The Sportsman to broadcast 20 matches in 2024, starting with Challenge Cup first round clash

The Sportsman will screen 20 games live in 2024, starting with a tantalising Challenge Cup first round clash between Orrell St James and Haresfinch on January 14.

This will be the broadcaster’s third season showing live rugby league having first been involved in the 2021 campaign.

In the upcoming season, the Challenge Cup will again be at the centre of their attention, bringing coverage of the road to Wembley in both the men’s and women’s tournaments.

Leigh Leopards and St Helens reigned supreme under the arch in the season just gone, with numerous games screened by The Sportsman in the run up to those August finals.

Elsewhere, 2024 will see The Sportsman will show a number of games in both the Women‘s Super League and Wheelchair Super League, continuing a focus on diversity and inclusion within the sport.

York Valkyrie and Wigan Warriors are the reigning champions of those respective competitions.

And on top of those, the broadcaster will show clashes in League 1, just as they did in 2023 with Doncaster prevailing in the play-offs and being promoted up to the second tier.

The Sportsman to broadcast 20 matches in 2024, starting with Challenge Cup first round clash

Details of the new deal with The Sportsman were announced on the RFL website earlier this afternoon, with confirmation of a broadcast deal for the Championship in 2024 still awaited.

Managing Director Rhodri Jones commented: “The Sportsman’s coverage has been a popular and valued addition to rugby league’s broadcast portfolio in recent seasons.

“In a year when there will be more matches shown than ever across a range of different platforms, we are delighted they remain a key part of that package.

“Their passion for the sport comes across in every match that they cover, and that is one of the reasons The Sportsman’s coverage has been so popular with rugby league fans – especially given the platform they provide for competitions such as League 1, the Women’s and Wheelchair Super Leagues, and the early rounds of the Challenge Cup.”

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