Dylan Bettencourt
South African sides the Sharks and the Stormers are among the most watched teams in the United Rugby Championship (URC).
The URC said on Tuesday that their television viewers reached 13.3 million people by round 12 of the competition, beating the previous television record for rugby of 12.9 million, set by the Pro14 Cup in 2020/21.
Data supplied by Nielsens suggested that the television audience is set to grow as the tournament progresses. There are only two more group stage games before the knockout rounds.
The data also provided a list of the most-watched teams on television.
“Munster are the most-watched team in the URC so far with Leinster, Sharks, Connacht and Stormers all following closely,” a URC statement read.
“The combined audience of over 1.7 million in round two remains the highest round total for the season so far which smashed the previous record of 853,000 from 2017/18.”
This is the first time South African sides joined the competition that features teams from Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Italy.
CEO of the tournament Martin Anayi said adding the South African teams has allowed the URC to gain maximum interest.
“Ultimately, the excitement on the pitch coupled with the intrigue of the big four South African teams joining the league has provided a great draw but it’s been a real collaborative effort from our broadcast partners and the league to maximise that interest,” he said.
A lot was made about the South African sides joining the tournament, particularly after they all made a poor start, but the games on home soil have changed their fortunes.
In the 40 games between teams from the northern hemisphere vs the southern hemisphere, the South African sides have won 24 and lost 15, with one ending in a stalemate.
The Stormers currently occupy second spot, with the Sharks in fourth. The Blue Bulls are lower down in eighth while the Lions are 12th.
The top eight sides qualify for the knockout stages after the group stages conclude on 21 May.
Image source: @PlanetRugby
