Summer Rugby 7′s on ESPN

July 15, 2010   ·   0 Comments

A new Friday night Rugby Sevens kicks off exclusively live on ESPN on Friday, July 15 featuring all 12 top flight rugby union teams.

The innovative ‘J.P. Morgan Asset Management Premiership Rugby 7s Series’ is designed to attract a new audience to the game and create an opportunity for existing rugby fans to watch their favourite clubs play during the summer.

The 12 Premiership Rugby clubs will be divided into three groups for the tournament, with the winner and runner up of each regional event going through to the Final. The venue for the Final is the Recreation Ground in Bath, taking place on Friday, August 6.

There will be six games each evening and in accordance with IRB Regulations, each match will consist of two seven minute halves with a two minute break at half time. The tournament is being broadcast by ESPN as part of its new TV deal with Premiership Rugby.

Roger Thompson, Head of UK, J.P. Morgan Asset Management said: “The Premiership Rugby Sevens is a hugely exciting development for rugby in the UK. We’re delighted to be at the forefront of innovation in sport with Premiership Rugby. It’s intelligent, fast and furious – a tremendous game to watch. We intend to do all we can to open up rugby sevens to as wide an audience as possible.”

J.P. Morgan Asset Management will also be sponsoring ESPN’s broadcast coverage of the new Premiership Rugby 7s Series – “We are delighted that ESPN will attract an even broader audience to J.P. Morgan Asset Management” added Thompson, “as the structure of our industry changes it is vital that we continue to adapt our strategy and find new ways to engage with our customers.”

Jeroen Oerlemans, Vice-President TV Channels, ESPN EMEA said: “ESPN is delighted to be deepening its association with the core of English club rugby as we prepare to broadcast Premiership Rugby next season. We are committed to the game of rugby and its fans in England and beyond. We eagerly await the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Premiership Rugby 7s Series on ESPN.”

Tags: ESPN, J.P. Morgan, Rugby, Rugby Sevens