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Spark promise 'world-leading platform' for Rugby World Cup as Australian streaming service struggles with football's top tournament

TVNZ chief executive Kevin Kenrick and Spark managing director Simon Moutter spoke on TVNZ1’s Breakfast after the Rugby World Cup coverage announcement.

Spark is reassuring Kiwi rugby fans there will be no repeat of Optus' howler over broadcasting FIFA World Cup matches in Australia.

Socceroos fans were fuming after many were unable to stream Australia's opening match against France.

SBS has taken over broadcast responsibilities for 48 hours, with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull intervening.

Spark, with TVNZ, has rights to broadcast the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

Spark spokesperson Lucy Fullerton told 1 NEWS they are "really confident" in their ability to deliver the streaming service.

"We're optimising our networks, we're boosting the capacity in our mobile network," she said.

"We're going to be sourcing a world-leading platform - certainly not doing it from scratch."

She said Spark will have "A, B, and C contingency plans", but couldn't disclose what those plans would look like.

The telco would be taking lessons from the Optus debacle and "incorporating that into our planning."

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