Editorial: Rugby World Cup will be a test for the broadcasters

Photo / Sarah Ivey

Someone named Steyn played first five-eighths for the Springboks against the All Blacks last weekend. He kicked some penalties and mis-kicked some punts.

With his short, dark hair, he looked like Morne Steyn, the Bulls' pivot, and he played like him.

Yet viewers in New Zealand of the Sky broadcast of the game were told, at least twice, that he was Francois Steyn, or Franz, as the commentator, Grant Nisbett, would have it.

Francois is a fullback and the owner of a mop of light hair that is probably his most distinguishing feature. He was not in that Springboks squad, sadly, from South African fans' viewpoint.

A trifling misnaming of a player would not warrant comment. But a close listen to any replay or to the next test will show just how many times the wrong player, from either side, gets mentioned.

It is regular, sometimes glaring - like in the quiet moment before a kick at goal last week, when co-commentators couldn't bring themselves to correct the clanger - but is usually swallowed up in the run of play. It is too frequent to go unremarked by viewers.

So far there hasn't been a historic moment climactically miscalled and retaped for posterity as had to happen after the hapless Peter Montgomery's troubles when the Evers-Swindell twins won Olympic gold.

But there seems to be a growing risk. Randomised name calling in the World Cup next year could have its embarrassments, with Eden Park's poor pitch lighting and distant new media facilities.

Time to dust off the binoculars.