News Access Row at IRB Rugby World Cup

Threats from media bodies including Reuters and Associated Press to boycott coverage of the IRB Rugby World Cup 2007 have resulted in the IRB reducing conditions previously imposed on the media relating to the tournament.

Concerns amongst news organisations first arose in March this year, when the IRB imposed conditions on press coverage on new media platforms (including websites) which it justified as being necessary in order to avoid potential conflict with those broadcast rights granted to the licensees of the tournament's rights holder, Rugby World Cup Limited. The media, however, viewed this as a restriction on the freedom of the press.

The dispute continues a growing trend of rights holders and governing bodies fearing that new media news coverage effectively amounts to unauthorised broadcasting, to the detriment of official broadcast rights holders, and which potentially puts them in breach of contract. At FIFA World Cup 2006, news organisations objected to restrictions imposed on their ability to post photographs on their websites.

As part of their rights packages, some official broadcast rights holders were granted exclusive rights to broadcast on-demand footage of all matches, training sessions and press conferences at the Rugby World Cup 2007 at the expense of news organisations. Consequently news organisations were left with less exposure and more conditions, such as ensuring sponsors' details are not obscured by super-imposed headlines and captions.

In June, the IRB had responded to the growing unrest amongst the press (represented by the World Association of Newspapers) by allowing three minutes per day of non-live audio visual footage on non-match days. Subsequently the IRB conceded that up to forty match photographs may be posted on news organisations' websites per match. Nevertheless, news organisations remained dissatisfied.

The IRB has denied claims that it has required photographers to waive picture credit rights in order to gain accreditation for matches, claiming that it is the victim of a "misinformation campaign".

However, with the tournament already underway, the IRB has finally reached an agreement with the media coalition which allows news agencies to show unlimited video coverage of press conferences, training sessions and other non-match related activities.