IRFU warn of lost TV revenue, but minister not for turning

A SENIOR IRFU official last night warned that proposals to designate the Heineken Cup and the Six Nations as free-to-air television events in Ireland could, if successful, lead to ‘a lost generation of players’.

IRFU spokesman Karl Richardson estimated that the union could lose up to €12 million per annum if legislation from Communications Minister Eamon Ryan is passed.

The GAA’s provincial SHC and SFC finals along with All-Ireland quarter-finals and semi-finals in both codes and the Cheltenham Festival are on the list of events designated of major importance to society in Ryan’s document.