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
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
03/12/2025
ToolsOnAir Composition Builder 2025 Boilerplate
More Details: The Composition Builder 2025 application for macOS enables TV stations and Live Event broadcast...
03/12/2025
ToolsOnAr just:live pro 2025 Boilerplate
More Details: just:live pro 2025 is a Single Channel Live Production Playout solution for video and static or real-t...
03/12/2025
ToolsOnAr just:play pro 2025 Boilerplate
More Details: just:play pro 2025 is a Single Channel automated 24/7 Master Control playout solution with SD, HD and ...
03/12/2025
ToolsOnAr live:cut 2025 Boilerplate
More Details: live:cut is an option to just:in mac pro 2025 and enables multicamera production workflows for up to 16 cam...
03/12/2025
ToolsOnAir Just In Mac Lite NDI 2025 Boilerplate
More Details: The Just In Mac Lite NDI application is a streamlined media capture solution designed specific...
03/12/2025
ToolsOnAir Just In Mac Lite 2025 Boilerplate
More Details: The Just In Mac Lite application is a streamlined media capture solution designed specifically for...
03/12/2025
ToolsOnAir just:in mac pro 2025 Boilerplate
More Details: just:in mac pro is a macOS-based client-server multichannel capture solution to record SDI, HDMI, N...
03/12/2025
Tracy Bonareri Onchoke, Thomson's Young Journalist of the year 2025 is hoping the accolade will be a springboard to more cross-border collaboration between ...
03/12/2025
For the fourth time, Bad Bunny is the most-streamed Wrapped artist on Spotify gl...
03/12/2025
The wait is over. It's time to look back at the audio that defined your year with 2025 Spotify Wrapped, our annual celebration for fans, artists, creators, ...
03/12/2025
Por cuarta vez, Bad Bunny es el Top Artista Global de Wrapped en Spotify, con 19...
03/12/2025
Spotify Wrapped is back, and as always, it's powered by the billions of streams that fans around the world delivered throughout the year. From the artists w...
03/12/2025
Spotify Wrapped is the moment when hundreds of millions of fans around the world...
03/12/2025
With more than 700 million listeners around the world turning to Spotify to soundtrack their lives, it's time to look back at the audio that defined the yea...
03/12/2025
Con m s de 700 millones de oyentes en todo el mundo usando Spotify para acompa ar su d a a d a, es momento de mirar hacia atr s y ver el audio que marc el a o....
03/12/2025
From page-turning thrillers to inspiring memoirs, audiobooks are becoming a core...
03/12/2025
Com mais de 700 milh es de ouvintes em todo o mundo recorrendo ao Spotify para embalar seu dia a dia, chega o momento de revisitar o udio que marcou o ano. Nos...
03/12/2025
Spotify Wrapped celebrates the audio that defined our year, and the annual globa...
03/12/2025
Wuppertal December 3, 2025
Riedel and Haivision Join Forces to Advance Wireless Video TransmissionRiedel Communications today announced a new partnership with...
03/12/2025
Tell us a little bit about your job I am a Digital Marketing Executive working on Paid Social, PPC, and Organic Social. I joined the team in May 2025 and am enj...
03/12/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. and VIENNA - Dec. 3, 2025 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) and Normann...
03/12/2025
S an Nollaig
Celebrate 2025's top Irish sporting stars with RT Sport Awards live from RT Studios on RT One and RT Player
RT pays tribute to Ror...
02/12/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
02/12/2025
--
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and the International Telecommunication Unio...
02/12/2025
Harmonic's cOS Platform Will Redefine Subscribers' Quality of Experience, Lowering Churn SAN JOSE, Calif. - Dec. 2, 2025 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today...
02/12/2025
S an Nollaig
Hollywood blockbusters The Banshees of Inisherin, Barbie and Oppenheimer make their Irish TV debut
Tune into the classics such as Love Actual...
02/12/2025
Showcasing fresh Irish storytelling and emerging talent Storyland 2025 signals a fantastic time for Irish drama
RT and F s ireann/Screen Ireland are proud to...
01/12/2025
MANCHESTER, UK - November 2025 - Announced two days before the 30th anniversary of Oasis' debut album, Definitely Maybe, the Oasis Live '25 tour marks t...
01/12/2025
01 Dec 2025
Kyivstar and Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation Select Go...
01/12/2025
The prequel to the global hit Sky Original mob crime saga, Gomorrah' is a s...
01/12/2025
Featuring Florence Welch, Red Hot Chilli Peppers' Flea, designer Bella Freud...
01/12/2025
Fox Corporation Chief Financial Officer Steve Tomsic to Participate in Upcoming ...
01/12/2025
Arvato Systems' Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) Receives BSI C5 Certification (T...
01/12/2025
Summary This short video gives you an summary of the changes in under two minutes.
--...
01/12/2025
As the festive season approaches, RT Supporting the Arts is proud to showcase a...
01/12/2025
Festive specials of Christmas in Kilmainham presented by Marty Whelan, High Road Low Road, Callan Kicks the Year and Keys to My Life
Ring in the New Year with ...
01/12/2025
Architect and television presenter Hugh Wallace, best known to RT audiences as a long-serving judge on Home of the Year, has died at the age of 68.
In a state...
28/11/2025
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
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
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
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 ...
Published: Thu 15 Aug 2019
