Live from the Rugby World Cup 2023: Consistency and simplicity are key for host broadcast match coverage By George Bevir
Friday, October 27, 2023 - 08:49
Print This Story
On Saturday (28 October), Rugby World Cup 2023 will end where it began: at the iconic Stade de France, in Saint-Denis. The stadium in north Paris, which hosted the opening tie of the tournament back in early September, will provide the setting for the final between New Zealand and South Africa as the seven-week World Cup reaches its conclusion.
For World Rugby head of broadcast and production Amanda Godson, the mission for those tasked with covering the event was to produce coverage that was a significant step up on the 2019 Japan Men's World Cup. And we've absolutely done that; we've provided consistency across all the pool matches, while also bringing in innovations such as the cable cam for all matches. We've also worked closely with our rights holders to ensure they have as much knowledge of the venues and our productions and can customise their own coverage as well. We've created a very efficient operation and an environment in which it's been easy for rights holders to operate in, she says.
As a federation, we want to attract those new viewers. So the whole philosophy around the coverage was to keep it simple so the non-rugby experts could see what was happening.
In terms of the editorial, the approach has been to keep it simple , explains her colleague, World Rugby executive producer, TV and content Steve Strve' Jamieson.
The World Cup is not just for the rugby fanatics, he explains. As a federation, we want to attract those new viewers. So the whole philosophy around the coverage was to keep it simple so the non-rugby experts could see what was happening.
Coverage of the 48 matches has been split among four production teams, each of which has been led by one of four directors: French directors Laurent Daum and Samy Chatti, English director Daniel Hudson and Australian Matt Heaton. Each director has also worked with a coordinating producer to ensure consistency across the overall output. In addition, each production team also has a play-by-play commentator, colour commentator and a side-line commentator.
Left to right: Steve Jamieson, World Rugby executive producer; World Rugby head of broadcast and production Amanda Godson; HBS head of production management Gareth Jones
Host Broadcast Services (HBS) executive producer for RWC 2023, Julian Bertin, expands on Jamieson's point: Rugby can be very complex, so the remit was to make the game as understandable and simple as possible, he says.
Having worked on the coverage of the Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan, HBS was once again tasked with providing host broadcaster coverage of the tournament, ensuring live feeds of all 48 matches along with a host of additional programming and digital content has been available to rights holders.
Continues Bertin: With World Rugby, we worked really hard on production guidelines for our directors. We did workshops and brainstorming with those four teams about how to cut the game to make it as entertaining and enjoyable, while also being understandable too. We said, don't address the experts, address newcomers and make it make it simple for them'.
The cable cam is the best camera you have in rugby. We'll always follow a penalty with it, but the main reason is that we want tactics to be clear to viewers.
One of the ways in which they have tried to make the game easier to understand is giving more air time to the referees.
In the briefing we give to the commentary team we said whenever there's a decision from the referee, be quiet and let them speak because they will explain it best. And then you can bounce off that statement or decision if you agree or disagree.
While the directors are rugby specialists highly experienced in covering the sport, a quality control team led by a director who is not considered such a rugby expert supports and questions the coverage.
Explanations and atmosphere
A new addition to this tournament is a cable camera (pictured above) at every match, the purpose of which is to provide further clarity to viewers. It's the best camera you have in rugby, says Bertin. We'll always follow a penalty with it, but the main reason is that again, we want tactics to be clear to viewers. In addition, each fixture also has a drone to provide views of the stadium and surrounding area.
Adds Jamieson: It all comes down to not just watching it on TV, but for the fans to feel like they are at the stadium. I often tell the commentary teams that their biggest asset sometimes is not talking; if a try's been scored, stop talking because every viewer at home whose team just scored is going to be yelling at the TV. And those fans whose team has conceded will be yelling at the TV too. It's a bit of a new style of commentary where we really push for those gaps.
To add to the atmosphere, heading into the tournament one of the messages from rights holders was that they wanted to be closer to the action. Generally speaking, [rights holders] don't want to be sitting inside a studio, they want to get the atmosphere through their production. So we have the pitch-side presentation positions, but we have also knocked down the studio walls to create the announce platforms, and they've been very popular, says Godson.
Camera coverage
As the tournament has progressed, the number of cameras used to capture the action has increased, from 25 cameras per match for the group stages, increased to 33 during the quarters, 38 for the semi-finals and then up to 39 cameras for the final on Saturday (illustrated above).
New cameras this year include cine-style cameras, introduced in a bid to capture more emotional reactions of players and fans.
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
28/11/2025
Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...
28/11/2025
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
28/11/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....
28/11/2025
The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....
28/11/2025
The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...
28/11/2025
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...
28/11/2025
The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...
28/11/2025
Friday 28 November 2025
Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...
28/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator
Social Impact
26 November 2025
United States
Link copied to clipboard
The National Assoc...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
Live from the Rugby World Cup 2023: Consistency and simplicity are key for host broadcast match coverage By George Bevir 
