Why Catalans Dragons vs Leeds Rhinos won’t be on TV today

Last week, there were a lot of dismayed rugby league fans as they watched the scorelines come in from two entertaining games in France bemoaning the fact they weren’t able to watch either fixture.

What made things worse was the fact the weekend was relatively empty sports wise and it looked like the perfect opportunity to entice new fans.

The fixture would have likely done so as Catalans and Huddersfield served up a titanic battle in Perpignan.

Two of the top four battling it out to see who could take third spot, it was a gruelling affair between two physical teams. The scores were level three times at 4-4, 10-10 and 12-12 before a Sam Tomkins drop goal settled things in the Dragons’ favour as last year’s league leaders tool third spot.

Then Salford turned on the style in the second half to defeat Toulouse after trailing 9-6 at the break. The highlight of the game was an amazing try saving ankle tap from Joe Burgess on Tony Gigot in the first half. Had Gigot scored, he could have killed off the game.

So, many fans were disappointed that neither of these fantastic fixtures were shown by Sky and many more were no doubt disappointed to see that Leeds’ trip to Catalans today as well as Toulouse vs Hull FC yesterday would also not be broadcast on TV.

However, there’s nothing British broadcasters can do about the situation.

Sky Sports, of course the main British broadcasters of rugby league, use BeIN Sport’s feed when showing Catalans or Toulouse fixtures.

However, at the start of the season, BeIN only agreed to show nine of Catalans’ 13 home games meaning fixtures like today’s as well as last week aren’t being shown in France by BeIN so can’t be shown in England by Sky Sports.

The last fixture we will receive from France in the regular season will ironically see Leeds head across the Channel to take on Catalans again in Round 26 – the penultimate round of fixtures.

This is of course disappointing for UK based viewers, but it does have a silver lining. Instead of showing all 13 of Catalans’ home games, BeIN have been showing some UK fixtures as well including the season opener between St Helens and the Dragons which can only be a good thing for the game and coverage of it in France.