M-Net nabs Africa Rugby Cup rights

By BRYAN PEARSON

JOHANNESBURG --- South African pay TV channel M-Net has snapped up Africa's television rights to the rugby union's greatest showpiece, the 1999 Rugby World Cup.

For an undisclosed sum, the pay channel will broadcast the World Cup, being staged in Britain and France in 1999, throughout the African continent and the adjacent Indian Ocean islands, M-Net sports chief executive Russell MacMillan said in a statement.

MacMillan said the deal also includes options for the 2003 World Cup.

Negotiations had been started with the South African Broadcasting Corp. to share the South African games and a share of the semi-finals, quarter finals and the final, he added.