Rugby broadcast deal with IRB 'close' - PM

An agreement with the International Rugby Board on local television coverage of the 2011 Rugby World Cup is expected to be signed this week, Prime Minister John Key says.

"We're getting very close to being in a position to announce a deal," Mr Key said at his post-cabinet press conference today.

"I'm confident it will be in line with the expectations of New Zealanders."

Mr Key leaves on Wednesday for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Trinidad and Tobago and he was not sure whether the agreement would be signed before then.

He expected it to happen "around mid-week".

Maori Television, TVNZ and TV3 put in a joint bid, backed by the Government, to cover all the World Cup matches.

Before that happened, Maori Television put in a controversial bid of its own, backed with taxpayer funds, and would have ended up competing with TVNZ.

Those bids were withdrawn and replaced by the joint bid with the matches shared between the broadcasters.

Mr Key said he expected there would be only minor changes to the bid that had been announced.

At the time he said the public would expect free to air coverage of the matches.

Sky TV has the international rights to the World Cup.

- NZPA