Lets face it as long as rugby continues to be run as an amateur sport in Canada and the United States we are going to see little to no coverage of the sport on these shores beyond maybe the local news channel picking up a few club games. Rugby is an amateur sport in Canada and will remain so and until that changes the networks aren't going to fill the TV with rugby world cup games that probably cost a fortune for the rights when they can show sports like the NHL, Baseball, CFL, NFL, Soccer, and Basketball.
Remember that NFL season is beginning during the World Cup and the CFL is in full swing. Aswell the MLB playoff race is heating up so is Rogers, CBC, or whoever else broadcasts sports in North America going to fork out the millions the IRB is probably asking for rights with little to no return expected or are they going to fork out that extra monday to air CFL Friday night and NFL Sunday night Football aswell as every freakin Jays and Toronto FC game on the planet. Friday night football brings in a million viewers for the CFL and the CFL is Canada's summer sport. Rugby has no chance to compete.
Sportsnet covered the whole 2003 world cup but that was because it was still a speciality channel and the rights to the 2003 WC were undoubtedly cheaper then the 2007 as the 2003 WC really IMHO put rugby on the map as a global sport as it has grown leaps and bounds since I started watching the sport.
Until Rugby establishes a professional version of the sport in Canada and the US don't expect networks to pick it up. They already are overloaded with Pro Basketball, Ice Hockey, Baseball, NFL, CFL, Lacrosse, MLS and whatever other garbage they can throw on the TV.
