Sky Sports win UK Heineken Cup battle

SKY SPORTS has won the exclusive rights to broadcast rugby’s Heineken Cup across the UK.

The rights were previously held by the BBC, who have now ceded them to their bitter broadcasting rivals. the deal will not affect RTÉ coverage of the competition.

A three-year deal with ERC, which was announced yesterday, gives Sky Sports live coverage of the Heineken Cup and Parker Pen Challenge Cup in seasons 2003/4, 2004/5 and 2005/6.