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CHANNEL 9 will be forced to decide between its traditional rugby league fans or the station's multi-million dollar investment in rugby union's World Cup when the two rival sports clash dramatically this year.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal that a week-two NRL semi-final at the SFS on September 17 will be played concurrently with a World Cup Pool C Test between the Wallabies and Ireland in Auckland.
Nine will logistically be unable to telecast both games live.
Rugby league's semi-final is scheduled to kick off at 7.45pm, while the Wallabies Test is to start at 8.30pm in Auckland, which is 6.30pm in Sydney.
The rugby union Test would overlap the rugby league semi-final by up to 30 minutes.
NRL officials have already met Nine management to talk about the dilemma, while Australian Rugby Union chief John O'Neill told The Daily Telegraph last night he would seek urgent meetings with Nine CEO David Gyngell and managing director Jeff Browne.
Souths chief executive Shane Richardson yesterday predicted the rugby union Test would attract just 50 per cent of those watching the NRL semi-final.
Officials from the NRL and ARU are terrified their codes might be embarrassed publicly by being shunted or switched to Nine's digital channel, GO!
The NRL could be asked to push back its kick-off by 30 minutes, although an 8.15pm start would be unsuitable for many children and pensioners.
Read more: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/spo...-1226094256255