Whisper, the UK-based sports production firm, has been hired by S4C, the Welsh-language free-to-air broadcaster in that region, to deliver its coverage of the upcoming men’s Rugby World Cup in France.
The broadcaster announced last month it had secured rights to show every Wales game live, as well as other select matches during the tournament. Wales have been placed in Pool C alongside Fiji, Portugal, Australia, and Georgia.
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The agreement will see Whisper Cymru, based in Cardiff, produce live coverage of all Wales matches, as well as the first game of the tournament between France and New Zealand on September 8, the third-place play-offs, the semi-finals, and the final on October 28.
The Whisper team will also deliver an “extensive” portfolio of digital content and a tournament preview with exclusive access to the Welsh team.
This is the second time Whisper Cymru has produced coverage of the men’s Rugby World Cup for S4C, having done so for the 2019 edition in Japan.
As part of S4C’s coverage of this year's flagship tournament, the broadcaster will also release a Whisper-produced documentary about Ifan Phillips, the former Wales U20 player who had a leg amputated following a serious motorcycling accident in 2021.
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By GlobalDataThe documentary charts his recovery over 18 months and will premiere on September 28.
Owens, Whisper Cymru managing director, said: “When we first won the Rugby World Cup for S4C in 2019, it was a significant moment for us as it was the realization of our ambitious plans in the sport.
“Four years on we are an established player in rugby, with clients including Welsh Rugby Union, World Rugby, the BBC, the British & Irish Lions, and the [New Zealand] All Blacks.
“We’re really pleased to be continuing our great relationship with S4C and look forward to delivering entertaining and ambitious content as we look to maximize coverage of the upcoming World Cup for a Welsh audience and beyond.”
The production firm said it has made a “significant investment” into its team in Cardiff, which has grown from seven employees in 2019 to 23 in 2023, with six more jobs being advertised.
Carys Owens and Siôn Jones will lead the production team in France as executive producers, with Ceri Jenkins as producer.
Whisper’s onsite presentation team will feature Sarra Elgan and Jason Mohammed, with several guest pundits including former Welsh national team players Mike Philips, Siwan Lillicrap, and Robin McBryde.
Geraint Evans, S4C’s director of content and publishing strategy, said: “We are delighted to partner with Whisper on our coverage for the Rugby World Cup and extend the great working relationship that we have with the company.
“S4C and Whisper will be the Welsh team in France. If anyone is looking for in-depth well-informed coverage, by a passionate new team that will have Wales at its heart, then S4C is the channel to watch. We’re really looking forward to supporting Wales throughout the campaign.”
