Rugby World Cup in Major Trouble

Uh oh. Some blogger's gonna make a killing if everyone else goes away.

Leading international news agencies on Thursday launched a boycott of the 2007 rugby World Cup, plunging the event into controversy on the eve of its opening game.

Agence France-Presse, Reuters, the Associated Press, Getty Pictures and the German agency DPA said no text, photo or video news on the World Cup would be sent for 24 hours in protest at restrictions imposed by the sport's governing body, on the transmission of photos during games.

The International Rugby Board (IRB) restrictions will particularly hit the use of action pictures on the internet.

"Fundamental rights are at stake, there is no question of letting them be flouted in the name of the protection of the financial interests of the IRB," said AFP chairman Pierre Louette.

Here's the RWC's response:

"It is regrettable that certain members of the media should have decided to suspend pre-tournament coverage. This unjustifiable move is being presented as the direct response to allegedly unreasonable constraints on reporting imposed by the organisers of the tournament. Nothing could be further from the truth.

We (the IRB and RWCL) have been in dialogue with media organisations for over a year and we have made a number of concessions. There is nothing in the media terms and conditions that prevent media organisations carrying out their core business and covering the tournament."

So, uh, better sign up for Setanta, I guess.

By Dan Steinberg | September 6, 2007; 3:29 PM ET | Category: Rugby
Previous: Chad Johnson Says: Bring Popcorn | Next: Billick's Answer of the Day

Add the Bog to Your Site

Keep up with the latest D.C. Sports news with an easy-to-use widget. It's simple to add to your Web site, and it will update every time there's a new installment of D.C. Sports Bog.
Get This Widget >>

Comments

Please email us to report offensive comments.

oh joy. i think my solution to having to pay $20 to see the good matches live is to only go to the bar when there are a few good matches on, because it is $20 for the day, not per match.

i'm surprised there hasn't been a post with a clip of the haka in it yet!

Posted by: DB | September 7, 2007 09:21 AM

The comments to this entry are closed.