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Bristol Post
Bristol Post
Sport
John Evely

BT Sport to cut live broadcast Gallagher Premiership games in half for 2021/22 season

Rugby is preparing to return to the status quo in 2021/22.

With Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirming on Monday (July 12) that England is on track to open up from the final Covid-19 lockdown restrictions on July 19, which impact sport by minimising crowds, the Gallagher Premiership clubs are planning to have full capacity crowds when the league kicks off on September 17 with Bristol Bears hosting Saracens in the opening game.

Bristol Bears director of rugby Pat Lam said: “It’s great that Bristol Bears will host the competition curtain-raiser and better still that we will have fans back at the stadium again. Having the opportunity to welcome Saracens back into the Gallagher Premiership will be a fantastic spectacle for our fans and BT Sport’s audience too.

“A capacity crowd at Ashton Gate, under the lights on a Friday night, always creates one of the best atmospheres in the country so we’re excited about getting underway.”

With games largely played behind closed doors since rugby returned in August 2020 following a six-month hiatus as the country locked down through the first wave of the Covid pandemic, broadcaster BT stepped into the breach to take fans into the empty stadiums through their television screens by showing every Gallagher Premiership and European cup game live on their numerous channels and online.

However, as things stand, BT Sport will not be showing every game during the 2021/21 season, returning to showing three games each weekend with one each day over a Friday, Saturday, Sunday.

Instead, the broadcaster has confirmed their pick of the games for the first seven rounds of the Gallagher Premiership.

Here are the games you can watch on TV over the first couple of months of the season:

Gallagher Premiership Round 1

Friday, 17/9/2021 - 19:45 ko - Bristol Bears v Saracens - BT Sport

Saturday, 18/9/2021 - 15:00 ko - Leicester Tigers v Exeter Chiefs - BT Sport

Sunday, 19/9/2021 - 15:00 ko - Newcastle Falcons v Harlequins - BT Sport

Gallagher Premiership Round 2

Friday, 24/9/2021 - 19:45 ko - Gloucester Rugby v Leicester Tigers - BT Sport

Saturday, 25/9/2021 - 15:00 ko - Wasps v Bristol Bears - BT Sport

Sunday, 26/9/2021 - 15:00 ko - London Irish v Sale Sharks - BT Sport

Gallagher Premiership Round 3

Friday, 1/10/2021 - 19:45 ko - Bristol Bears v Bath Rugby - BT Sport

Saturday, 2/10/2021 - 15:00 ko - Leicester Tigers v Saracens - BT Sport

Sunday, 3/10/2021 - 15:00 ko - Sale Sharks v Exeter Chiefs - BT Sport

Gallagher Premiership Round 4

Friday, 8/10/2021 - 19:45 ko - Harlequins v Bristol Bears - BT Sport

Saturday, 9/10/2021 - 15:00 ko - Saracens v Newcastle Falcons - BT Sport

Sunday, 10/10/2021 - 15:00 ko - Wasps v Northampton Saints - BT Sport

Gallagher Premiership Round 5

Friday, 15/10/2021 - 19:45 ko - Sale Sharks v Harlequins - BT Sport

Saturday, 16/10/2021 - 15:00 ko - Wasps v Exeter Chiefs - BT Sport

Sunday, 17/10/2021 - 15:00 ko - Bath Rugby v Saracens - BT Sport

Gallagher Premiership Round 6

Friday, 22/10/2021 - 19:45 ko - Northampton Saints v Worcester Warriors - BT Sport

Saturday, 23/10/2021 - 15:00 ko - Exeter Chiefs v London Irish - BT Sport

Sunday, 24/10/2021 - 15:00 ko - Saracens v Wasps - BT Sport

Gallagher Premiership Round 7

Friday, 29/10/2021 - 19:45 ko - Gloucester Rugby v Exeter Chiefs - BT Sport

Saturday, 30/10/2021 - 15:00 ko - Northampton Saints v Leicester Tigers - BT Sport

Sunday, 31/10/2021 - 15:00 ko - Harlequins v Saracens - BT Sport

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