rlhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/front_page/8356391.stmrl

Not good for the sport.

No but surely Sky will buy the rights which will then provide a much better coverage than the BBC could ever dream of.

Swings and roundabouts.

Meaning less people will be able to watch one of the highlights of the Rugby league season, how does that help the sport grow?

Sky or ESPN

Lets face it, the CC has been dying on its feet for years, attendances prove it. Old Trafford is the be-all and end-all nowadays.
I'd much prefer to see the old Lancs/Yorks cups brought back, with the winners of each playing the final at Old Trafford or Elland road in mid august.

The good news is, the Epsom derby will no doubt be shown on ch4, the bad news is the boat race will no doubt still be shown.

its the old school tie network, i'm afraid.

The sport will never grow, its always been and always will be a northern sport that the southern softies have no interest in what so ever.

The RFL should concentrate on making the best out of what they have got. Sky's excellent coverage will continue to help and I for one will be glad if they start giving the Challenge Cup the coverage it deserves. It will be a shot in the arm for the Challenge Cup.

Too many times in the previous years the bbc's coverage has been woeful to say the least and that in itself does RL and its reputation no good.

I would like to invite the opinions and views of Wolfette on this matter...

Over to you.

What do RL fans care anyway?

They all call it a Mickey Mouse competition and that the only proper trophy in RL is the Super League trophy.

The only people who watch Rugby League on Sky are Rugby League fans....The Challange Cup on the BBC, however poor the coverage, is the only time the sport gets seen by the people who the RL bosses say they are trying to open the game up to.

Its a bad day for the sport....

Grow up

Any loss of publicity is bad for the sport, particularly a prestigious final such as the Challenge Cup which has lots history behind it.

I personally don't like BBC coverage on the sport but some publicity is better than nothing. So I for one am disappointed, unless Sky take it over.

Very disappointing if it means losing the Challenge Cup from 'proper tv'.

I thought there was some rule that prevented one perticular service provider having a monopoly over the rites to any one perticular sport?

Bad news - no question.
I agree that the attendances etc haven't been the best - for the qualifying rounds in particular, but it's still a top class event.

Moving to Sky means it's not in the public mainstream.

Sky coverage is arguably better than the beebs but that's irrelevant to me in the whole context of the sport.

ESPN could get it or the BBC could still keep it this just means they are no longer made to show it