First XV up for grabs

Coverage of Sacred Heart College's Taniela Tupou in action last year brought the 1A competition to the global stage. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Televised rights to top college competition to be opened up next season.

The screening rights to Auckland schoolboy rugby will be opened up next season to other media companies, giving them the chance to take on sport broadcasting giant Sky TV.

Auckland Rugby Union's commercial general manager, Ross Halpin, confirmed yesterday that a number of companies are already interested in the broadcast and distribution rights to the 2016 Auckland 1st XV season.

Sky TV has filmed select games from this grade since 2011 but from next year will have to secure these rights, Mr Halpin said.

"They won't have access without the blessing of Auckland Rugby and the schools.

"Historically, they've done a fantastic job, but they've done that for their own commercial benefit. We're saying that those commercial returns should be directed back to secondary school rugby via the union and the schools."

NZME, publisher of the Herald, is among at least seven companies that have expressed an interest in the rights. They include Sky TV, Maori TV, TVNZ, MediaWorks, Fairfax and Quickflix.

Last year the ARU went to all schools competing in the 1A grade to talk about the streaming plans for the 2015 season, which involved Sky TV, Maori Television and free online coverage via a YouTube channel.

After receiving permission from all schools involved in the 2015 season - with the exception of Mt Albert Grammar - the ARU then engaged production company SportsInc to film the games.

Not wanting to disrupt Sky TV's coverage, SportsInc worked alongside them this year to cover and screen alternate games, with the occasional crossover.

Saturday's 1st XV 1A final between St Kentigern and Auckland Grammar at Eden Park, for example, will be streamed live on the ARU website, with a replay on Maori TV on Sunday afternoon.

Mr Halpin said right now the focus of the union was generating the biggest audience possible for that match.

"Because that'll help us in terms of establishing the commercial value of it, when we go to the market."

This would be in the not-too-distant future, he said.

Last year, Sky TV footage of Sacred Heart College schoolboy Taniela Tupou - nicknamed the "Tongan Thor" - went viral after the prop scored a hat-trick in the opening weekend of 1A. He ended up signing a professional contract with the Reds and the footage brought Auckland's schoolboy competition to a global stage.

Mr Halpin said the union had already been approached by all of the big media companies regarding "their interest and desire to have access to the property in 2016 and beyond.

"And once we have ascertained exactly what that is, we will have to go back to all of the schools involved and make sure that collectively we're happy with whatever those offers may be, make a decision, and then get into promoting the 2016 competition."

Jim Lonergan, chairman of the Auckland Secondary Schools Rugby Union (ASSRU), said there was a meeting to discuss the proposal further in two or three weeks' time.

Mr Halpin said the ARU was working with legal advisers and a process - which was yet to be locked down - will be conducted on its behalf by KPMG. It will provide an information pack to all of the interested companies and from there each company will be asked to present an offer to the ARU and the ASSRU.

KPMG, with help from media experts, will then assess the bids and decide on a successful bidder, or bidders.

Mr Halpin said it was still too early to say what the finished product would look like. "One of the things we will stipulate is that there is some free access." Last night NZME group general manager, digital content, Marcus Forbes said: "We would absolutely welcome the opportunity to be involved with this initiative. We know there is a really great audience who are passionate about Auckland schoolboy rugby and this is absolutely something NZME wants to work on."