Durden-Smith joins ESPN rugby team

August 16, 2010   ·   0 Comments

ESPN have announced their newest signing, Mark Durden-Smith who will join the broadcaster to host the Aviva Premiership Rugby coverage alongside Austin Healey.

Durden-Smith is joined by experienced sports presenter, Sarra Elgan, who joins ESPN as rugby reporter. The arrival of Durden-Smith and Elgan completes ESPN’s rugby presenting team.

Durden-Smith has established himself as one of the most versatile presenters in the UK, having presented live rugby union coverage on Sky Sports as well as ITV’s I’m a Celebrity… Get Me out of Here Now! and Sky 1′s The Match. He began his career working in the BBC’s regional newsrooms and earned his first presenting job in 1996 with Sky Sports, before moving to terrestrial television in 2002 as a presenter on Channel 4′s morning programme RI:SE.

Completing ESPN’s on-air presenting team, Sarra Elgan joins as rugby reporter. Elgan, well known in rugby circles and daughter of retired Welsh rugby union star Elgan Rees, has extensive experience as a sports presenter having covered Celtic League Rugby for Welsh broadcaster S4C and Speedway for Sky. She was also CBBC’s reporter on Euro 2004 in Portugal.

ESPN’s first live televised match of the season is at 14:00 on Saturday, September 4, between the runners-up of the last two Premiership finals, Saracens and London Irish. Over the first 13 rounds of Aviva Premiership Rugby, ESPN’s handpicked selection of exclusively live matches includes Leicester Tigers, current Premiership champions, and Northampton Saints, runners-up in last season’s regular Premiership season.

Durden-Smith said: “I’m delighted to be joining ESPN at such an exciting time as it prepares to be the lead UK TV broadcaster of Premiership Rugby.”

Jeroen Oerlemans, ESPN Vice President, TV Channels Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: “Both Mark and Sarra bring a wealth of expertise to our rugby coverage. Alongside Austin Healey, Ben Kay and Nick Mullins we are building an authoritative and authentic broadcasting experience for rugby fans.”

Tags: ESPN, Mark Durden-Smith