BT Sport - Up and Running

Last night, Rugby Tonight kicked off the start of a bumper year for the BT Sport team, this season not only are they covering 69 Aviva Premiership matches, they will also be featuring European rugby for the first time and have over twenty more episodes of Rugby Tonight to film! It will be a relentless schedule however it is one that the team cannot wait to start as Craig Doyle shared with me;

"The more rugby the better as far as I'm concerned, this is the most fun I've had in 20 years of working in broadcasting. Last year was a great start but we want to up it again, the support from the audience has been amazing and we owe to them to make it even better"

After only one season Rugby Tonight has turned into a rugby institution and a must watch for all rugby fans across the country. From the very first show of the 2013/14 season to the very last the team of Craig, Ben, Austin, Martin, Lawrence, Sarra and Matt delivered us with hours of laughter, rugby insight and memorable moments. From episodes of Mr and Mrs with the guests to the Tour de Flats the team seamlessly combined together a little bit of humour and a lot of rugby expertise. Last night it was time to begin a term and as with every new term at school there was a 'new boy' and BT Sport's new boy was a well known face, fresh off the rugby field.

For those of you that viewed the show you will know that Rugby Tonight continued exactly where it left off; Austin was quickly reminded about his lack of a World Cup Winners medal and raised a few eyebrows with his choice of footwear whilst Craig and Sarra tried to keep the peace! Over the summer Memorabilia Wall has had a face lift and it received it's first and extremely special and poignant piece. The rugby shirt of the late serviceman James Walters, who was a member of the Army Air Corps was retired to the wall by his team mates and wife. His team were the evening's demonstration side and and the entire Rugby Tonight presenting team was extremely honoured that his shirt was being  given to the show. 

Naturally there was a lot of focus on the 'new boy', Mr Brian O'Driscoll. As one of the greatest rugby players of this generation Brian made rugby look effortless and he did exactly the same to live television broadcasting. It was very interesting to watch him during rehearsals; as with his rugby he was extremely diligent. He took it all in, listened to the team members and production crew and let them take the lead. Then, when it came to show time he came into his own and shone, the mark of a true professional. Brian was and is a natural in front of the camera; an outstanding addition to the team. 

All in all Rugby Tonight kicked off with a bang and next week the Smash-O-Meter returns! Currently it is being flown over from LA where it received some summer repair work and I'm sure that shortly after it arrives Wasps' Captain James Haskell will be a guest on the show to see if he can finally knock Dad, as he affectionately called Lawrence, off the top of the leader board. It was superb to be in the BT Sport studio to witness the start of the 2014/15 season and as Craig Doyle highlighted, like all of our Aviva Premiership sides, the BT Sport team will raise their game again this year and personally I cannot wait to see them do it. 

See all the Out On The Full Photos from the Studio --> Here