THE Senedd’s sport committee called today for the rugby Six Nations Championship to be protected so that it can remain free for people to watch on television.

Politicians argued that the Six Nations Championship should be moved from being a Group B event to being a Group A as part of the listed events regime under the Broadcasting Act 1996 — which would mean that it would join elite events such as the FA Cup Final, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Women’s Football World Cup and European Championships as protected free-to-air tournaments.

Delyth Jewell MS, chair of the Senedd’s culture, communications, Welsh language, sport, and international relations committee, said: “Rugby in Wales plays a unique role in our national life, and in particular the Six Nations, holds a special place for Welsh audiences. This was never far from our minds when we made the decision to call for it to be protected as a free-to-air tournament.