Premiership Try of the Season

Posted on May 1, 2012 in emb, English Rugby, Premiership, Premiership Rugby

Stunning tries from Northampton Saints, Gloucester Rugby, Leicester Tigers, London Wasps, Harlequins and Bath Rugby have made it on to the shortlist for the MBNA Try of the Season for next week’s Aviva Premiership Rugby Awards.

The scores came from a long list of tries selected by supporters at the end of each Aviva Premiership Rugby round and whittled down to the final six by a panel of media professionals.

The shortlist is:

1. Christian Wade London Wasps v Leicester Tigers
2. Jonny May, Gloucester Rugby v Harlequins
3. Luke Wallace Harlequins v London Wasps
4. Michael Claassens, Bath Rugby v London Irish
5. Alesana Tuilagi, Leicester Tigers v Northampton Saints
6. Freddie Burns, Gloucester Rugby v Exeter Chiefs
7. James Downey, Northampton Saints v Exeter Chiefs

The shortlist was selected by a panel of – Jill Douglas (Freelance), Miles Harrison (Sky Sports), Alastair Eykyn (5Live), Mick Cleary (Daily Telegraph), Ian Stafford (Mail on Sunday), Nick Mullins (ESPN), David Rogers (Getty Images), Alan Pearey (Rugby World). They were joined by Corin Palmer (Premiership Rugby’s Head of Academies and Development) and Paul Morgan (Premiership Rugby’s Communication Director) who chaired the panel.
The winner will be announced on 8 May at the sold out Aviva Premiership Awards, at The London Hilton, on Park Lane. The Awards night will be shown on ESPN at 9pm on 9 May.

Click below for a video of the shortlist plus a few more

(more…)

Learning the game with ESPN

Posted on Apr 25, 2012 in ESPN, Exeter, Exeter Chiefs, Premiership

ESPN lead commentator Nick Mullins helped to head up a special coaching master-class held recently at Clyst Vale Community College.

Over 100 youngsters, aged between 11 and 13, were given an expert introduction into the game from Mullins and the Exeter Chiefs Community department, who during the fun session introduced the group to not only a series of core rugby skills, but then allowed them to be used in a series of fun-filled drills.

This season, ESPN and the home club of every Aviva Premiership Rugby match broadcast live on the channel have been offering exciting ESPN Premiership Rugby Master-class to the local community during the two weeks leading up to the match.

The coaching session was ESPN Rugby’s second visit to the region having recently worked with the Chiefs in staging a special ‘Introduction to the Front Five’ master-class – in which pundit Pete Richards joined Exeter players Ben Moon, Brett Sturgess, Peter Short, Neil Clark, Charlie Walker-Blair and Dave Ewers in passing on a few tips of the trade to over 140 local coaches.

Mullins said of the events: “As far as I’m concerned, our master classes this season have been a fantastic way to look beyond the glitz and glamour of the Aviva Premiership and take the game we all love into the communities who support their clubs.

“I’ve never come across a kid yet who wouldn’t prefer to chase around with a ball on the playing fields rather than tackling double maths and the look on their faces when they’re being shown the ropes by the Premiership’s professional players and coaches is priceless.”

In addition to the two types of master-class, there will also be a special end of season coaching session for the very best players from each of the master classes at schools new to rugby on the day of the Aviva Premiership Rugby Final on Saturday, May 26.

Run by Premiership Rugby coaches, it will involve a coaching session and a chance to meet some of the ESPN rugby presenters or analysts as well as tickets to the final.

Pics: credit Exeter Rugby Club/Pinnacle Photo Agency

ESPN and Premiership Rugby Launch Masterclasses Coaching Programme

Posted on Aug 18, 2011 in English Rugby, ESPN, Premiership

Season-long series of youth coaching and grassroots coach education sessions

Starting in August and running throughout the season ESPN, lead broadcaster of Aviva Premiership Rugby, and each of the 12 Premiership Rugby clubs are delivering a series of coaching Masterclass events around the country.

Ahead of each Aviva Premiership Rugby match week, ESPN and Premiership Rugby will hold a Masterclass event with one of the clubs featured in ESPN’s live televised matches each week. Former England internationals and ESPN rugby analysts Austin Healey and Ben Kay, along with ESPN rugby presenters Mark Durden-Smith and Nick Mullins, will take part in the Masterclass programme, helping to coach, inform and inspire youth rugby players, as well as established coaches and club staff.

Across the season, the Masterclass programme will deliver two strands: coaching sessions for youth players at local schools, and, “coaching the coaches” masterclasses for local and grassroots club coaches and management. Youth coaching sessions will be offered to schools that are new to rugby and will each engage dozens of boys and girls aged 11 to 13 years. A series of skill stations manned by Premiership Rugby community coaches and players, plus one of ESPN’s rugby team will deliver fun sessions focusing on introducing core skills and tips from top coaches.

Coach masterclasses for local and grassroots club coaches and management will focus on understanding and teaching core skills. The coach education sessions will involve a player or coach from the local Premiership Rugby club and one of ESPN’s presenters – Ben Kay or Austin Healey – delivering a seminar focused on an individual skill within the game as well as a question and answer session.

Completing the Masterclass programme will be a special end of season session for a group of selected players from the youth coaching sessions throughout the season. Hosted at the end of the season, the event will provide the group from around the country with special coaching and Q+A session, plus a ticket to the Aviva Premiership Rugby Final for themselves and a parent or guardian.

Jeroen Oerlemans, Vice President, TV Channels ESPN, EMEA said: “ESPN is delighted to be right in the thick of it with the core of English club rugby. After a successful first year of Aviva Premiership Rugby on ESPN, we will continue to look at innovative ways to enhance our connection to the rugby community.”

Wayne Morris, Head of Community at Premiership Rugby, said: “The ESPN Premiership Rugby Masterclasses are a great opportunity for the rugby community to benefit from ESPN coming to town to broadcast live at one of our clubs.  ESPN and the Premiership Rugby clubs are looking forward to working together to help develop youngsters’ rugby skills at schools new to rugby as well as providing coaching sessions for the army of volunteer coaches who’s dedicated work is key at grassroots clubs in helping develop the rugby players of the future.”

The new Aviva Premiership Rugby season kicks off in September, with lead broadcaster ESPN offering the first of its 43 live and exclusive matches through the season -  including one semi final and the final – weekly TV highlights, classic Premiership Rugby games and extensive online coverage via ESPNscrum.com.

ESPN’s comprehensive live televised coverage of the new season opens with the now traditional double-header at Twickenham on Saturday 3rd September as London Irish take on Harlequins at 2pm BST.  ESPN’s live televised Aviva Premiership Rugby matches will be broadcast on-site at all the grounds from a custom built set, with all pre and post match discussion being led by Mark Durden-Smith alongside analysts Austin Healey and Ben Kay, as well as a special guest from the world of rugby every week. Commentary will come from Nick Mullins together with Healey and Kay, the former England and Leicester second row. Sarra Elgan continues as ESPN’s chief rugby reporter, bringing all the news and player interviews from pitchside.

Weekly Aviva Premiership Rugby Highlights also returns for the new season and on most weeks will air Monday evenings at 8:30pm.  ESPNscrum.com, ESPN’s rugby website, will continue to offer fans in the UK extensive online news, previews, results and video around both domestic and international rugby union

Wasps make three changes to sevens squad

Posted on Jul 22, 2011 in Sevens

London Wasps have made three changes to the side which will face Gloucester, Northampton Saints and Saracens in the regional stages of the JP Morgan Asset Management Sevens Series at Franklins Gardens on Friday 22nd July.

Mitchell Tamiau is omitted from the squad after suffering an injury during training this week, while Ryan Davis and Chris Mayor are also rested due to niggling injuries.

In their places come Mark Billings, Tom Nichols and James Tyrell, who are all guest players.

There will be six games each evening, with each match consisting of two seven minute halves with a two minute break.

Events kick off on Friday 22nd July at 7.30pm, finishing at 10.30pm with live music and family entertainment ensuring a great night out for everyone.

The winner and runner up of each regional event go through to the final on Friday 5th August at the Twickenham Stoop.

The three regional events will be broadcast live and exclusively on ESPN. Coverage will include pre-game build up and post-match analysis for all the matches directly from pitch side.

Schedule
Gloucester Rugby v Northampton Saints (7:30pm)
London Wasps v Saracens (7:55pm)
London Wasps v Gloucester Rugby (8:25pm)
Northampton Saints v Saracens (8:50pm)
Gloucester Rugby v Saracens (9:20pm)
London Wasps v Northampton Saints (9:45pm)

Team to play in the JP Morgan 7s Regional event at Franklins Gardens
1 Joe Burton
2 Alex Cheesman
3 Charlie Ingalls
4 Jonah Holmes
5 Mark Billings
6 Tom Nichols
7 Jack Wallace
8 Will Robinson
9 James Tyrell
10 Joseph Tariperiajua
11 Christopher Lewis
12 Stuart Bailey

The matches will start at 7.30pm and will be broadcast live on ESPN.

Christmas and New Year TV matches announced

Posted on Sep 29, 2010 in Rugby News

Premiership Rugby has agreed the next round of televised Aviva Premiership Rugby matches with broadcast partners ESPN and Sky.

108 tries have been scored in the first four rounds of matches, averaging 27 per round and 4.5 per match. The televised fixtures for the six rounds of matches from round eight onwards, including the Christmas and New Year period, have now been agreed.

Saracens match against London Wasps at Wembley Stadium on Boxing Day will be televised by Sky, as will Harlequins ‘Big Game 3’ against London Irish at Twickenham the following day. Between them, these two matches could draw a crowd in excess of 125,000, with Quins attracting 76,716 for Big Game 2 last season.

ESPN will go to Welford Road on Monday 27th December for Tigers’ match against Sale Sharks, before covering both sides again in their first fixtures of 2011.

ESPN has a double header of matches on Sunday 2nd January 2011, starting at Edgeley Park for Sale Sharks’ match against Saracens, before making their first visit to Sandy Park to cover Exeter Chiefs’ match against Leicester Tigers, with the Chiefs keen to gain some reward from the home match, having led 10-20 at half time at Welford Road in the round two encounter.

There is live rugby from the Madejski Stadium on New Year’s Day, as the current Aviva Premiership Rugby leaders London Irish play Bath Rugby.

Ten of the 12 Aviva Premiership Rugby clubs will have home matches televised live in this period, with all 12 covered at least once.

The televised matches in full are as follows:

Aviva Premiership Rugby round eight
Friday 19th November, 19:45, Leicester Tigers, Harlequins, Welford Road, Sky
Sunday 21st November, 14:00, London Wasps, London Irish, Adams Park, ESPN
Sunday 21st November, 16:15, Bath Rugby, Saracens, Recreation Ground, ESPN

Aviva Premiership Rugby round nine
Friday 26th November, 19:45, Northampton Saints, London Irish, Franklin’s Gardens, Sky
Saturday 27th November, 17:30, Bath Rugby, London Wasps, Recreation Ground, ESPN
Sunday 28th November, 15:00, Harlequins, Leeds Carnegie, Twickenham Stoop, ESPN

Aviva Premiership Rugby round ten
Friday 3rd December, 19:45, Sale Sharks, Gloucester Rugby, Edgeley Park, Sky
Saturday 4th December, 14:30, London Irish, Leicester Tigers, Madejski Stadium, ESPN
Sunday 5th December, 14:15, Saracens, Harlequins, Vicarage Road, ESPN

Aviva Premiership Rugby round 11
Sunday 26th December, 14:45, Saracens, London Wasps, Wembley, Sky
Monday 27th December, 14:00, Leicester Tigers, Sale Sharks, Welford Road, ESPN
Monday 27th December, 16:30, Harlequins, London Irish, Twickenham, Sky

Aviva Premiership Rugby round 12
Saturday 1st January, 15:15, London Irish, Bath Rugby, Madejski Stadium, Sky
Sunday 2nd January, 14:00, Sale Sharks, Saracens, Edgeley Park, ESPN
Sunday 2nd January, 16:15, Exeter Chiefs, Leicester Tigers, Sandy Park, ESPN

Aviva Premiership Rugby round 13
Saturday 8th January, 14:45, Harlequins, London Wasps, Twickenham Stoop, Sky
Saturday 8th January, 17:00, Leicester Tigers, Northampton Saints, Welford Road, Sky
Sunday 9th January, 16:00, Newcastle Falcons, Sale Sharks, Kingston Park, ESPN