- Join Mail+ to get ahead of the game with Rugby Confidential every Wednesday and Chris Foy’s World of Rugby every Monday
Midweek fixtures will be trialled by Premiership Rugby for the first time next season with the league’s opening game scheduled for a Thursday night.
The competition kicks off in the final weekend of September and the traditional Saturday slot has been moved to ensure there are no clashes with the women’s Rugby World Cup final.
The precise fixture schedule is yet to be confirmed with the clubs, with the opening round game traditionally featuring the defending champions, who will not be crowned until June.
While the Thursday night scheduling is understood to be a one-off event in the calendar, Rugby Confidential understands there are plenty of people within the TV industry who are keen to make it a more regular fixture.
Broadcasters TNT Sports are understood to be onboard with the idea, while the Rugby Football Union and the Rugby Players’ Association have also offered their support for the move.
Premiership Rugby are actively looking at ways to grow their audience, having trialled away ends last weekend for Saracens’ victory over Gloucester.
Premiership Rugby are set to trial a midweek opener for the first time ever next season
However, the Thursday night scheduling is understood to be a one-off event in the calendar
Gloucester supporters watched their clash at Saracens from a designated away end, in another league trial
The sport is competing with a busy football calendar across the weekends and Thursday evenings could offer a longer-term opportunity for rugby to grow their broadcast figures.
The Premier League’s broadcasting deal grew from strength to strength following the introduction of Monday Night Football and rugby needs to be looking at similar avenues to improve its financial situation.
Rugby faces a greater welfare predicament due to the physical nature of the sport, requiring greater rest periods, but a solution should be possible with smart scheduling.
Based upon existing regulations, any Thursday fixture is unlikely to be played at the StoneX Stadium or Sandy Park, given Saracens and Exeter do not have licensing for games to be staged on Friday nights.
When the fixture scheduling is worked out, clubs are given the opportunity to make five requests for dates they wish to avoid, such as clashes with local marathons or football fixtures.
Change keeps coming at Welford Road
Leicester’s extensive headhunt for a new head coach remains ongoing but player recruitment continues regardless. Michael Cheika will leave the club this summer and Kiwi Leon MacDonald is now favourite to replace him, with club representatives meeting him in Australia last week.
Meanwhile, flanker Joaquin Moro has been lined up for a move to Welford Road. The 24-year-old made his debut for Argentina last year and plays his club rugby for Pampas XV in Super Rugby Americas. Tigers back-row Kyle Hatherell is set to join Ealing Trailfinders so the versatile South American will ensure stocks remain strong.
Argentina flanker Joaquin Moro has been lined up for a move to Leicester Tigers next season
Worrying times for Welsh rugby continues…
The future of the annual Judgement Day fixture for Welsh rugby is in doubt after numbers continued to tumble. The country’s four regions have played one another every year at the Principality Stadium since 2013, although last year’s games were hosted at the Cardiff City ground. Attendance peaked in 2018 with a crowd of 62,338 but last weekend just 28,328 tickets were sold.
The long-term contract to stage the two games in Cardiff is up for renewal and some regions are understood to be keen to bring the fixtures back to their own stadiums.
Welsh clubs’ Judgement Day fixture saw a low attendance at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff
Andy Farrell’s two-fold reason for Exeter visit
Andy Farrell’s visit to Sandy Park to watch Finn Russell steer Bath to victory over Exeter could have doubled up as an ideal weekend away for the Easter holidays.
According to Devon Live, the Lions coach, who names his squad next month, is a fan of the local coastline and has often been spotted around the nearby holiday towns. Gareth Southgate and Louis Theroux have also reportedly visited the local pubs.
Lions head coach Andy Farrell was a keen spectator for Exeter versus Bath on Easter Saturday
Joe Marler will prove a box-office hit on TV
Former England prop Joe Marler should be a perfect fit on the new season of Celebrity Traitors.
He has been included alongside the likes of Stephen Fry and Tom Daley, having been a long-time fan of the show.
One of his first Traitor moves was to deny his involvement to Mail Sport when the news first broke a few weeks ago.
