[Jon]

Don't see why you should be surprised, if this was the football equivalent, they would definitely be on ITV1 (unless it was a final "clashing" group game).  But these games warrant main channel treatment in their own right, given one features the host nation (and many peoples' fancies to win the tournament) and the other features the joint winning most country.

Well it’s not the football equivalent and typically that has a different level of interest and I’m sure Brekkie is basing it on what’s happened with previous editions. 

I’m not surprised though, with more or less everything from the Women’s Football World Cup being shown on ITV 1, when if ITV had had the rights in the past, not much would have featured on the main channel. 

I think these days it’s important for ITV to get as much live sport on the channel as possible.

[RhysJR]

The BBC Radio press pack has been released. There will be live radio coverage of all 48 matches for what I think is the first time (there was in-house radio coverage from World Rugby of every game in 2019 if you'd want to count that). Andrew Cotter and Alastair Eykyn among the many voices not often heard on BBC Radio.

www.bbc.co.uk 

BBC announces most comprehensive audio coverage for Rugby World Cup ever
The BBC will provide live commentary and coverage of all 48 matches across BBC R…
  Source: www.bbc.co.uk

[robertclark125]

ITV announces their on-air talent for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

Headlines for me:
A change-up in presenters with Craig Doyle and Martin Bayfield absent for the first time since 2007. Jill Douglas, David Flatman and Hugh Woozencroft, all ITV Rugby regulars, will join Mark Pougatch. Bayfield is not mentioned at all after being the pitchside reporter for every England Six Nations game shown on ITV, so not sure if there is an issue with TNT Sports there; of TNT's other rugby hosts, Orla Chennaoui lives in Amsterdam so might no be available for all matches that are during the RWC, Craig Doyle has shifts on This Morning and Sarra Elgan is working on the RWC with S4C, so maybe Bayfield is last host standing for TNT in a way so won't be available for ITV.

Commentary comes from Nick Mullins, Miles Harrison, Johnnie Hammond, Martin Gillingham and Claire Thomas. So Simon Ward absent for the first time in a long time with Hammond and Thomas ITV RWC debutants. Although there was no indiciation it would happen, I'm slightly sad that Jon Champion will not feature now that he back living in the UK and he did the 2007 and 2015 events for ITV. Mullins and Harrison two of the best commentators around and are always great company, Hammond and Gillingham are decent lower order commentators and Thomas will be the first woman to be a lead commentator for a men's RWC in the UK on TV.

As previously mentioned, no Martin Bayfield in the reporting ranks, as Gabriel Clarke, Lee McKenzie and Topsy Ojo are named. This will be Lee McKenzie's debut on ITV Rugby, having previously appeared as a reporter for the BBC and presented Channel 4's rugby coverage; she has presented ITV's coverage of the Goodwood Festival of Speed, though I don't think ITV have much say in that programme.

To pundits, new names include Greig Laidlaw, Philippa Tuttiett, John Barclay, Tom Shanklin and Sergio Parisse. Barclay is rapidly coming one of my favourite rugby experts through his previous work on the BBC and Amazon; Parisse will be making his punditry debut but I think will be a great addition and Laidlaw has been doing some punditry during the last few years in Japan. The full list:
Jonny Wilkinson, Maggie Alphonsi, Sam Warburton, Jamie Roberts, Brian O'Driscoll, Greig Laidlaw, Philippa Tuttiett, Bryan Habana, Sir Clive Woodward, Rory Best, John Barclay, Sergio Parisse, Gareth Thomas, George Gregan, Sir Ian McGeechan, Lawrence Dallaglio, and Sean Fitzpatrick; Ben Kay, Ugo Monye, Shane Williams, Scott Hastings, Tom Shanklin, Gordon D’Arcy and Nolli Waterman.

I think from the below the studio is in France. Good to see that a referee pundit has been included too. JP Doyle was a great referee in the English game that really should have had a better chance in the international appointements before he left England for the US. The last week or so has certainly proved that a full understnading of the laws and their interprations are needed!

And finally, to the worst part of all. ITV's title theme will be Édith Piaf's 'Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien'. They will regret not using World In Union! The 2019 world feed intro ditched World in Union and I can't see any mention of an official version for 2023, so it looks like for the first time since the first edition in 1987, World in Union will be absent. Not sure why everyone has decided to retire such an iconic anthem and I'm rather despondent by that.


www.itv.com 

I wonder if Martin Bayfield is absent, due to him perhaps working for another english language broadcaster? Not heard anything regards that, but just a thought.

[RhysJR]

With less than a week to go, the teams are arriving in France and excitement is building.

The ITV Press Centre website has the programme info for the opening game on Friday, with coverage beginning at 18:45 on ITV 1 / ITV X / STV / STV Player ahead of the opening ceremony and the 20:15 kick off.

I think someone earlier in the thread said they read the original press release from ITV as Jill Douglas being based in France with the rest of the presenters in London/the UK, and this does seem to be the case, at least on opening night. Of course, travel from Paris to London is pretty straightforward, so Jill might only be pitchside in France for the opening game, and a few of the pitchside guest you would imagine could play a part in the ceremony due to their legendary status. Benjamin Kayser I believe is working for French broadcaster TF1, but is a regular face on British coverage of French rugby so may pop up when he can.

Mark Pougatch presents live coverage alongside Jonny Wilkinson, Brian O'Driscoll and Maggie Alphonsi in the studio, with pitchside contributions from Jill Douglas, Bryan Habana, Sean Fitzpatrick and Benjamin Kayser. Commentary comes from Miles Harrison, Ben Kay and Jamie Roberts.

www.itv.com 

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The following territories will get to experience the RWC via the new RugbyPass TV streaming service from World Rugby, with everywhere else receiving broadcast deals.

twitter.com 

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On world fee duty so far, I've seen that South African/American Dallen Stanford, Welshman Robbie Nock and Scotsman Jamie Lyall will be heard. 
Stanford the only one of the three of the above to have covered the 2019 RWC for the world feed; Nock is based in Paris and is one of the regular voices on the Top 14 world feed (and conducting interviews for BT Sport etc. on games in France that they show) and elsewehere, whilst Lyall a regular on Amazon Prime and BT Sport's European coverage, as well Viaplay and BBC Scotland.
I hope that the people who appointed Sean Maloney as the lead commentator for the final for the world feed in 2019 and are not doing the appointments again, though he is likely covering the final for Stan Sport/Channel 9.

[Brekkie]

David Flatman is doing the first two games on the Saturday, including the Ireland game - with Hugh Woozencroft doing the third (Aus v Georgia) and then Mark the England game in the evening. All four games back to back on ITV1.

Not sure I've seen David Flatman host before - he's usually been in a punditry or commentary role when I've seen him.

I assume the "Opening Ceremony" is probably starting at 7pm given the 6.45pm start for both ITV1 and S4C on the Friday.

[RhysJR]

David Flatman is doing the first two games on the Saturday, including the Ireland game - with Hugh Woozencroft doing the third (Aus v Georgia) and then Mark the England game in the evening.  All four games back to back on ITV1.

Not sure I've seen David Flatman host before - he's usually been in a punditry or commentary role when I've seen him.

I assume the "Opening Ceremony" is probably starting at 7pm given the 6.45pm start for both ITV1 and S4C on the Friday.

He was the secondary host of the women's Rugby World Cup last autumn, and has done the odd game on European weeks for BT. He is also practically the lead presenter of the ITV Gallagher Premiership highlights, though that is not really is a traditional host-pundit set-up with him and Topsy Ojo. One of the few out there in sports broadcasting that be a presenter, pundit, lead commentator, co-commentator or reporter.

I'm surprised to hear he is as prominent as doing the first British & Irish match, but it makes sense he would have some prominence if Jill Douglas is not studio-based. Flatman also became a father once again in early August, so you can imagine this scenario works well for him not to be far from home for an extended period.

---

The opening ceremony indeed will begin at 19:00 BST / 20:00 CEST. Jean Dujardin will feature.

www.rugbyworldcup.com 

Star-studded cast to deliver Rugby World Cup 2023 Opening Ceremony ｜ Rugby World…
France 2023 and World Rugby have announced that French actor Jean Dujardin is to…
  Source: www.rugbyworldcup.com

[DamC]

Looks like the official X account posted the world feed opening titles

twitter.com 

[dvboy]

Interestingly Samoa v Chile and Australia v Portugal on a weekend afternoon is on ITV4 when Unless there is horse racing ITV1 will just be showing repeats at that time.

Racing for both I think

Samoa vs Chile will be up against the biggest day at the St Leger Festival in Doncaster.
1 October is the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp.

[Brekkie]

Looks like the official X account posted the world feed opening titles

twitter.com 

They're quite long compared to previous efforts.  And although they didn't use World in Union last time and only sample it in 2015 that music is so non-distinct.

[Jon]

Looks like the official X account posted the world feed opening titles

twitter.com 

At least we know what the titles for Noel’s House Party would look like today.