BBC land Six Nations deal

The BBC have clinched a deal to screen the whole Six Nations Championship for the next three years.

The new contract, which begins the the 2002-03 championship, will allow the corporation to show all England’s games at Twickenham and in France for the first time since 1997.

Director of BBC Sport Peter Salmon said: ‘‘The Six Nations is a unique competition that brings the British Isles together, and we are delighted to have the whole championship back on the BBC.

‘‘Our innovative new approach will help build the profile of this prestigious tournament and ensure fans can follow the tournament more easily.

‘‘Working with the Six Nations Committee we want to create modern heroes in the sport, who will inspire current and future generations of fans and viewers, and we intend to use the full range of BBC services, programmes and a multi-million pound marketing campaign to achieve this.’’

The BBC have also pledged to offer multi-media coverage in help with grass-roots initiatives to develop the sport.