C4 to air live coverage of Six Nations Rugby Champions Wales against England and Ireland

2 May 2019

Channel 4 will broadcast live coverage of Grand Slam winners Wales when they take on England and Ireland this August.

The three nations will face each other at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium as part of their preparation for the Rugby World Cup which begins on 20th September.

The reigning Six Nations Champions play England on Saturday, 17th August and then go on to face Ireland on Saturday 31st August.

Joe Blake-Turner, Channel 4 Commissioning Editor, Sport, said: ““We’re delighted to be working with the Grand Slam winners once again and look forward to Warren Gatland’s men laying down markers against Ireland and England. It promises to be an intriguing summer of rugby for fans of all nations ahead of the Rugby World Cup.”

Welsh Rugby Union Chief Executive Martyn Phillips said: “We will be delighted to welcome Channel 4 to Cardiff and join their portfolio of rugby programming this summer.

“Our experience working with them during last year’s summer tour in Argentina and for the game against South Africa in USA was hugely positive and, of course, their coverage of Heineken Champions Cup rugby is highly regarded.

“These two matches will not only be the last opportunity to see Wales at Principality Stadium before we leave for the World Cup in Japan, but they are also a final send off for our head coach Warren Gatland.”

“We are expecting two incredible occasions, two huge crowds and a fitting spectacle for all those watching on TV screens around the world as we celebrate the most successful coach in the history of our game and send Wales to the World Cup in no doubt that an entire nation is behind them.”

Channel 4 will also broadcast Ireland’s match up against Wales live from Dublin on 7th September as well as live coverage of Ireland vs Italy on 10th August.

The live coverage is the latest commitment from Channel 4 to offer free to air live coverage of world class rugby following on from its announcements that it will broadcast selected live matches from The Heineken Champions Cup and Ireland’s autumn rugby international until 2022.