most widespread television coverage ever to be given to an event staged in Bermuda.

Argentina won their first Classic by beating Canada in Tuesday's final after a week-long tournament which also involved veteran teams from New Zealand, Britain, South Africa, USA, France and the Bermuda national side.

Highlights of the event, which drew crowds of up to 4,000 on five match days, will reach a potential audience of hundreds of millions across the globe when the games are screened at varying times next month.

John Kane, president of the Classic, said: "This will be the greatest ever television exposure for Bermuda and should result in attracting many new visitors to Bermuda, as well as new international sponsors for the Classic.'' Sky Sports will broadcast a two-hour programme on the Classic across Britain and mainland Europe four times, on December 3, 5, 8 and 9.

Fox Sports International will also screen the two-hour show, reaching viewers in the USA, Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean, Australia and Asia.

Trans World Sport expect to reach more than 250 million homes with their coverage of the Classic, when they air two 10-minute segments during their one-hour weekly programme on December 6 and 10.

The programme will be seen in Africa, the Middle East, the Far East including China and Japan, the Southern Hemisphere, Europe and the North and South American continents.

Irish station RTE will also broadcast a 30-minute programme, while national stations in Dubai, Austria and France will all air highlights too.

Kane said the tournament seemed to have been more popular than ever this year, with gates and merchandise sales up.

"The big thing that is now starting to come out is that teams with guys that have been coming here for a number of years like the All Blacks are coming up against guys 10 years younger, like Argentina and Canada and it's starting to tell a bit,'' said Kane.

"Argentina were really up for this tournament, as they've gone close to winning a few times and they have won the Plate. They threw the ball around, scored some lovely tries and deserved to win.'' Despite its growing success, Kane said there were no immediate plans to expand the tournament by inviting more teams.

"If we did expand, I suppose we would have to go up four teams to 12, but that is much further down the road. At the moment, I think five days of rugby is enough for most people.''