Eddie Hemmings presents Sky Sports rugby league coverage, and is also the channel's main commentator for the sport. Hailing from Cheshire, England, Hemmings is usually partnered by the idiosyncratic co-commentator Mike Stephenson.

Hemmings began his career on the now defunct Liverpool Weekly News, before moving to BBC Radio Merseyside, where he became sports editor, proceeding to become a sports reporter/commentator on BBC Radio 2 in the 1980s. Hemmings and Stephenson actually first met up for commentary duties at the station; Stephenson was invited to be Hemmings' summariser during Great Britain's tour of Australasia in 1988.

Hemmings presenting for Sky Sports during the 2008 Rugby League World Cup

Hemmings joined now defunct UK satellite broadcaster BSB as the anchorman/commentator for its rugby league coverage at the network's launch in 1990. Stephenson was brought in to be Hemmings' regular sidekick. The pairing were kept together when BSB and Sky Television merged to form BSkyB; the combined satellite TV network inherited BSB's rugby league TV contract.

Hemmings is still the main caller for nearly all live Super League matches broadcast on Sky Sports; he commentates on the two matches broadcast live each week, plus all the play-offs and Grand Final matches. He also commentates on all the international matches involving the Great Britain national team.

Hemmings has been accused through the years of being biased towards Super League teams from the Lancashire area (St Helens, Warrington and Salford) in his commentaries on matches involving one of those teams, due to his links to the region. However, most sports commentators around the world are accused of showing commentary bias towards a particular team.

In 2008, a bus was named after Hemmings in his current home town of Warrington as part of a project that recognised the contribution of local people.

On Friday 13th February 2009, commentating on St Helens and Warrington Wolves match, Hemmings called for the names and numbers on the back of the Warrington away shirt to be changed as he found it hard to read. Warrington Wolves recognised this and two weeks later, in a match between Wakefield Wildcats and Warrington Wolves, Warrington altered their away shirt through having a white background behind the numbers.

[edit] External links

• Eddie Hemmings broadcasts live for Sky Sports at the Super League Grand Final, Old Trafford