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England vs France international faces plan clash with major European Championship match

England vs France international faces plan clash with major European Championship match

Photo by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com – 04/11/2023 – Rugby League – Men’s International – England v Tonga – Headingley Stadium, Leeds, England – England captain George Williams is congratulated by coach Shaun Wane after their side’s victory over Tonga.

England RL’s Test match against France has suffered another blow to its chances of securing a big crowd.

It is very clear that international rugby competition is not what it used to be. Gone are the days when tens of thousands of fans watched the annual Ashes events, and this year there is just one mid-season match for England: against France.

Last year, England defeated France 64-0 in both matches of a men’s and women’s double-header, demonstrating a huge difference in quality between the countries.

Both Ash Handley and George Williams scored a hat-trick on the day, and they both return to the side this year, but it very much has the look of a second-tier team due to a number of selections, which Shaun Wane suggested they were looking towards future.

The matches will be played ahead of a home RFL Championship match for Toulouse Olympique at the same venue.

Scheduling issues for England vs. France

Matthieu Laguerre in action for France against England.

Credit: Imago Images

We already knew that the viewing figures would take a huge hit due to the game not being picked up by the BBC or Sky Sports.

Instead, it will be shown on SuperLeague+, which usually requires a subscription for league matches.

This will be free, but because the platform isn’t available for use on most televisions, it will clearly be skipped by many supporters who would otherwise have tuned in.

However, there is another problem: there is a clash with the European Football Championship – Switzerland plays Italy at the same time as the men’s match, live on the BBC or ITV – a mainstream channel that is free to receive and available. on all televisions.

It’s so much easier to access – and it’s a big event – ​​so many will definitely choose to watch this.

After that game, Germany will play another big game against Denmark.

Hopefully England’s series against Tonga – to be held at Wigan and Leeds this autumn – will be more favorably managed.

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