Published: Thu 15 Aug 2019
A stellar line-up of rugby's biggest names is emerging from the horizon in anticipation of the 2019 Rugby World Cup as ITV invites viewers to rise for the tournament in Japan starting next month.
Beginning its build-up, the channel has unveiled plans for its free to air, exclusive comprehensive coverage and launched an on-air trailer featuring Japanese anime inspired original animation anticipating UK breakfast time viewings of matches kicking-off in the land of the rising sun from Friday 20 September [NOTE TO EDITORS: MORE DETAILS AND A LINK TO VIEW AND EMBED FURTHER DOWN RELEASE].
With teams both on the ground in Japan and in the UK, led by presenters Mark Pougatch and Jill Douglas, every game of the tournament through to the Final in Yokohama on 2 November will be broadcast live and in evening highlights shows on ITV and ITV4, both featuring expert analysis from a formidable pundit line-up including Jonny Wilkinson, Sam Warburton, Brian ODriscoll, Bryan Habana, Sir Clive Woodward, Paul OConnell, Gareth Thomas, George Gregan, Sir Ian McGeechan, Lawrence Dallaglio, Maggie Alphonsi, Sean Fitzpatrick, Jim Hamilton, Mike Phillips and Michael Lynagh.
For the tournament, ITV have designed an interactive studio set that allows the pundits to demonstrate physical analysis in the programmes, creating the platform for some of rugby's biggest names to bring viewers fresh perspectives and insights into the sport.
Co-commentators include rugby figures with a wealth of experience, including Jamie Roberts, Ugo Monye, Shane Williams, Scott Hastings, Danielle Waterman, Ben Kay and Alan Quinlan.
Craig Doyle and Martin Bayfield will also present shows during the tournament, while Gabriel Clarke will report from Japan along with David Flatman, who will also be a co-commentator. Match commentary comes from Nick Mullins, Miles Harrison, Martin Gillingham and Simon Ward.
ITV's coverage will also feature the iconic Rugby World Cup anthem, World In Union, sung in a new, specially-recorded version by Emeli Sande as its theme music, which will also feature Japanese star, Sarah Alainn.
Viewers will be able to watch and engage with Rugby World Cup coverage at any time with ITV Sport's digital offer, which is bigger and better than ever before.
Fans can watch all games live and on the go with our ITV Hub app with short highlights of every match, exclusive interviews, top moments of the day and much more on our dedicated Rugby World Cup site: itv.com/rugbyworldcup2019.
Twitter account @ITVRugby will feature all the tries and key moments of live broadcast games just seconds after they happen and our Instagram and Facebook accounts will take you behind the scenes in Japan with regular takeovers from our talent.
Following the success of the ITV Rugby Six Nations Podcast, Flats and Shanks (former England and Wales internationals David Flatman and Tom Shanklin) will return to host the ITV Rugby World Cup podcasts throughout our time in Japan. Episodes will begin on 9 September and continue every Monday and Thursday throughout the tournament, featuring interviews with the stars of the Rugby World Cup and input from our talent. The dynamic duo will also host special six-episode series Flats and Shanks in Japan on the ITV Hub ahead of the tournament.
If you missed anything from any day at the World Cup then the ITV Hub has you covered with a short-round up video on every match day, including all the tries, funny moments, comments from our pundits and classic moments from previous tournaments.
And to ensure big moments bring fans together and are not missed by people on the move, in partnership with Ocean Outdoor, ITV will be bringing highlights from all the big games at the Rugby World Cup to outdoor screens up and down the country. As part of this, the England versus France game will be shown live on the large full motion screen in Westfield Square, London on Saturday, October 12 (kick off 9.15am)
With the opening group phase peppered with standout clashes including England v France, Australia v Wales, Ireland v Scotland and New Zealand v South Africa, the ITV team is already predicting the most open tournament in history as they look forward to bringing viewers the experience and spectacle of the Rugby World Cup taking place in Asia for the first time.
Mark Pougatch said: There's always excitement surrounding a World Cup but this time that's heightened even more because it looks like being the most open World Cup there's ever been. The All Blacks remain favourites but they've shown signs of fragility, Wales come in as Grand Slam Champions, Ireland will be looking to find their form of 2018, England are more than capable if not consistent at the moment and South Africa are improving all the time.
That prospect whets the appetite and it's against the backdrop of the most fascinating, intriguing country in Japan. It should be six weeks to remember.
Jonny Wilkinson said: This autumn Japan will be the central focus of the rugby world as we build up to a very evenly balanced and exciting World Cup. On the field I cant wait to see the hosts Japan in the opening game and see how the Northern hemisphere fair against their Southern counterparts throughout. I know Japan will bring a unique flavour to a brilliant competition and I am looking forward to seeing what rugby and its spirit can do for Japan and its fans in return.
Sam Warburton said: All eyes should be on Japan 2019 as I believe it will be the most competitive Rugby World Cup that I've ever seen as a fan or player. I believe the strength of the Tier 2 and 3 nations is the strongest we would have seen and I cannot wait to see how they perform. Japan will undoubtedly put on a fantastic show and with their many passionate supporters and all from around the world, this World Cup will
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
29/07/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
29/07/2026
RT launches Unsolved, a true crime podcast, presented by crime journalist Barry Cummins and presenter Katja Mia.
Unsolved is a weekly podcast exploring unsol...
28/07/2026
Baxandall-inspired hardware EQ overhauled
TK Audio's Baxandall-inspired hardware EQ unit has just made a return, bringing the popular unit back into the...
28/07/2026
D700 system gains new live-focused rackmount surface
Asparion have just announced an expansion of their D700 control surface range, introducing a new model ...
28/07/2026
Contribution to Europe's technological autonomy in the key industry telecommunications
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, starts commercial shipments...
28/07/2026
Press Release: Doverunner completes Farncombe Security Watermark Robustness Tes...
28/07/2026
Tuesday 28 July 2026
Football is back on Sky Sports following its most watched ...
28/07/2026
RT Raidi na Gaeltachta, RT Radio 1, RT One and RT Player to showcase the best of the reels, rhymes and rambles from Comhaltas Fleadh Cheoil na h ireann 202...
28/07/2026
Through a wide range of perspectives, this documentary looks at how Ireland might navigate one of the defining political questions of the future
Wednesday, Jul...
27/07/2026
New app turns vocal percussion into polished loops
Vochlea, the company behind the voice-to-MIDI instrument Dubler 2, have just announced the launch of a ne...
27/07/2026
Latest MPE-capable instrument completes Pure Trilogy line-up
Sonora Cinematic have just released the third and final instalment in their series of acoustic ...
27/07/2026
Emulates four varieties of optical compression
The latest addition to the fedDSP line-up has just been announced, and packs four distinct optical compressor...
27/07/2026
Optical & FET compressors join 500-series line-up
At our recent GearExpo UK show, we heard from Drawmer that they would soon be launching a pair of new 500-...
27/07/2026
SES Space & Defense to provide always-on LEO Relay Services (LRS) to Starlab via...
27/07/2026
All episodes available Thursday 6 August on Sky and streaming service NOWMonday ...
27/07/2026
Apple today announced AppleCare One - a new way for customers to protect multipl...
27/07/2026
Yesterday witnessed truly memorable scenes in Croke Park, bringing the curtain d...
27/07/2026
Luxembourg, July 27, 2026 - SES, a leading space solutions company, issued the following statement following the U.S. Federal Communications Commission approval...
25/07/2026
New app turns vocal percussion into polished loops
Vochlea, the company behind the voice-to-MIDI instrument Dubler 2, have just announced the launch of a ne...
25/07/2026
Saturday 25 July 2026
First look revealed for YAGA, a seductive mystery thrille...
24/07/2026
First string library captured at Studio Richter Mahr
The latest sample library to be created at Max Richter's Studio Richter Mahr facility captures the ...
24/07/2026
Official emulation of Blackbird Studios reverb chamber
In their latest collaboration with Blackbird Studios, KIT Plugins have captured the sound of the Stud...
24/07/2026
Angela Gomez brings over 14 years of experience in broadcast communications and audio engineering, specialising in live outside broadcasts, live sports and larg...
24/07/2026
Article courtesy of postPerspective
Read the article
While Toy Story 5 maintai...
24/07/2026
Kerry and Mayo fans Up For The Match as excitement builds in Croke Park on the e...
23/07/2026
Staines-upon-Thames, UK, 23rd, JULY, 2026 - Yospace, the trusted leader in Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI), stitched 11.57 billion one-to-one addressable advertisem...
23/07/2026
Quickly creates reverse reverb effects
Low End Candy have recently released a new plug-in that offers a quick and simple way to create reverse reverb effect...
23/07/2026
New engines, resonators, effects & more
Expressive E's versatile soft synth has just been treated to an update that greatly expands its sonic range. Noi...
23/07/2026
SGL Carbon has further expanded its photovoltaic capacity at its Ort im Innkreis site in Austria. With the commissioning of new PV carports, the sites solar sys...
23/07/2026
Rohde & Schwarz presents new software for three-phase power analysis on MXO seri...
23/07/2026
In our latest blog, Laura Rognoni explores how the launch of Play Snooker reflects a wider shift in sports economics - from monetising peak broadcast audiences ...
23/07/2026
Download Now!
To receive a short case study showcasing Vivid Broadcast's audio setup, please enter the following details:
--
First Name* First Name ...
23/07/2026
X-Rite Pantone and Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) Partner to Advance Digi...
23/07/2026
Thursday 23 July 2026
New Samsung Galaxy Foldable range available now to pre-order on Sky Mobile
Sky Mobile, the award-winning network voted this year by Expe...
23/07/2026
Thursday 23 July 2026
Jason Statham leads Sky Original action thriller MUTINY in explosive new trailerTurn on cookies to view this content. Go to Privacy optio...
23/07/2026
Wuppertal July 23, 2026
Riedel Implements RefCam and Easy5G for the First Time...
23/07/2026
RT Commercial has today announced Centra as the official food partner once again of The Traitors Ireland, coming to RT One and RT Player later this year.
Ce...
23/07/2026
RT Commercial today announced Honda as sponsor of Today with David McCullagh RT Radio 1, weekdays 9am 11am.
Broadcasting directly after Morning Ireland in ...
23/07/2026
RT News is pleased to announce Barry Gallagher has been assigned as the new journalist covering news from Cork, Kerry and the wider Southern region
Working al...
22/07/2026
Library now available in Engine Player
Another of Eduardo Tarilonte's popular sample libraries has just been moved over to Engine Audio's Engine Pla...
22/07/2026
All-in-one mic & DSP interface overhauled
Cloudvocal have just refreshed the design of their all-in-one mic, audio interface and DSP processor, introducing ...
22/07/2026
The final boss of the lost dual-op-amp circuit
Electro-Harmonix have just introduced the Deluxe Big Muff Pi 2, which they say offers their latest take on t...
22/07/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
22/07/2026
A poisoned spy, a secret war, and a small English city contaminated by a deadly chemical weapon. Available on Sky Documentaries from 4 AugustWednesday 22 July 2...
22/07/2026
Audio at Parity: Comscore Launches Transcript-Level Targeting and Measurement wi...
Published: Thu 15 Aug 2019
