We Share the Passion: S4C unbeatable on Welsh sport

17 March 2019

2019 has already provided some wonderful sporting memories and S4C's unrivalled coverage will give viewers the best access to Welsh athletes competing on the world stage.

Having clinched the Grand Slam in this year's Guinness Six Nations, Warren Gatland's attention now turns to Japan and the Rugby World Cup, which kicks off in September.

S4C will bring live coverage and evening highlights of every Wales game during the tournament, as well one match from each knockout round, including the final on Saturday 2 November. S4C's coverage will also include live coverage of the opening match between Japan and Russia on Friday 20 September.

In June the Wales Under 20s team travel to Argentina for the 2019 World Rugby Under 20 Championship. Each of their five games will be live on S4C.

This year is also a significant one for Ryan Giggs and the Wales football team. The race to qualify for the UEFA Euro 2020 Championship gets underway this month, with eight qualifying matches taking place before the end of the year.

After a friendly match against Trinidad and Tobago, which will be played at Wrexham on Wednesday 20 March, the qualifying campaign begins at the Cardiff City Stadium on Sunday 24 March, against Slovakia. Free-to-air coverage of every Wales game will be on S4C's flagship football show, Sgorio.

July sees Geraint Thomas make his defence of the Tour de France crown. With the race celebrating the 100th year of the yellow jersey, there will be an even bigger emphasis on mountain stages this year with organisers describing it as the 'highest Tour in history'.

After the Grand Depart, which takes place in Brussels on Saturday 6 July, this year's race will take the peloton on a 3,460 kilometre route before the final stage in Paris on Sunday 28 July. S4C's Seiclo team will bring live coverage, highlights and expert analysis of every stage of the race.

There will also be highlights of the classics throughout the season, with Seiclo bringing the action from six famous races on the cycling calendar, including the Paris-Nice, Paris-Roubaix and the Criterium du Dauphine.

The World Rally Championship returns to north Wales in October for the Wales Rally GB, and Ralϊo+ will be there to bring live coverage and highlights, as Dolgellau's Elfyn Evans bids to win the race for the second time.

Bocsio Byw will also return to the screen this year to showcase some of Wales' finest boxing talent in a live fight night.

The Welsh landscape will provide the backdrop for four athletics events during 2019, with highlights from the Newport Marathon, Snowdon Race, Snowdonia Marathon and all six legs of the Welsh Triathlon Super Series being shown on the channel.

There will be plenty of domestic sport on show throughout the year, with live coverage and deferred match broadcasts from every week of the 2018/19 and 2019/20 Guinness PRO14 seasons. In addition, there will be coverage from the Principality Premiership and the National Trophy Finals day, featuring back-to-back coverage of the National Cup, Plate and Bowl competitions.

Rygbi Pawb will showcase the best rugby from Wales' college and regional youth competitions with live matches and highlights, and there will also be live coverage of both the men's and women's matches in the 2019 Varsity between Swansea and Cardiff on Wednesday 10 April.

Football will feature prominently in the S4C schedule, as Sgorio brings unparalleled coverage of the Welsh domestic game. On Tuesday 19 March, the 'C' international match between England and Wales will be streamed live on the Sgorio Facebook page and the S4C website. With Connah's Quay becoming the first non-Scottish team ever to reach the final of the Scottish Irn Bru Cup, Sgorio's cameras will be there live for the final on Saturday 23 March.

As the season nears an exciting conclusion, Sgorio will also show live coverage and highlights from the JD Welsh Premier League and the JD Welsh Cup.

S4C Sports Commissioner Sue Butler said: "Every year, there are highlights in the Welsh sporting calendar and 2019 is no exception. The magnificent performance of the Grand Slam-winning rugby team has created a buzz around the nation and there is so much more to look forward to, with the Rugby World Cup, the Tour de France and the majority of the Euro 2020 qualifying campaign to come before the end of the year.

"We are proud supporters of Welsh sport and our portfolio is now bigger than ever. We hope that viewers will enjoy our unbeatable coverage this year."