FOSROC Super6 Secures New Broadcast Partner
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 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.
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.”
Ayrshire Bulls General Manager, Glen Tippet said: “Today’s FreeSports announcement is an exciting opportunity for all FOSROC Super6 clubs as it will allow both the clubs and the competition further exposure into new audiences across the UK and Ireland.
“I would like to thank Scottish Rugby and the people who pulled this broadcast deal together, as this is also a fantastic commercial opportunity for Super6 to grow their brand and help further enhance their part-time professional status.”
2021 FOSROC Super6 Fixtures
Friday 30 July – Boroughmuir Bears v Heriot’s Rugby, 7.30pm
Saturday 31 July – Stirling County v Southern Knights, 3pm
Sunday 1 August – Ayrshire Bulls v Watsonians Rugby, 1.30pm – Live on FreeSports
Friday 6 August – Watsonians Rugby v Stirling County, 7.30pm
Saturday 7 August – Ayrshire Bulls v Boroughmuir Bears, 3pm
Sunday 8 August – Heriot’s Rugby v Southern Knights, 1.30pm – Live on FreeSports
Friday 13 August – Boroughmuir Bears v Watsonians Rugby, 7.30pm
Saturday 14 August – Southern Knights v Ayrshire Bulls, 3pm
Sunday 15 August – Stirling County v Heriot’s Rugby, 1.30pm – Live on FreeSports
Saturday 21 August – Heriot’s Rugby v Watsonians Rugby, 2pm
Saturday 21 August – Stirling County v Ayrshire Bulls, 5pm
Sunday 22 August – Southern Knights v Boroughmuir Bears, 1.30pm – Live on FreeSports
Friday 27 August – Watsonians Rugby v Southern Knights, 7.30pm
Saturday 28 August – Ayrshire Bulls v Heriot’s Rugby, 3pm
Sunday 29 August – Boroughmuir Bears v Stirling County, 1.30pm – Live on FreeSports
Friday 10 September – Watsonians Rugby v Heriot’s Rugby, 7.30pm
Saturday 11 September – Ayrshire Bulls v Stirling County, 3pm
Sunday 12 September – Boroughmuir Bears v Southern Knights, 1.30pm – Live on FreeSports
Friday 17 September – Southern Knights v Watsonians Rugby, 7.30pm
Saturday 18 September – Stirling County v Boroughmuir Bears, 3pm
Sunday 19 September – Heriot’s Rugby v Ayrshire Bulls, 1.30pm – Live on FreeSports
Friday 24 September – Southern Knights v Heriot’s Rugby, 7.30pm
Saturday 25 September – Boroughmuir Bears v Ayrshire Bulls, 3pm
Sunday 26 September – Stirling County v Watsonians Rugby, 1.30pm – Live on FreeSports
Saturday 2 October – Heriot’s Rugby v Stirling County, 2pm
Saturday 2 October – Ayrshire Bulls v Southern Knights, 5pm
Sunday 3 October – Watsonians Rugby v Boroughmuir, 1.30pm – Live on FreeSports
Saturday 9 October – Heriot’s Rugby v Boroughmuir Bears, 2pm
Saturday 9 October – Southern Knights v Stirling County, 5pm
Sunday 10 October – Watsonians Rugby v Ayrshire Bulls, 1.30pm – Live on FreeSports
Weekend of Friday 15 October
5th v 6th Final
3rd v 4th Final
1st v 2nd Final
Images supplied by Bryan Robertson.