I think we have the product but not the right people with the right connections.

Time to call the Hearns again!

What kind of viewing figures do you think a Championship game would get on Channel 4 compared to a RU international?

Connections is such a lazy answer. If we genuinely had something that was of commercial value to C4 or any other commercial broadcaster, it would be in their interests to lap it up.

The truth is that, at best, we have an OK product that doesn't appeal to the right audiences to make it worthwhile for the likes of C4. And that's talking about our most marketable product - never mind the Championship.

The Hearns aren't the answer to that problem.

I thought that the IRFU was Ireland (not northern irelend) and most definitely not part of Great Britain (although part of the British isles)
Do Northern Ireland have a RU team?

RU is actively 'hands on' with ensuring their sport is getting all the publicity it deserves. RFL is rife with apathy and disorganization....There ya go!!

NI is definitely part of the UK with the Queen as Head of State!

I think you're missing my point, the IRFU is not Northern Ireland, it's Ireland (Southern Ireland) which is not part of Great Britain HTH

The Irish RU team is a combined Irish team

Shows how little I know (and are interested in) RU, but with their head quarters in Dublin and home games played at landsdown road I made the assumption that they were Eire RU, what with their current TV deal being the RTE an Eire broadcaster, this also made me think they were an Eire team, is there any players in the current squad from Northern Ireland and is RU played anywhere in NI?
BTW I still stand by my comment the IRFU is an Eire organisation based in Dublin (Eire) which is not part of Great Britain

I probably wasn't clear enough - The Irish RU represents NI as well asnt the ROI. The team plays under the "four provinces" flag, rather than the Irish tricolour, although for games at Dublin they do wave the tricolour and play Amhrán na bhFiann alongside Ireland's Call.

The IRFU also owns Ravenhill Stadium in Belfast and although IIRC it has been a while since the last one, they do play games there.

"The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) (Irish: Cumann Rugbaí na hÉireann) is the body managing rugby union in the island of Ireland (both Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland)."

Ulster Rugby (Irish: Rugbaí Uladh) is one of the four professional provincial rugby teams from the island of Ireland. They compete in the Pro14 and the European Rugby Champions Cup.

I asked the question as I genuinely didn't know (or care really as it's RU and I have no interest in that game) a little time on Google has clarified what you and and a couple of other posters have said, and although yes the IRFU represents all the provinces of the island of Ireland, the international game is quite clearly an Eire product hence their current deal with RTE, but I accept that they do represent Northern Ireland

Couldn't give a toss which rugby union country they show, I won't be watching.

Considering channel 4 is a commercially-funded network they can show what they want. The idea that they should be supporting UK sport over Irish is ridiculous. Anyone who thinks they should be supporting the Championship over Irish international games over some loyalty to the UK is crazy. The network is a business that needs to make money and is not a charity.