PolicyGuy:

frednz: I think it's a shame for such a major event as the RWC that 750,000 SKY subscribers, paying monthly to see the sports channels, are deprived of seeing this event and have to gear up to internet TV.

Sure some of the key games are going to be on Prime, but the best format IMHO is SKY which 750,000 people have got used to over the years.

Not Prime, Prime == Sky. TVNZ are Spark's partner in this.

All the AB's games will be on TV1 and/or Duke, their pool games will be delayed coverage.
The Quarters, Semis and Final will all be on TV1 / Duke live, not sure about the 3rd/4th playoff - may depend on whether the ABs [shock horror] are in it

Some of the AB's games will be at fairly antisocial times in NZ, ABs vs. Springboks kickoff is 23:45 Saturday 21st September, ABs vs. Canada 00:15 Thursday 3rd October, so I probably wouldn't watch those live even if I subscribed to Spark Sport's RWC coverage. I will watch these middle of the night delayed-coverage games the next morning, having recorded them on MySky (LOL).
Anyone with Sky or with a PVR can do the same.

The pool games broadcast at a "civilised hour" in NZ - Namibia & Italy at 16:45 on 6th & 12th October, will still be quite OK even delayed - a 17:45 or 18:45 kickoff is very nice.

 

In my not-at-all humble opinion, the TV1 / Duke coverage is good enough to not buy Spark's streamed package.
Whether this is or is not a mistake on Spark's part is an interesting question.