Cape Town - The South African Broadcasting Commission (SABC) has on Monday confirmed that it will not broadcast any matches of the 2019 Rugby World Cup that are expected to be held in Japan.
According to a tweet by SABC sportscaster Thabiso Mosia, SABC could not reach an agreement with Multichoice/SuperSport over rugby broadcasts.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/SAfmRadio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SAfmRadiothat it will not broadcast any matches of the Rugby World Cup on TV or radio..They could not reach an agreement with Multichoice/SuperSport who own both TV and radio rights for rugby....More on #SAFMSportOn7-8pm
— Tracksuit (@ThabisoMosia)
MultiChoice owns both TV and radio rights.
The tournament is set to get underway on Friday when hosts Japan face Russia. The much-anticipated clash between the Springboks and the All Blacks takes place on Saturday.
The news was met with dismay from rugby fans who shared there displeasure on twitter.
Extremely sad news coming in that SABC SPORT has no rights, TV & Radio, for the Rugby World Cup.
— Six Sotyelelwa (@_TheSportsJock) September 16, 2019