BB FANS

Web users can tackle BBC Six Nations coverage



The BBC is to offer full live streaming video coverage of Six Nations internationals to rugby union fans with broadband through its website.

Andrew Thompson, BBC Sport's head of development, new media and sports news, said the initiative was a response to the fact that there are now more than 5 million broadband subscribers in the UK.

Broadband subscribers and ordinary internet users will be able to view the action from this weekend's opening Six Nations fixtures, including Wales v England and France v Scotland, by logging on to either the main BBC site or the tournament's official website.

Mr Thompson said the Six Nations streaming video initiative was a one-off trial for this year's tournament, which runs until mid-March, adding that the BBC had not paid extra for the online rights.

"We approached the [tournament organisers] in the run-up to this year's Six Nations to see if they wanted to work with us on the trial. We are finding increasingly that people want to have the option of watching sport via broadband and the BBC wants to be at the front of the curve," he added.

"Hopefully it will also be a way of increasing the exposure of the Six Nations," Mr Thompson said.

"In addition to live coverage we will also be offering half-time highlights and full highlights within five minutes of a game finishing."

The BBC will use special technology to ensure that the full video streaming coverage is only available to UK internet users - overseas rugby fans will only have access to highlights.

Mr Thompson said the BBC was already regularly getting 50,000 unique broadband users accessing its Score Interactive football scores and results service on a Saturday afternoon via their computers.

"We are finding that a lot of people like to multi-task - watching broadband streaming of sports events on their PC while doing something else as well," he said.

The BBC Six Nations broadband coverage follows its successful online video streaming service during the Athens Olympics last summer.

BBC Sport has also experimented with providing broadband streaming video coverage of snooker and other sports.mediagurdian

Lovely, I like a bit of rugby especially the French team

GO WALES!!!!!

...............................

Gareth Thomas (R) of Wales puts his hands in the air as he celebrates victory over England with his team mates after their Six Nations rugby union match at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff February 5, 2005. Wales has produced a performance to remember after they beat England 11-9 for their first Cardiff victory over the world champions since 1993.

REUTERS/Darren Staples

And this weekend...

Scotland beaten by Ireland

And in 10 days time. Ireland hammer England on their way to the wooden spoon

Ireland 19, England 13.!!!!



Low lie the fields of Athenry....

(Me nerves are shot!)

What a great look the table has to it at the moment

For a moment there, Gaz, I was worried you were proposing a 'Stuart and Michelle' classic!

I'm all for a bit of joyous celebration, when we beat the 'old enemy', but things shouldn't get out of hand..

With love from us all

well done Ireland!!!!!!

*Joins in with chorus*
......Low lie, the Fields of Athenry
Where once we watched the small free birds fly
Our love was on the wing, we had dreams and songs to sing,
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry.......

I love Ireland's national anthem! But then like I have said when it comes to sporting events I don't care who wins, I defo don't believe in all that anti english/anti scottish rubbish.

You've got the right idea then, Jezi.

We love the Welsh and the Scottish - but it's only 80 years since Ireland gained independence from the 'English', and only 20 years since Ireland crawled out of the gloom we'd been in for ages (Bob Geldof has a lot to say about that), so when we beat England we feel like giant-killers.

The line in the Fields of Athenry that goes 'Against the famine and the crown, I rebelled - they shot me down' might explain the strength of feeling.

Plus, the fact that they won the World Cup gives them a certain status.

best thing about it was listening to brian moore whining

the pig eyed little git was the biggest cheat around when he played and he was moaning during commentary about how hard done to england were by the ref

I'm glad i can switch to being a plastic-paddy at these times, Brian O'Driscoll, is a god, whose initials also spell out a kids TV character