It's back...

Aviva Premiership Rugby – Saturday 2 September (BT Sport 1 / BT Sport 4K UHD)

Sarra Elgan at Kingsholm with Ugo Monye, Ben Kay and Phil Vickery.

Commentators: Alastair Eykyn, Ben Kay and Ugo Monye

Reporter: David Flatman

Shame there wasn't more post match reaction after a match like that.

John McEnroe currently alongside Andrew Castle on Eurosport 1 for Monfils v Almagro.

Mark Petchy and Pat Cash for Edmund v Isner.

PGA Tour - Playoffs: Deutsche Bank Championship - SS4

Presenter: David Livingstone
Commentators: Ewen Murray and Rich Beem
On Course: Wayne Riley
Reporter: Tim Barter

Strange only two comms in the booth, long stint of 4 hours or so, and extra coverage on day 3/4. Livingstone on TV for literally 5 mins at start and end.

Not liking Sky's commentary policy this year. Watching some classic stuff they've had on recently. Likes of US Open 2010 & 2011 today for probably half / third of live coverage compared to say this years open Sky had Murray, Critchley and Rob Lee that could be the 'lead' with 2 or 3 other co-comms there. The Open, Murray and Boxall basically shared the lead commentary stints in 75-90 minute intervals for 12 hours a day, for 4 days with the colour from McGinley, Harmon, Monty and Dougherty. On the European Tour today Rob Lee presented, did commentary and did some interviews (with one of the on-course guys doing a few too) Just seemed to do more. Stirk last week was interviewer as well as the presenter. Overall I just feel Lee has been the biggest loser this year, and unsure why when it has come to the majors/big tournaments. Especially when they have dross like Dougherty and Roe.

Interesting comments on the three-man commentary team, which bar perhaps Sky seems to be the norm for rugby now.

Round 1 – Gloucester v Leicester Tigers, for the record.

Ian Chappell talks cricket commentary http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine...y/1052513.html

Aviva Premiership Rugby – Saturday 3 September (BT Sport 1 / BT Sport 4K UHD)

Martin Bayfield at Twickenham with Ugo Monye, Lawrence Dallaglio, Austin Healey, Ben Kay and Sean Holley.

Round 1 – Saracens v Worcester Warriors

Commentators: Alastair Eykyn, Lawrence Dallaglio and Ugo Monye

Reporter: Tim Cocker

Round 1 – Harlequins v Bristol

Commentators: Nick Mullins, Ben Kay and Austin Healey

Reporter: Sarra Elgan


Guinness Pro12 – Saturday 3 September (Sky Sports 1)

Alex Payne at the Sportsground with Scott Quinnell, Rory Lawson and Mike McCarthy.

Round 1 – Scarlets v Munster

Commentators: Mark Robson, Alan Quinlan and Ieuan Evans

Reporter: Rupert Cox

Round 1 – Connacht v Glasgow Warriors

Commentators: Miles Harrison, Stuart Barnes and Shane Horgan

Reporter: Graham Simmons

Big news from Sky is that the presentation team seem to have ditched their ties for this season.

Pro 12: Cardiff v Edinburgh - BBC2 Scotland

Dougie Vipond presenting from Pacific Quay with Andy Nicol and Finn Russell

Commentators: John Beattie and Colin Gregor

Guinness Pro12 – Saturday 3 September (S4C)

Round 1 – Cardiff Blues v Edinburgh

Gareth Rhys Owen at the BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park with Deiniol Jones and Andrew Coombs.

Commentators: Gareth Charles and Gwyn Jones

Red Button English-Language Commentators: Ross Harries and Richie Rees

Reporter: Catrin Heledd


The other games from Friday night:

Guinness Pro12 – Friday 2 September (BBC Two Wales)

Round 1 – Ospreys v Zebre

Ross Harries at the Liberty Stadium with Martyn Williams and Sean Holley.

Commentators: Gareth Charles and Jonathan Davies

Reporter: Phil Steele


Guinness Pro12 – Friday 2 September (BBC Two Northern Ireland)

Round 1 – Ulster v Newport Gwent Dragons

Stephen Watson at the Kingspan Stadium with Andy Ward and Stephen Ferris.

Commentators: Jim Neilly and Tony McWhirter

The new Pro12 graphics are in use on BBC Two NI as well this season.

Martin Bayfield presenting BT's Premiership highlights, which consists of voicing a few links and some pre-filmed stuff from Twickenham.

Martin Gillingham covering Newcastle Falcons v Sale Sharks and Jonathan Harris-Bass covering Northampton Saints v Bath. Other match commentaries naturally as live.

Same comms on premiershiprugby.tv as expected, which continues to use ITV graphics.

Friday 16 September: Rugby Union- Ulster v Scarlets on BBC Two Regions

Wales- Presented by Ross Harries, with analysis from Martyn Williams, and commentary by Gareth Charles and Sean Holley.

Northern Ireland- Presented by Stephen Watson, with commentary by Jim Neilly and Tony McWhirter, and analysis from Ian Humphreys and Stephen Ferris.

Burghley Horse Trials 2016 (Sunday 4 September) BBC Two

Presented from Burghley House by Lizzie Greenwood Hughes

Punditry from Ian Starke

Commentary from Mike Tucker and Ian Starke

International Darts Open- Dan Dawson, Rob Mullarkey and Paul Nicholson for livepdc.tv

Aviva Premiership Rugby – Sunday 4 September (BT Sport 1 / BT Sport 4K UHD)

Round 1 – Wasps v Exeter Chiefs

Commentators: Nick Mullins, Lawrence Dallaglio and Austin Healey

Reporter: Tim Cocker

Is Tim Cocker new this season? Havent really seen his name around before. If he is a new permanent reporter does that indicate that Chris Hollins may have left the Rugby coverage? Perhaps it is too soon to say.

He did games last season too, although that didn't stop Ugo Monye calling him Tom during the pitch walk on Saturday!

I wasn't sure how much we'd see of Cocker this season now he's back on radio Monday to Friday, but it seems like he'll still be doing a fair few games

Incidentally it's also worth noting that commentary for the non-BT live games are being done on site this season

S4C's highlights of the Corwen Shears sheep-shearing competition (yes, this seems to count as a sport) presented by Elen Pencwm, with commentary from Ifan Jones-Evans and Aeron Pughe.

To do a rugby round 1 round-up in one place (I shall try not to spam this thread with all of the different matches as they happen as the season goes on):

Aviva Premiership

Gloucester v Leicester – Live on BT Sport, presented by Sarra Elgan alongside Ugo Monye, Ben Kay and Phil Vickery, with commentary from Alastair Eykyn, Ben Kay and Ugo Monye, and reports from David Flatman.

Newcastle v Sale – Highlights commentary from Martin Gillingham.

Saracens v Worcester – Live on BT Sport, presented by Martin Bayfield alongside Ugo Monye, Lawrence Dallaglio, Austin Healey and Ben Kay, with commentary from Alastair Eykyn, Lawrence Dallaglio and Ugo Monye, and reports from Tim Cocker.

Northampton v Bath – Highlights commentary from Jonathan Harris-Bass.

Harlequins v Bristol – Live on BT Sport, presented by Martin Bayfield alongside Ugo Monye, Lawrence Dallaglio and Sean Holley, with commentary from Nick Mullins, Ben Kay and Austin Healey, and reports from Sarra Elgan.

Wasps v Exeter – Live on BT Sport, presented by Martin Bayfield alongside Austin Healey, Lawrence Dallaglio and James Haskell, with commentary from Nick Mullins, Lawrence Dallaglio and Austin Healey, and reports from Tim Cocker.


Guinness Pro12

Ospreys v Zebre – Live on BBC Two Wales, presented by Ross Harries alongside Martyn Williams and Sean Holley, with commentary from Gareth Charles and Jonathan Davies, and reports from Phil Steele.

Ulster v Dragons – Live on BBC Two NI, presented by Stephen Watson alongside Andy Ward and Stephen Ferris, with commentary from Jim Neilly and Tony McWhirter.

Scarlets v Munster – Live on Sky Sports, presented by Alex Payne alongside Scott Quinnell, Rory Lawson and Mike McCarthy, with commentary from Mark Robson, Alan Quinlan and Ieuan Evans, and reports from Rupert Cox.
Highlights on S4C, with commentary from Cennydd Davies and Emyr Lewis. English-language commentary from Gareth Lewis and Ian Gough.

Connacht v Glasgow – Live on Sky Sports, presented by Alex Payne alongside Scott Quinnell, Rory Lawson and Mike McCarthy, with commentary from Miles Harrison, Stuart Barnes and Shane Horgan, and reports from Graham Simmons.

Blues v Edinburgh – Live on S4C, presented by Gareth Rhys Owen alongside Deiniol Jones and Andrew Coombs, with commentary from Gareth Charles and Gwyn Jones, and reports from Catrin Heledd. English-language commentary from Ross Harries and Richie Rees.
Live on BBC Two Scotland, presented by Dougie Vipond alongside Andy Nicol and Finn Russell, with commentary from John Beattie and Colin Gregor.

Who was on the red button in English? 😂

I know that Nick Halling has left or been replaced on the Sky boxing commentary now but i was just wondering what he is up to now commentary wise? Just curious as i used to watch him on Sky NFL for many years.

I know he has been doing a bit of voiceover work on the Football league show on Channel 5, but i wonder where he will surface next, he left a decent pundit role on the Sky NFL programmes a few years ago to move into the boxing commentary gig on Sky, also he has done pool, weber cup bowling, so maybe a jack of all trades.

I followed him for a time on twitter and he did a lot of boxing tweets (obviously) and the odd Southampton ones but he seems to have no twitter handle these days.

Any clues as to his whereabouts?

I've heard him on Channel 5 this season as you've mentioned, but apart from that I'm at a loss myself

I wonder if he was sacked by Sky's boxing team or just didn't have his contract renewed or was part of Sky's big cutbacks to their staff.
With no Ringside anymore and i know that Jim Watt very recently retired also, just seems strange that he's disappeared pretty much completely as Sky have had and still do have, some very high profile boxing nights that he was a part of and i'm sure would have loved to still be.

Maybe he'll pop up on the Sky NFL this season now!

Sky's new boxing line-up:

"Sky Sports' team of analysts has also been strengthened by the addition of former IBF junior welterweight and WBA welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi, who joins an exciting new-look team that will include analysis from current fighters Tony Bellew and Paul Smith, as well as world champion trainer Dave Coldwell, who will provide the views of a man in the corner. They add extra depth to an experienced team that already includes former super-middleweight world champion Carl Froch MBE, former cruiserweight world champion Johnny Nelson, as well as regular commentators and pundits Matthew Macklin, Jamie Moore, Ed Robinson, Andy Scott, Spencer Oliver and Adam Smith. Also joining the team is Kate Abdo, who will present live fights on Sky Sports Box Office."

http://www.skysports.com/boxing/news...next-12-months

Thanks for that.

No Glen McCrory anymore i see either?