentary team will include Stuart McFarlane, Paul Mitchell, Hugh Dan MacLennan, Jamie Lyall and Rory Hamilton.

The first match played in front of the FreeSports cameras will be on Sunday 1 August, when Ayrshire Bulls host Watsonians Rugby at Millbrae (kick-off 1.30pm BST).

The next two live matches will feature Heriot’s Rugby, at home to Southern Knights at Goldenacre on Sunday 8 August and then away to Stirling County at Bridgehaugh on Sunday 15 August.

There will be five live broadcast games in August, as Southern Knights host Boroughmuir Bears on Sunday 22 August at the The Greenyards, before attention turns to Meggetland where the Bears will welcome Stirling County on Sunday 29 August.

In September, Boroughmuir Bears will host Southern Knights in a return fixture on Sunday 12 September and Heriot’s Rugby will welcome Ayrshire Bulls on Sunday 19 September.

On Sunday 26 September, Stirling County host Watsonians at Bridgehaugh in front of the FreeSports cameras and in this fixture last time out Stirling County sat bottom of the league table and put in a dominant second-half performance to score three tries and overcome table toppers Watsonians.

Watonians will then host Boroughmuir Bears on Sunday 3 October at Myreside before the FreeSports cameras return to Myreside the following weekend for Watsonians’ clash with Ayrshire Bulls in the last fixture of the regular season before the finals weekend.

The FOSROC Super6 finals weekend will take place on the weekend of 15/16/17 October and FreeSports will broadcast the 1st v 2nd Final exclusively live in the UK and Ireland, with the 3rd v 4th and 5th v 6th games shown live on Scottish Rugby TV.

FreeSports Director of Operations, Richard Webb said: “We are delighted to further enhance our coverage of Scottish Rugby with the announcement of live FOSROC Super6 games. We have developed a strong product for Scottish rugby fans to get behind, so it felt like a natural step to also support the game at this level.”

Scottish Rugby Head of Group Sponsorship and Marketing, Toni Blackhurst said: “This is excellent news for the FOSROC Super6. To have our part-time professional tournament, which is designed to bridge the gap between club and professional rugby shown live every Sunday is great.

“It is fantastic that it will be included in the same Premier Sports / FreeSports family of broadcasters that will show Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors in next seasons United Rugby Championship as it further enhances the pathway of moving through to the professional game. The increased profile of the league through Freesports coverage is great news for the clubs, fans and partners.”

Head Coach of Stirling County Rugby Football Club, Ben Cairns said “Today’s broadcast announcement is fantastic news for everyone involved in the FOSROC Super6. From a County perspective, our main aim is to have as many players, coaches & support staff come through our pathway and go on to further full time professional opportunities. The fact we will have 3 regular season matches televised live on Freesports as well as all other matches as part of a highlights package, will further enhance exposure and add to the excellent shop window that the FOSROC Super6 competition provides.”

2021 FOSROC Super6 Fixtures:
Friday 30 July                 Boroughmuir Bears v Heriot’s Rugby
Saturday 31 July            Stirling County v Southern Knights
Sunday 1 August          Ayrshire Bulls v Watsonians Rugby (Live on FreeSports)

Friday 6 August               Watsonians Rugby v Stirling County
Saturday 7 August          Ayrshire Bulls v Boroughmuir Bears
Sunday 8 August          Heriot’s Rugby v Southern Knights (Live on FreeSports)

Friday 13 August             Boroughmuir Bears v Watsonians Rugby
Saturday 14 August        Southern Knights v Ayrshire Bulls
Sunday 15 August         Stirling County v Heriot’s Rugby (Live on FreeSports)

Saturday 21 August        Heriot’s Rugby v Watsonians Rugby
Saturday 21 August        Stirling County v Ayrshire Bulls
Sunday 22 August        Southern Knights v Boroughmuir Bears (Live on FreeSports)

Friday 27 August            Watsonians Rugby v Southern Knights
Saturday 28 August        Ayrshire Bulls v Heriot’s Rugby
Sunday 29 August        Boroughmuir Bears v Stirling County (Live on FreeSports)

Friday 10 September      Watsonians Rugby v Heriot’s Rugby
Saturday 11 September  Ayrshire Bulls v Stirling County
Sunday 12 September  Boroughmuir Bears v Southern Knights (Live on FreeSports)

Friday 17 September      Southern Knights v Watsonians Rugby
Saturday 18 September Stirling County v Boroughmuir Bears
Sunday 19 September  Heriot’s Rugby v Ayrshire Bulls (Live on FreeSports)

Friday 24 September      Southern Knights v Heriot’s Rugby
Saturday 25 September  Boroughmuir Bears v Ayrshire Bulls
Sunday 26 September   Stirling County v Watsonians Rugby (Live on FreeSports)

Saturday 2 October        Heriot’s Rugby v Stirling County
Saturday 2 October        Ayrshire Bulls v Southern Knights
Sunday 3 October         Watsonians Rugby v Boroughmuir (Live on FreeSports)

Saturday 9 October        Heriot’s Rugby v Boroughmuir Bears
Saturday 9 October        Southern Knights v Stirling County
Sunday 10 October       Watsonians Rugby v Ayrshire Bulls (Live on FreeSports)   

Weekend of:
Friday 15 October          5th v 6th Final
         3rd v 4th Final
         1st v 2nd Final (Live on FreeSports)

ENDS

NOTES:
FreeSports can be found on Freeview HD channel 64, Sky HD channel 422, Virgin HD 553, TalkTalk 64, BT Vision channel 64 and on the online FreeSports Player.

For further information please contact:

Sarah Bell
FOSROC Super6 Communications Coordinator
Mob: 07870 545068
sarah.bell@sru.org.uk