I'm the same as much as the BBC do very little in covering the challenge cup having the sport available on terrestrial TV is beneficial compared to Sky taking the cup.

Why when it's true?

Is it the magic of the cup that keeps it going? Is it the poor attendances,? The one sided early round scores? What about the stupid final date that ruins any winners chance at SL glory.

Some on here stated that they felt ashamed when we celebrated winning the hub cap in 2010 but yet wet themselves after beating Saints, wire and Leeds over a 12 week period????

I'd rather get knocked out in the first round and concentrate on the league.

The CC is dead sadly.

Further marginalisation of the greatest game from the kick and clap loving muppets at the BBC....

Garbage. We have a really good deal out the BBC in the early 90s but we as a sport chose to take internationals off the BBC in 1997 and cash in by giving them to Sky - for me that was a massive blunder! Our sport also took the Regal Trophy off the BBC as well with the summer switch. At no point really have the BBC dumped any coverage, until now when they are cutting things left right and centre (see local radio cut proposals).

In contrast it's the RFU's that choose to have the six nations on free to air. Same with Wimbledon tennis - those two events could easily sell out to pay tv if they wanted but they don't so...

www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sp ... final.html

www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sp ... final.html

I see Parker is on the ball again with the facts:



Changed teams already.

You have a very different recollection of the early 90s from me.



The treatment of RL on the BBC has always been poor; RL is presented as a peculiar northern minor sport;
RL receives very little airtime in national sports news bulletins or in the SPOTY awards.

Things were bad in the early 90s and have got worse since then. The profile of the CC is now so low on the BBC that it might as well be given to Sky. I think though that would be playing to the agenda of the rah rahs at the BBC.

Mark Chapman did an excellent job last year, I was surprised by his enthusiasm for the sport he really understood the games and was a great presenter for the hardcore fans and the ones tuning in the for the first time.

He presents the new rugby league show on Radio 5.

Hopefully if Sky are to take a serious interest in the Challenge Cup, then they might put some pressure on the RFL to move the Challenge Cup final to earlier in the season. My personal preference would be the last weekend in June.

Told the coverage will be as follows.

Round 4 - One Match Live BBC - One Match Live on Sky
Round 5 - As Round 4
Quarter Finals - Two Matches Live BBC - Two Matches Live Sky
Semi Finals - Both Live on BBC
Final - Live on BBC

We're only about one month away from round 4. When's the draw?