The much anticipated IRB Rugby World Cup 2011 kicks off on September 9th, 2011 with hosts New Zealand facing off against Tonga in Auckland. The broadcasting rights for the tournament in the United States are licensed to NBC Sports / Universal Sports.
NBC and Universal Sports will show 10 World Cup matches on television. All 48 matches will be available via pay per view at the Universal Sports website and television pay per view.
The grid below is a listing of the Rugby World Cup 2011 matches that will be available on the NBC and Universal Sports television networks in the USA.
The Video section of the official Rugby World Cup 2011 website has extended highlights of all matches and replays of selected matches available in HD.
| Date | Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 9, 2011 | 3:30 a.m. ET (LIVE) | Opening Ceremonies | Universal Sports |
| 4:30 a.m. ET (LIVE) | New Zealand vs. Tonga | Universal Sports | |
| 5 p.m. ET | |||
| Sept. 11, 2011 | 1 p.m. ET | Ireland vs. USA | NBC |
| 5 p.m. ET | Universal Sports | ||
| Sept. 15, 2011 | 3:30 a.m. ET (LIVE) | Russia vs. USA | Universal Sports |
| 8 p.m. ET | |||
| Sept. 23, 2011 | 4:30 a.m. ET (LIVE) | Australia vs. USA | Universal Sports |
| 8 p.m. ET | |||
| Sept. 27, 2011 | 2:30 a.m. ET (LIVE) | Italy vs. USA | Universal Sports |
| 8 p.m. ET | |||
| Oct. 2, 2011 | 3 p.m. ET | New Zealand vs. Canada | NBC |
| 8 p.m. ET | Universal Sports | ||
| Oct. 15, 2011 | 4 a.m. ET (LIVE) | SF 1: Winner QF 1 vs. Winner QF 2 | Universal Sports |
| 5 p.m. ET | |||
| Oct. 16, 2011 | 4 a.m. ET (LIVE) | SF 2: Winner QF 3 vs. Winner QF 4 | Universal Sports |
| 5 p.m. ET | |||
| Oct. 21, 2011 | 3:30 a.m. ET (LIVE) | Third-Place Match | Universal Sports |
| 7 p.m. ET | |||
| Oct. 23, 2011 | 3 p.m. ET | Final | NBC |
| 8 p.m. ET | Universal Sports |
I had received on PPV from Dish for all games – where is the semi final and final?
Who the heck is “Universal Sports”? NBC needs to carry the semi-finals !!
I liked playing rugby; there is a lot of camaraderie unlike modern era of pro sports in the US where one player gets fifty million and rest of team are supporting casts for one prima donna; it is why NFL almost didn’t happen this year and why NBA season is probably canceled.
However,like anything enjoyed and appreciated by the rest of the world, rugby is mostly not ‘understood by simpletons in US who don’t like to think about things, because it is too hard…it is why the US sucks in it.
US in 2011 is way way ‘different’ and only getting more so. americans don’t like soccer or rugby or any sport without ten tons of padding that the rest of the world doesn’t watch or like.
and I, too, have never even heard of ‘universal sports’…apparently it is not THAT universal.
in the US you need to pay super extra bonus premium package with 100 baloney mostly right wing channels you don’t want to get to what you might like to watch….
democracy? no…ruthless ‘western’ consumerism/capitalism…only top 1% can watch rugby.
I am visiting the US on vacation from France. As a big rugby fan I am flabbergasted that I can’t watch the final live here without shelling out $29.99 to an obscure compay called Universal Sports.
America does not excel in rugby, little wonder if no effort is made to promote the sport by showing the sport’s most important four yearly event only on pay TV. Everywhere else all the matches are free.
Sad really because the Americans that I’ve talked to who play the sport rightly point to the values that the sport embodies: courage, teamwork and above all fairplay.
Maybe in four years time things will have changed here, in the name of US rugby I dearly hope so.