United Rugby Championship Surpasses One Million Fans in 11 Rounds
The United Rugby Championship (URC) has reached a new milestone with over one million fans attending matches this season after just 11 rounds.
This marks the fastest pace at which the competition has achieved the landmark, improving on previous seasons when the figure was met in round 14 two years ago and in round 12 last season.
The URC has recently seen larger crowds, with single-round attendance records being broken four times in just over a year. Notably, round nine saw 160,780 fans flock to stadiums, setting a new high for the competition.
In a statement, the URC emphasized the factors driving this momentum, highlighting the league’s thrilling unpredictability and the high-caliber rugby on display.
“It is clear that the hook for fans going to stadiums or watching on screen is the competitiveness, unpredictability and thrilling rugby of BKT URC combined with unique match day experiences and industry leading social content that is being produced season after season,” read a URC statement.
“With seven rounds left to play, 15 of the league’s 16 clubs are involved in the battle to reach the play-offs and that appeal has led to yet more growth across the BKT URC’s attendance, broadcast and social audience figures,” URC continued.
Additionally, average attendance figures have surged by 14% compared to the same stage last season. Beyond the stadiums, the URC’s digital footprint has also seen growth. The competition’s presence across social media platforms—including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, and X—has expanded to 1.5 million followers, a 12% rise since the start of the season.
