URC 2022/23 - Other Sides

[CIMANFOREVER]

They win stuff at least once per generation

[Neill_M]

Kiss in the running for Edinburgh... and We think we have it bad.....

Latest Scottish media reports have it between Les and Brad Mooar, ex Scarlets coach and current Scotland attack coach. Les is apparently also wanted by the Reds in Super Rugby.

[CIMANFOREVER]

Kiss in the running for Edinburgh... and We think we have it bad.....

Latest Scottish media reports have it between Les and Brad Mooar, ex Scarlets coach and current Scotland attack coach. Les is apparently also wanted by the Reds in Super Rugby.

[Jetstream]

Back in January Scotland announced a panel of 40 players for the 6 Nations. 21 of them were born outside the country.
Is rugby losing its sense of national identity? The whole thing has become a farce.
I wonder how does the selection of Jean Kleyn for South Africa affect his career as a Munster player. He was signed as a project player.
No doubt the IRFU will bend the rules to suit Munster.

[Neill_M]

A viewership of over 37 million watched the United Rugby Championship during the 2022/23 season which broke another broadcast record thanks to an 8% rise in audience figures.

Twelve months on from announcing a previous record of over 34.6million, the URC can now report that a cumulative total of 37.4million tuned in to watch the drama unfold from across Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa and Wales.

The figure also includes five rounds where the audience was over 2 million and 12 rounds were the audience climbed beyond 1.5million. In addition, five of the top 10 most-viewed games of the regular season saw audiences rise above half a million with DHL Stormers v Munster from Round 17 closing in on almost 700,000 viewers.

The URC Play-Offs had over 4 million viewers with Leinster and Munster’s meeting in the Semi-Finals drawing 856,599 viewers to set the highest average audience of the entire season. The Grand Final itself between DHL Stormers and Munster also recorded a higher peak audience with over 1 million watching.

Martin Anayi, United Rugby Championship CEO, said: “It has been a record-setting year for the URC in terms of attendances and now to set a new bar for TV audiences is a testament to new levels of interest that surround our league.

“We’ve worked hard to establish the URC as the rising force in the rugby industry and having recently broken beyond 1 million social media followers we can see that fans are responding to what we have created by going to stadiums, watching at home and engaging through their favourite digital media platforms.

“On the pitch we have seen the new format deliver more jeopardy and surprise results. The mix of playing styles and cultures within the league is providing an appeal that is very unique in rugby. This type of growth in audiences and attendances do not happen without our broadcast partners and teams playing their part and they all deserve great credit for this achievement.”

Breaking down the record-setting audiences in 2022/23

Total Season Audience: 37.4million (+8%)

Season Average: 247,682 per game

Regular season total: 33.3million (+8%)

Regular Season Average: 231,250 per game

Total Play-Off Audience: 4.02million (up on 3.8million +5%)

Play-Off Average: 575,000 per game

Most Watched Teams

1. Munster
2. Cell C Sharks
3. Vodacom Bulls
4. DHL Stormers
5. Connacht

10 of the 16 URC clubs have seen season-on-season growth in their audiences

Top 10 Most Watched Matches in Regular Season

1. DHL Stormers v Munster 688,903
2. Connacht v Cell C Sharks 584,765
3. Ulster v DHL Stormers 543,964
4. Emirates Lions v Leinster 503,228
5. Cell C Sharks v DHL Stormers 501,618
6. Ulster v Vodacom Bulls 495,527
7. Cell C Sharks v Ospreys 493,776
8. DHL Stormers v Vodacom Bulls 490,829
9. Leinster v Munster 456,559
10. Vodacom Bulls v Cardiff 448,654

https://www.unitedrugby.com/latest/news ... cord-again

[jean valjean]

Just shows what the SA audience brings. Only one game in the top 10 not to involve a SA side.

[Jetstream]

Some strange stats. Connacht, the fifth most watched team. Ahead of Leinster and Ulster.
I would take them with a pinch of salt.

[Neill_M]

Some strange stats. Connacht, the fifth most watched team. Ahead of Leinster and Ulster.
I would take them with a pinch of salt.

All their games are available on free to air tv to be fair v the situation with Ulster where you need Viaplay for 2 or 3 home games and the majority of the away games (non Irish games).

Leinster games also on free to air so it is that interesting, maybe non Leinster people don't really watch Leinster games etc. No sides in the top 5 where a Viaplay sub is needed.

[Jetstream]

TG4 never cover an Ulster game unless another Irish Province (usually Connacht) is involved. Ironic when you consider there is a Gaeltacht in Donegal.

[Neill_M]

TG4 never cover an Ulster game unless another Irish Province (usually Connacht) is involved. Ironic when you consider there is a Gaeltacht in Donegal.

TG4 HQ is near Galway, so they tend to show Connacht most weeks etc.

[solidarity]

Really makes me angry...
“We’ve worked hard to establish the URC as the rising force in the rugby industry..."
It's the word 'industry' that gets me. Industry first, sport second. I know that there are business and financial issues, of course there are, but 'industry'?

[kingofthehill]

Sharks and Stormers away just before H cup is a disaster.

Nice finish to the season with Leinster home and Munster away.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[justinr73]

Sharks away again then?

[kingofthehill]

Sharks away again then?

Don’t know why I’m doubting myself now


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[justinr73]

Durban and Cape Town would make for a good trip!