SA derbies help URC break new record

NEWS: For the third time in 12 months the United Rugby Championship has set a new attendance record across a single round with 153,398 packing out stadiums in Round Eight.

That figure overtakes the previous record of 146,046 set in January of this year and has been made possible by some incredible interest across the league’s northern and southern hemispheres.

In South Africa, nearly 34,000 supporters showed up at Kings Park to watch the Sharks beat the Bulls in an epic derby.

In Cape Town, where the Stormers ended their four-match losing streak against the Lions, more than 22,000 people watched the entertaining match at the Cape Town Stadium.

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In Scotland, defending URC champions Glasgow Warriors took on Edinburgh and broke new ground by playing their first game at Hampden Park in front of 27,538 – their biggest ever crowd for a home game.

Meanwhile, Leinster attracted nearly 34,000 in Dublin for their derby clash with Connacht.

In Italy, Benetton hosted a sell-out crowd against Zebre Parma and Dragons finished off Round eight with a full house for the visit of Cardiff.

The 2023/24 season boasted a season-record of 1.69 million fans coming through the gates across the league with Round eight and subsequently, Round nine setting new records for a single round. All of this occurred in tandem with a third consecutive year of the URC setting a record for broadcast with 47.7 million watching on TV.

Now, in the current season crowd numbers are already up by over 15 percent and this latest record providers further encouragement that fans are responding to the fantastic match-day experiences on offer across the league.

Martin Anayi, United Rugby Championship CEO, said: “The rise of the league continues and we see our clubs going from strength to strength to drive the levels of interest. Since the inception of the URC we have seen incredible growth across all fan metrics – attendance, TV viewership and social media growth.

“Between the league and our 16 teams there is a great spirit of collaboration, knowledge sharing and innovation – without this none of the success that has been occurring for three-plus years would be happening. We are also seeing players participate more and more in the promotion of fixtures and in this era of athlete-first interest in sport that is proving more and more valuable.

“Great credit also goes to the partners of clubs and the league who do so much to support these games. More than ever, it’s becoming clear that whether it’s in the stadium or in front of a screen the URC is must-see rugby.”

To all 34 827 supporters who came out to support, we thank you 🖤🤍@vodacom #URC #SHAvBUL pic.twitter.com/xiGaRY2sHD

— The Sharks (@SharksRugby) December 22, 2024

Previous best single-round attendances:

146,046 – Round 9 of the 2023/24 season
135,747 – Round 8 of the 2023/24 season
123,307 – Round 11 of the 2022/23 season
121,117 – Round 21 of the 2017/18 season

Round Eight Attendances

Ulster v Munster: 14,313
Benetton v Zebre Parma: 5,000
Stormers v Lions: 22,410
Sharks v Bulls: 34,827
Ospreys v Scarlets: 6,836
Leinster v Connacht: 33,963
Glasgow Warriors v Edinburgh: 27,538
Dragons v Cardiff : 8,511