RFL and Fox Sports sign superb broadcasting deal

Saturday’s Betfred Challenge Cup Triple Header at Elland Road will be shown live in Australia as part of a new broadcast deal between the RFL and Fox Sports which also includes Premier Sports’ coverage of the Betfred Championship.

The Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup Final between Leeds Rhinos and St Helens will kick off the coverage – giving the growing number of fans of Women’s Rugby League in Australia the chance to check out some of the English stars who are hoping to face the Jillaroos in the Rugby League World Cup later this year.

Leeds will be captained by Courtney Winfield-Hill, the Queenslander who has switched sports and allegiances since playing Big Bash cricket for her native state, and now qualifies for England on residency having married the England cricket opener Lauren Winfield.

That game will be followed by the two Betfred Challenge Cup Semi Finals – the latest instalment of Wigan’s ancient rivalry with St Helens, and the meeting of East and West Yorkshire as Tony Smith’s Hull KR take on Ian Watson’s Huddersfield Giants.

Jai Field, Bevan French, Konrad Hurrell, Curtis Sironen, Tui Lolohea, Ricky Leutele, Korbin Sims and Shaun Kenny-Dowall are just some of the stars familiar to NRL fans who are set to be involved in those Semi Finals – with all the teams desperate to secure a place at Rugby League’s great traditional showpiece occasion, the Challenge Cup Final, which will this year be played for the first time at the superb new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Mark Foster, the RFL’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “We’re delighted that Fox Sports Australia are extending their coverage beyond the Betfred Super League to show more Australian Rugby League fans the unique appeals of our different competitions.

“The development of Women’s Rugby League has been a massive success story in England as in Australia, and it’s great for our players to know they will now have an even bigger global audience.

“The Challenge Cup is a special competition for the sport of Rugby League, and so many Australians have contributed to its history.

“And it’s a sign of the growing appeal of the Betfred Championship that some of the big fixtures being covered in this country by Premier Sports will now also be available to Australian viewers through Fox Sports on Foxtel and Kayo – featuring players like Joey Leilua at Featherstone and now Blake Ferguson at Leigh, as both clubs battle for promotion to the Super League in 2023.”