Interesting news that the BBC are to appoint a Rugby League Correspondence in 2017. Not sure why they are waiting a full year.

Also not many obvious names in the running, I presume Dave Woods, Stuart Pyke and George Riley's TV commitement will rule them out as presumably they would need to be available for all the big matches. Sadly the perfect choice would have been the late David Oates. Matt Newsum would appear most likely.

Tennis - Australian Open 2016

Final commentaries

Sports Extra

Williams v Kerber - David Law, Leon Smith & Gigi Salmon

Murray/Soares v Nestor/Stepanek - Gigi Salmon, Mike Dickson, Simon Briggs & Russell Fuller

5 Live

Djokovic v Murray - Russell Fuller, Pat Cash & David Law


Other summarisers used during the coverage included Jonas Bjorkman, Dominic Inglot, Courtney Nguyen and Tom Perrotta.

Thanks Shaun, its a shame that Pat Cash isn't used for more of the tournament rather than just from the sem-finals stages, also a shame that Mark Woodforde didn't appear at all.

talkSPORT

Saturday 9th January

Rugby Union: Premiership
Harlequins v Saracens - Russell Hargreaves

Sunday 10th January

Rugby Union: Premiership
London Irish v Newcastle Falcons - Russell Hargreaves

Thursday 14th to Saturday 16th January

Cricket: Third Test Match
South Africa v England - Jon Norman

Saturday 16th January

Rugby Union: European Rugby Champions Cup Pool One
Saracens v Ulster - Simon Ward

Boxing: Heavyweight Contest
David Haye v Mark de Mori - Warren Haughton (via phone)

Sunday 17th January

Rugby Union: European Rugby Challenge Cup Pool Three
Harlequins v Cardiff Blues - Russell Hargreaves

Monday 18th to Sunday 31st January

Tennis: Australian Open
Melbourne Park - Dave Luddy (via phone)*

*Dave was absent from the talkSPORT airwaves on Wednesday 27th January, with studio-based Lisa O'Sullivan subbing for him as their Australian Open reporter that day, primarily concentrating on the Andy Murray v David Ferrer men's singles quarter-final. That was Dave's only day off during the two weeks though!

Friday 22nd to Tuesday 26th January

Cricket: Fourth Test Match
South Africa v England - Jon Norman

Saturday 23rd January

Rugby Union: European Rugby Champions Cup Pool Five
Wasps v Leinster - Simon Ward

Sunday 24th January

Rugby Union: European Rugby Champions Cup Pool Two
Exeter Chiefs v Ospreys - Russell Hargreaves

Friday 29th January

Rugby Union: Premiership
Northampton Saints v Wasps - Simon Ward

Saturday 30th January

Rugby Union: Premiership
Gloucester v Leicester Tigers - Ian Williams

Sunday 31st January

Tennis: Australian Open Men's Singles Final
Novak Djokovic v Andy Murray - Dave Luddy (via phone)

Hull Kingston Radio
107.4 FM/ www.hullkingstonradio.com

Sunday 7th February - 1400

Hull Kingston Rovers v Castleford Tigers - Superleague Round 1

Commentator - Dan Handforth
Colour Commentator - Phil Barrett

Rights deal announced:

Premiership Rugby deal announced by talkSPORT:

Did anyone listen to the Superbowl last night? Was it on 5 Live or just Sports Extra?

Did they do their own commentary or just relay a US station?

Yeah it was on 5Live and the commentary was provided by Darren Fletcher, Rocky Boiman and Greg Brady.

I noticed that RTE Radio 1 had commentary on the womens rugby union match between Ireland and Wales, but the BBC didn't. I thought that was unusual as the BBC has led the way in coverage of womens sport.

BBC Radio 5 live will launch a nationwide search for the Young Sports Commentator of the Year.

Young people between 11 and 15 will be able to win the chance to shadow a BBC Radio 5 live commentator, have a go at describing a sporting event themselves and have their commentary feature on BBC Radio 5 live.

Jonathan Wall was the runner-up the last time the BBC ran a similar national competition in the 1980s.

He said: “I entered a similar competition when I was much younger and it proved to be the start of my career, even though I was ultimately pipped at the post for the prize!

“I’m delighted to bring the competition back and encourage all budding sports broadcasters to get involved.

“BBC Radio 5 live is home of the UK’s finest sports commentators and through Young Sports Commentator of the Year we hope to inspire the next generation. Maybe we’ll uncover the next Alan Green, Jonathan Agnew or Jacqui Oatley. And who knows where the person who comes second may end up.”

John Murray has tweeted he's doing "rowing, triathlon and hopefully some football" at the Olympics.

Sunday 7th February - BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

Darren Fletcher presented 5 Live NFL from Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California

American Football: Super Bowl 50
Carolina Panthers v Denver Broncos - Darren Fletcher, Rocky Boiman and Greg Brady (11.40pm GMT commentary), with Martin O'Neill making a guest appearance and Simon Crosse and Phil Spooner producing

In addition to the scheduled commentary trio, Republic of Ireland national football team manager Martin O'Neill joined them to offer his thoughts between the tail end of the first quarter and the first few minutes of the second quarter (he also made an appearance in BBC Two's studio). NFL UK managing director Alistair Kirkwood didn't make any contributions (at least to the 5 Live programme) as he usually does, nor did any other guests.

Coverage was simulcast on 5 Live and 5 Live Sports Extra, beginning on the latter at 10.30pm before being joined at 11.15pm on the former. Darren welcomed the BBC Local Radio network after we passed midnight GMT. While they broke away for news and sports bulletins at the end of the first, second and third quarters; they carried the singing of America the Beautiful, the US national anthem and the whole of the Halftime Show (they had to take the TV international feed audio of this, having lost power in the commentary box at the start of it, although the dead air issue was fixed on the iPlayer recording). Last year, they didn't carry the Halftime Show (instead they went back to Dotun Adebayo for him to preview Up All Night), so this was a welcome change. They also took CBS audio from the whole of the trophy presentation, before signing off after Rocky and Greg gave their final thoughts.

I caught up on 5 Live's Super Bowl coverage on the iPlayer today and I thought they did a really solid job. I'm not a great fan of Darren Fletcher on soccer, but I think he's a very strong NFL broadcaster. Rocky Boiman's a top class analyst, Greg Brady added a lot of colour and Martin O'Neill's cameo was enjoyable.


Westwood One

Jim Gray presented The NFL on Westwood One from Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California

American Football: Super Bowl 50
Carolina Panthers v Denver Broncos - Kevin Harlan, Boomer Esiason and Dan Fouts (6.40pm EST commentary), with Mark Malone and James Lofton reporting from the sidelines

Scott Graham presented much of Westwood One's pregame coverage, with Larry Fitzgerald, Tom Brady, Rod Woodson, Mike Holmgren and Kurt Warner all making punditry appearances over the course of their broadcast.

He later mentioned he would be doing a day at the golf as well.

Sunday 14th February - ESPN Radio

Marc Kestecher presented The NBA on ESPN Radio from the Air Canada Centre, Toronto alongside P.J. Carlesimo

Basketball: 65th NBA All-Star Game
Western Conference @ Eastern Conference - Kevin Calabro and Jon Barry (commentary), with Marc Stein and Shelley Smith at courtside

Mark Wilson's Twitter bio indicates he will be TalkSport 2's rugby league commentator.

Do the UTV Radio-owned stations in the North-West still provide regular Super League commentaries? If so, I wonder if (or how often) talkSPORT 2 will simulcast the local commentaries on the national station.

It's been noted that talkSPORT 2 will be simulcasting the Robbie Hunter Paul Show from Pulse 1 in West Yorkshire, and I'd be surprised if these links with their Northern stations ends there. I think simulcasting Pulse, Wire and Wish's rugby league output would be a sensible and strong move; they have a ready-made team of well qualified RL broadcasters with Gerr'um On Side on the latter two stations being a Radio Academy Award nominated show. I'd be surprised if their local radio commentaries would sound out of place on national radio. Given that local derbies are played frequently in Super League, I imagine the bulk of their commentaries are done in a relatively neutral fashion - certainly in comparison to most local radio football commentaries.

Another small point - I imagine Mark Wilson (and others) will continue to provide the main talkSPORT station with rugby league updates, perhaps dropping them in while continuing to commentate on talkSPORT 2 (and indeed locally) ala the BBC Local Radio cricket commentators.

talkSPORT and BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra both have commentaries from the Rugby League World Club Series this weekend. Sports Extra is doing all three, while talkSPORT is also doing the Sunday World Club Challenge between Leeds and North Queensland. It looks as though Andrew McKenna will be the commentator for talkSPORT.

Thanks for highlighting this 4-4-2. I'm not a huge rugby league fan, but I know the World Club Challenge is clearly far more of a significant fixture than the other two matches from the World Club Series, with the event only being expanded last year to include games pitting non-champion clubs from Super League and the NRL against each other. So it makes sense that talkSPORT are only covering the Leeds Rhinos v North Queensland Cowboys game.

I would say this fits well into their schedule, but in truth with the World Club Challenge kicking off at 7pm and coverage scheduled for 7-10pm, they should have very little time for build-up but then a whole hour for post-match reaction (and indeed ample time for extra time if necessary). That it falls on FA Cup Fifth Round Sunday isn't necessarily a bad thing, as the earlier double header of football commentaries means The Press Pass would have likely been curtailed or rested for a week anyway. It's also a rest week from Six Nations matches, so for Full Contact (which since Brian Moore assumed the hotseat covers rugby league as well as union) to be dropped in favour of live coverage of the other code this Sunday is less of an issue than it would have been this past Sunday. I imagine the one-hour Call Collymore - which going by past FA Cup Sundays is likely to be presented by the commentators at the 4pm game - will be wrapped up five to ten minutes earlier than currently scheduled in order to cross to Headingley Carnegie in good time for kick-off.

It'll be interesting to see who talkSPORT call upon as their co-commentator (presuming they'll only need one other member of their on-air team if Andrew McKenna doubles up as presenter and commentator). UTV Radio's stations in the North-West cover Bradford Bulls, Huddersfield Giants, Warrington Wolves, Widnes Vikings, Wigan Warriors and St Helens - do any of the ex-pros they use on their coverage of those teams have links to the Leeds Rhinos? AR1983 is probably the most likely person to know on here. If there is someone who fits the bill, they might be the co-commentator, or it might be someone new to the wider UTV Radio airwaves with a view to using them on talkSPORT 2. Switching codes, for the rugby union Twickenham Big Game Eight over the Christmas week, Tom May was called upon to make his talkSPORT debut as co-commentator with Macca - and for my money put in a fine shift and did his talkSPORT 2 prospects no harm at all.

Andrew McKenna is presenting Leeds Rhinos v North Queensland Cowboys for talkSPORT, with Martin Offiah. Mark Wilson is commentating with Paul Sculthorpe.

There's a promo running on DAB now.

It listed these are some of talkSPORT 2's sports rights:

ICC World Twenty20 Cricket
Champions League
Horse Racing
Premiership Rugby
Super League
La Liga
ATP Masters Tennis
Miami Masters Tennis
Super League
Golf
NBA
International Football
Boxing

I guess it'll always change when new contracts come up.

talkSPORT

Wednesday 3rd to Sunday 14th February

Cricket: One-Day International Series
South Africa v England - Guy Swindells (First ODI) and Jon Norman (Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth ODIs)

Friday 5th February

Rugby Union: Premiership
Bath v Gloucester - Russell Hargreaves

Rugby League: Super League
St Helens v Huddersfield Giants - Mark Wilson

Saturday 6th February

Rugby Union: Six Nations
France v Italy - Andrew McKenna
Scotland v England - Stuart Cameron

Sunday 7th February

Rugby Union: Six Nations
Ireland v Wales - David Brady

American Football: Super Bowl 50
Carolina Panthers v Denver Broncos - Olly Hunter

Friday 12th February

Rugby Union: Premiership
Newcastle Falcons v Leicester Tigers - Russell Hargreaves

Rugby League: Super League
Huddersfield Giants v Wigan Warriors - Mark Wilson

Saturday 13th February

Rugby Union: Six Nations
France v Ireland - David Brady
Wales v Scotland - Hamish Stuart

Sunday 14th February

Rugby Union: Six Nations
Italy v England - Simon Ward

Friday 19th and Sunday 21st February

Cricket: Twenty20 International Series
South Africa v England - Jon Norman (both matches)

Friday 19th February

Rugby Union: Premiership
Harlequins v Leicester Tigers - Russell Hargreaves

Rugby League: World Club Series
St Helens v Sydney Roosters - Mark Wilson

Saturday 20th February

Rugby League: World Club Series
Wigan Warriors v Brisbane Broncos - Richard Shaw-Wright

Sunday 21st February

Andrew McKenna presented the World Club Challenge from the studio alongside Martin Offiah

Rugby League: World Club Challenge
Leeds Rhinos v North Queensland Cowboys - Mark Wilson and Paul Sculthorpe (7pm commentary), with Martin Offiah providing in-game analysis

Friday 26th February

Rugby Union: Six Nations
Wales v France - Hamish Stuart

Rugby League: Super League
Hull Kingston Rovers v St Helens - Mark Wilson

Saturday 27th February

Rugby Union: Six Nations
Italy v Scotland - Andrew McKenna
England v Ireland - Russell Hargreaves

Boxing: IBF and WBA World Super Bantamweight Championship
Carl Frampton v Scott Quigg - Dom McGuinness

The next time I post one of my monthly talkSPORT non-football sports coverage updates, it will include details from talkSPORT 2! I can't wait for that station to launch now - I'm really looking forward to it.

There will soon be too much sport for one monthly update. I too am excited about this new eara.

talkSPORT 2's first few Super League commentaries will be:

Wigan v Widnes
Castleford v Leeds
Wigan v Hull KR
St Helens v Hull FC
Hull KR v Catalan
St Helens v Catalan
Wigan v Huddersfield
Warrington v Wigan

They're mostly on Thursday and Friday, not at weekends.

Nat Coombs announced on his Americarnage podcast (and then twitter) that he will be hosting a weekly US sports show for talkSPORT2. He said in the podcast it will go out midweeks between 5 and 7.

Edit Starts Tuesday 22nd March and is called The All American Sports Show.