10 Jul 2015

Auckland club falls foul of Sky Sport

7:04 pm on 10 July 2015

An Auckland rugby club that showed the historic Samoa / All Blacks rugby game to hundreds of fans has fallen foul of Sky Sport.

Watching the game in Otahuhu

Hundreds of people watched the game between Samoa and the All Blacks at the Otahuhu Rugby Club in Auckland. Photo: RNZ / Kim Baker Wilson

The Otahuhu Rugby Club said it had been told by Sky it was wrong to show the game on the big screen at its club house.

Head of the club John Roache said he used his own personal Sky decoder to show the game.

He said he had been told by Sky that the broadcaster would stop further action against the club if it signed up to a 12-month contract, at about $300 a month.

Mr Roache said he would have to take the issue to club officials.

"At the end of the day if we've got to have the Sky up there then we must sign it, we'll have to, there's no two ways about it."

Mr Roache said it was the first time the club had shown a screening like this, and it was trying to help the community.

Watching the game in Otahuhu

Children watching Manu Samoa at the Otahuhu club rooms. Photo: RNZ / Kim Baker Wilson

Sky Television said it would not be taking further action against the Otahuhu Rugby Club and that it was speaking with it about the rules for commercial subscriptions.

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