Shadow Secretary of State for Wales Owen Smith has called on the UK Government and the Welsh Rugby Union to protect a “national birthright” and ensure the Six Nations is kept on free-to-air television.

The Pontypridd MP has written to all 18 members of the WRU’s board of directors and sports minister Tracey Crouch.

In his letter to Ms Crouch he calls on the Government to make the Six Nations a “Group A listed event” so that full live free-to-view coverage will be protected.

Mr Smith said: “With vital decisions being taken by the WRU and the other home nations’ unions in the coming weeks, I wanted them to know how strongly people in Wales feel about the Six Nations. As the representatives of the clubs and fans, the directors have a duty to facilitate the widest access to the game.

“I’m sure that rugby fans throughout the Welsh districts that make up the WRU will want to know that their board members are doing everything they can to protect Wales’ birthright of watching our team take on the other home nations.”

‘Do the right thing’

He tells the directors: “May I urge you in the strongest possible terms, as the Shadow Secretary of State for Wales, but also as a great fan of our national game, to do the right thing and support the free-to-air bid made by the BBC.”

In his letter to the UK Government’s Sports Minister, Tracey Crouch, he urges her as “someone who I know shares my desire to expand access to sport, to do anything in your power to support the free-to-air bid made by the BBC.”

‘Grossly detrimental to the long-term health of the game’

He continues: “I would also like to request that you review your department’s listed events and make the Six Nations a Group A listed event so that full live coverage will be protected.

“I understand that a decision on the bids received will be taken by the Home Nations Unions in the coming weeks, and I have this week written to board directors of the Welsh Rugby Union. But as Sports Minister, I hope you share my view that it would be grossly detrimental to the long-term health of the game across the UK if the ability to watch the championship were curtailed by the passage of the primary rights to Sky or any other pay-TV platform.

‘The shop-window for the game’

“The Championship is the shop-window for the game but its significance would diminish if viewer numbers plummeted, as would be the case if matches were shown live first on Sky. The example of cricket makes that point crystal clear and should sound a warning for anyone considering similarly limiting access to the Six Nations.

“From a specifically Welsh perspective, I believe there is an even greater onus to ensure free access is preserved for the Welsh people. The game is critically important to our culture, economy and national conversation, and it would be a dereliction of duty for any of us to deny or diminish that significance for future generations.

“With two-thirds of the Welsh population watching some of the Six Nations championship, a decision to limit access would not be popular. I know your counterpart in the Welsh Government, Ken Skates AM, has written to UK ministers in similar terms.

“I urge you to correct the mistakes of your predecessors and make the Six Nations one of the officially protected ‘Crown Jewel’ events.”

The WRU declined to comment.