Sir Clive Woodward will once again not be part of ITV’s coverage of the upcoming Six Nations Championship, following his decision to step away from his broadcasting role after the Rugby World Cup.
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The former England head coach, who famously led the national team to World Cup glory in 2003, has been a mainstay of ITV’s rugby coverage for much of the past decade.
However, Woodward, 68, announced his decision to “go out on a high” after the tournament in France, choosing to focus on other business ventures.
Speaking about his departure, Woodward said: “ITV were very disappointed but after the Rugby World Cup I wanted to go out on a high. I will be at Twickenham still — but this time as a spectator and fan.”
"I never thought I'd see that scoreboard at Twickenham."
Sir Clive Woodward is in disbelief at how England performed against France.#ITVRugby | #GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/kooD3HQyt7
— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) March 11, 2023
He added: “I would like to thank the ITV Sport team and my fellow panellists and co-commentators for so many great games and happy memories, and wish everyone the very best for an exciting Six Nations campaign.”
In a potential shake-up for ITV’s rugby coverage, former England head coach Eddie Jones is reportedly in line to join as a pundit for the 2025 Six Nations, which kicks off in February.
Jones, who will be in the UK with Japan this autumn, has no commitments during February and March, making him available to potentially provide expert analysis, particularly on England.
While neither BBC nor ITV has confirmed their line-up for the tournament, Jones would certainly be a high-profile addition, bringing a wealth of experience and insight to the studio.
Fans Upset by 2025 Six Nations Kick-Off Time, it’s not great for anyone
The tournament commences on Friday, 31 January, with France hosting Wales in Paris, with kick-off at 9:15 pm local time. This hasn’t gone down well with fans.
One fan wrote: “Rugby is already declining in Wales and now children won’t be able to watch their first game. Bad idea,”
A second said: “Getting to the Stade de France at the best of time is hard. Getting back after a 9:15 kick-off time will be a nightmare,”
Another simply stated: “Who’s f***ing s*** idea was this?”
England will play the following day, as Scotland takes on Italy at Murrayfield, as announced by tournament organisers.
As per this year, the 2025 Championship will see BBC and ITV sharing coverage in the UK, with S4C offering Welsh language options. France Television will be the home of the Championship for French fans, RTE and Virgin Media will once again cover the games in Ireland. In Italy, Sky Italia will continue their coverage of the Championship in 2025. The host broadcast coverage will also be complemented by widespread international broadcast coverage and a World Feed service.
2025 Siz Nations Fixtures
ROUND 1
- Friday 31 January
- France vs Wales – 8.15pm
- Saturday 1 February
- Scotland vs Italy – 2.15pm
- Ireland vs England – 4.45pm
ROUND 2
- Saturday 8 February
- Italy vs Wales – 2.15pm
- England vs France – 4.45pm
- Sunday 9 February
- Scotland vs Ireland – 3pm
CONTINUES ON PAGE TWO
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