I'm moving to Ontario at the end of the month and need to know the best way to pick up as much rugby on the TV/net as possible. I have found this which I am willing to subscribe to if need be but I'd be interested in finding out if I can pick up programmes on satellite or cable as well. Cheers Beanie
You're going to have to get the mediazone thing, as I have, if you wish to watch live rugby. There are a few pay per view options when the November tests start, but $25 per match is a bit steep. Any matches that are aired on TV5 in France can be picked up here in Canada as there is an affiliate station. I managed to get both NZ vs France tests and the France vs Argentina test in November. I had to buy the French package but is was only $2 for the month. I had to listen to the French commentators, but hey it's better than nothing and they are more comprehensible than Murray Mexted anyway. Should you wish to watch Rugby League, although no live, you can order Fox Sports channel(or Fox Soccer, whatever they call it). It has an abundance of soccer on but has league and aussie rules a couple times a week. You will also get the Churchhill Cup on TV as it is played here in Canada. There is another option should you not wish to blow your money on MediaZone. That is going to www.[b]*REMOVED*[/b].com . That site will provide you with the opportunity to download games after they have been played for free. Not sure on the legality, but I really don't care. The quality is great, you'd be surprised at how good it is. It's as if you were just watching it regularly on TV.
At least in the U.S., FSC stopped showing all Rugby (League and Union) and Aussie Rules a couple of seasons ago after they switched their name from Fox Sports World to Fox Soccer Channel - the most you will get from them is some rugby highlights since they have Sky Sports News and Fox Sports World Report on the channel. Another option for you is to subscribe to Setanta Sports which is available online if you have a broadband connection - $10 a month - they show selected live games of the Guinness Premiership, Six Nations, and EDF Energy Cup. They also show RL - SL, Challenge Cup, TriNations. http://na.setanta.com/portal/systemcontent/broadband If you're a big league fan there is also Super League TV - http://www.sport247.tv/rsl/ Cheers
OK boyo's thanks for the replies. I'll check it out when I get there. Just out of interest is that mediazone thing as good as I'm led to believe?
You won't get as much European club rugby as with Setanta Broadband - Mediazone just recently added showing a few Heineken Cup games, however they do show alot of the major internationals involving the Northern Hemisphere. If you want the best quality you should try to get into Aussie *REMOVED* and try to register with their partner site www.diwana.org where you will be able to download delayed TV/DVD quality games that are regularly posted. Aussie *REMOVED* is also the best way to view the Magner's League or games involving Welsh squads as they are regularly posted.
Well, I've just started fidling around with the MediaZone thing, as I got it as a xmas pressie and just didn't have the time to get fully into it. The quality of the live streaming is pretty top effort on some, but it seems they compress it from a widescreen format. Not fully sure on that but in one of the games that appears to be the case. Still waiting for a game to download so we'll see the quality on that. Should you wish an invite to Diwana or *REMOVED*, just PM and I'll get one for you.
Nice one mate. I'll hold you to that as soon as I get set up over there. Let us know how the download pans out too
At this point, it seems that the download quality is the same as the live streaming. So unless you're really caught up in watching games live(and you will be after you're deprived of rugby long enough) then it'll be better just to use *REMOVED* as the quality is much better. Also, the rugby world cup will be fine as Roger Sportsnet (you'll need basic cable) carries every single game live. Now if you go for a bigger package you can get all 4 of their stations (east, praries, mountain and west). They are for different timezones so you see more local stuff. As in the rogers east you'll see the toronto maple leafs hockey team instead of the Vancover Canucks. Anyway, they cover different games if there are games being played at the same time. i.e if East has Somoa vs Australia, the west channel may have Tonga vs England. So for that you will not have to worry.
This World Cup will be nicer too because there will be no more 4am wake ups to watch the All Blacks play. But yeah you won't have to worry about the world cup and then any games you really want to see can be acquired via *REMOVED*.
This World Cup will be nicer too because there will be no more 4am wake ups to watch the All Blacks play. But yeah you won't have to worry about the world cup and then any games you really want to see can be acquired via *REMOVED*. [/b][/quote] Yea, that's true but who's going to show the world cup this year? Sportsnet has all but abandoned rugby in favour of poker. TSN is too busy showing hockey, curling and poker. The Score seems likely but I'm not sure that The CRTC will let them and Fox Sports World(?) Canada is too busy replaying the dives err...soccer action of the last 5 months. I just hope that it isn't Setanta, I don't feel like paying an extra $20/month to watch The World Cup when it should be available to everyone.
that's really unlucky about the canadian channels basically ignoring the rugby. actually, no that is really frustrating! especially seeing how canada has progressed the past couple of years.
This World Cup will be nicer too because there will be no more 4am wake ups to watch the All Blacks play. But yeah you won't have to worry about the world cup and then any games you really want to see can be acquired via *REMOVED*. [/b][/quote] Yea, that's true but who's going to show the world cup this year? Sportsnet has all but abandoned rugby in favour of poker. TSN is too busy showing hockey, curling and poker. The Score seems likely but I'm not sure that The CRTC will let them and Fox Sports World(?) Canada is too busy replaying the dives err...soccer action of the last 5 months. I just hope that it isn't Setanta, I don't feel like paying an extra $20/month to watch The World Cup when it should be available to everyone. [/b][/quote] Hopefully sportsnet, so it can utilize the 4 channels, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Score did it. Rugby is the sort of sport they'd be interested in and TSN wouldn't touch this with a 10ft pole. Then again they just paid how much for the rights to the soccer world cup?
