Vikings in screen test double feature

Jan 24 2008 by Dave Bettley, Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News

TWO Vikings matches have so far been selected by Sky as part of extended “live” coverage of club matches outside Super League.

The satellite company is to broadcast a total of 27 Co-operative National League and Northern Rail Cup games in 2008.

The 14 league fixtures earmarked to date include Widnes’ home game against Salford City Reds and the Vikings’ visit to Celtic Crusaders – on successive Thursdays in June.

In all, 23 “live” National League matches will be shown on Sky Sports – including 18 from the regular season and three from the play-off stages.

Coverage will culminate in a Grand Finals double-header on Sunday, September 28.

The first game will feature newly-relegated Salford away to Leigh Centurions in round one of Co-operative NL1 on Thursday, March 20.

As well as the Northern Rail Cup final, which has been screened “live” from Blackpool in recent years, Sky Sports will this year also show one fixture from each knockout round of the competition.

This will include a game from the last 16 on April 6, a quarter-final on May 22, a semi-final on June 12 and the final, itself on Sunday July 6.

Nigel Wood, the RFL's chief executive, said: “It is fantastic for the development of rugby league that Sky Sports has decided to extend its coverage of the Co-operative National League clubs by this year broadcasting games from the knockout stages of the Northern Rail Cup.

“Last year was the first time that Sky had screened Co-operative National League games live on a Thursday night and it proved extremely successful.

“Many teams used innovative marketing methods to attract their biggest crowds of the season for the TV cameras and hopefully this will continue in 2008.”

Towards the end of 2007, the RFL secured a TV deal with Sky Sports, ensuring Co-operative National League games will continue to be shown in 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons.

At present, Sky has only confirmed its National League schedule up to round 14.

The remaining ‘live’ fixtures will be confirmed later in the season but are likely to feature some of the key battles in the campaign’s climax.