Rugby fans forced to shell out for Six Nations?

ONE of the handful of major sporting events that is still free to all in the UK, the Six Nations Rugby, may soon join the growing ranks of those where viewers have to pay to watch. Six Nations Chief Executive Benjamin Morel refused to rule out the controversial move when the current contract with ITV and BBC runs out after next year’s championship. Rumours are that Sky is the most likely to win any bidding war, meaning the games would be off terrestrial TV until at least 2024. No joint bids are allowed in the next round of negotiations, strongly reducing the bidding power of the BBC and ITV. A Six Nation’s spokesman called the speculation “highly premature” and said it was too early to rule out anything at this stage.