Nothing creates furious debate like a sporting event, and rugby may just be the most controversial game of them all.
That’s why Heineken has set up its unique and exclusive digital show, which can be found by using the hashtag #ItsYourCall. It will be broadcast live from the Heineken Rugby Studio from Twickenham at every big game across eight weekends – including all of England’s group games, the quarter-finals, semis and, of course, the final.
Each match will see former England skipper Will Carling host a fierce and funny discussion on the action with different international legends, plus special guests. The men lined up to discuss the day’s big calls form a who’s who of the game: former South Africa Rugby World Cup winning captain John Smit; Matt Dawson, star of England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup and the country’s most capped scrum-half; former Wales and British & Irish Lions number 8 Scott Quinnell; former Kangaroos skipper and one of the country’s most decorated players Rocky Elsom; Shane Horgan, former Ireland and British & Irish Lions winger; and All-Blacks legend Jonah Lomu, the Rugby World Cup’s top try scorer and the man a battered Carling once described as “a freak” for his awesome power.
The venue is a glass studio on the second floor of the main tournament bar in the west car park of Twickenham. From the lounge, Heineken will provide a unique and sometimes irreverent perspective on the tournament as it progresses through the eyes of this elite panel, with fans able to pitch in via the hashtag #ItsYourCall
Before and during each game, the Heineken Legends will watch great moments from their own careers and past Rugby World Cups, providing personal anecdotes and lots of verbal jousting. They will also invite your comments via social media, and the funniest or most pertinent will be read out or discussed on air.
Another regular feature at the Heineken Rugby Studio will be The Final Countdown, when one of the Legends must face the challenge of summarising the events of the week or a particular match in just 30 seconds – the time it takes to pour the perfect pint of Heineken.
The Heineken Legends will also be posting videos and if you miss some of the action, you can visit the Heineken website at heineken.com/rugby to review the big events.
There’ll be plenty to talk about, too. The Rugby World Cup has a history of producing hugely controversial moments.
How about the time when England inadvertently fielded 16 players during the 2003 tournament group match against Samoa? Mike Tindall was being treated on the pitch while his replacement Dan Luger joined the fray. The incident resulted in a fine for England of £10,000; had the punishment been more severe, the trophy might never have been secured.
What about Australia skipper George Gregan’s infamous barb “four more years” aimed at the All Blacks after they were beaten in the semi-final of the same tournament? And more recently there was the infamous 19th-minute red card handed to Wales’ Sam Warburton during the 2011 semi-final by Irish ref Alain Rolland.
You can bet this tournament will throw up more incidents to rank alongside these, plus the colour and pageantry provided by the fans – the costumes, the songs, the faces of tension, joy and despair.
Heineken will have it all covered, so make sure you’re part of it and you have your say by starting a debate or Tweeting the legends at #ItsYourCall.
Get closer to the action from Rugby World Cup 2015 at heineken.com/rugby
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