BBC sparks fury by dropping World Cup-winning Red Roses from TV
Rugby NewsThursday, 10 September 2026 at 20:08
England’s World Cup-winning Red Roses have been relegated to BBC iPlayer for their forthcoming WXV campaign, prompting frustration from supporters and within English rugby.
None of England’s three home Tests this month are currently scheduled to be shown on BBC One or BBC Two, despite the enormous momentum generated by their World Cup triumph.
⭐ Save us to your Google Favourites for nonstop RUCK content!
Instead, the RFU will broadcast the matches on its YouTube channel, with the same feed available through BBC iPlayer.
The decision has attracted particular criticism ahead of England’s opening fixture against Australia in Salford this Saturday.
Rather than showing the Red Roses, BBC Two is scheduled to broadcast Lawrence of Arabia from 1.30pm until 5pm, before coverage of the World Athletics Ultimate Championship begins.
Fans hit out
The scheduling decision quickly sparked criticism on social media.
One supporter wrote: “BBC Two dropping England v Australia for Lawrence of Arabia is a joke. The Red Roses win World Cups and get iPlayer.”
Another branded the situation “pathetic”, while one fan posted: “We’ve all seen Lawrence of Arabia a million times! Support your World Cup winners properly.”
There was at least one dissenting voice, who responded: “That’s a shame, but Lawrence of Arabia is absolutely brilliant.”
According to The Telegraph, insiders at the RFU are also frustrated.
A source close to the governing body said: “It’s disappointing, off the back of such a big World Cup and a big Six Nations. If it isn’t seen by many, how do you maintain that momentum?”
England’s World Cup final against Canada delivered a peak BBC One audience of 5.8 million, while this year’s Six Nations Grand Slam decider against France attracted more than two million viewers at its peak.
England face Australia before hosting Canada at Sandy Park in a repeat of the World Cup final.
Their campaign concludes against New Zealand at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, on September 26, with more than 50,000 supporters expected.
Captain Meg Jones said: “Freeview channels are always the best option for us, particularly the women’s game.”
She added: “Do I want to see more of that? Yes, 100 per cent.”
EDITORS PICKS:
, insiders at the RFU are also frustrated.A source close to the governing body said: England’s World Cup final against Canada delivered a , while this year’s Six Nations Grand Slam decider against France attracted more than two million viewers at its peak.England face Australia before hosting Canada at Sandy Park in a repeat of the World Cup final.Their campaign concludes against New Zealand at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, on September 26, with more than 50,000 supporters expected.Captain Meg Jones said: She added:
BBC sparks backlash with Red Roses broadcast decision after World Cup triumphEngland’s World Cup-winning Red Roses have been relegated to BBC iPlayer for their forthcoming WXV campaign, prompting frustration from supporters and within English rugby.None of England’s three home Tests this month are currently scheduled to be shown on BBC One or BBC Two, despite the enormous momentum generated by their World Cup triumph.Instead, the RFU will broadcast the matches on its YouTube channel, with the same feed available through BBC iPlayer.The decision has attracted particular criticism ahead of England’s opening fixture against Australia in Salford this Saturday.Rather than showing the Red Roses, BBC Two is scheduled to broadcast Lawrence of Arabia from 1.30pm until 5pm, before coverage of the World Athletics Ultimate Championship begins.Fans hit outThe scheduling decision quickly sparked criticism on social media.One supporter wrote: “BBC Two dropping England v Australia for Lawrence of Arabia is a joke. The Red Roses win World Cups and get iPlayer.”Another branded the situation “pathetic”, while one fan posted: “We’ve all seen Lawrence of Arabia a million times! Support your World Cup winners properly.”There was at least one dissenting voice, who responded: “That’s a shame, but Lawrence of Arabia is absolutely brilliant.”According to The Telegraph
TRENDING
LATEST NEWS
LATEST COMMENTS
- Jordie Barrett over Damian de Allende is far from being correct. The hype around Dupont is also overreaching, he's probably 4th in the world and has been since the 2023 WC. He also avoids certain matchups which is strange. The rest of the list is pretty good apart from minor subjective biases.JasonMarlow16-09-2026
Loading