Followers smash URC report

The Vodacom United Rugby Championship will set a brand new report for season-long attendance with over 1.6 million followers attending video games by the point the ultimate whistle is blown at Saturday’s grand last.

A sold-out crowd of 55,000 will watch defending champions DHL Stormers tackle Munster this Saturday in Cape City the place a brand new report attendance for the Vodacom URC grand last can be set.

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With followers responding to the attraction of the Vodacom URC common attendances have grown to only shy of 10,000 (9,893) per match for the common season, which is the very best common the league has ever recorded. All 16 groups within the Vodacom URC skilled a rise in common attendance from the 2021-22 season with total match attendance up 36 per cent.

A complete of 1,424,520 attended the common season video games in rounds 1 to 18 with an extra 152,954 coming to the six quarter-final and semi-final matches. The 55,000 tickets bought for the grand last this weekend will see that determine for the playoff video games high over 200,000 and set a brand new total season report of 1,632,114.

Moreover, Leinster’s semi-final in opposition to Munster set a report attendance (26,795) for a playoff sport within the UK and Eire that wasn’t a last.

The DHL Stormers additionally continued to interrupt their very own information that held the title of total highest attendances for non-final video games within the playoffs with their crowds of 44,109 for his or her quarter-final win over the Vodacom Bulls and 47,261 coming by means of the gate for his or her semi-final victory over Connacht.

This additionally comes off a season the place the league recorded its highest-ever attendance determine for a single spherical when 123,307 followers turned out throughout all eight video games in Spherical 11.

“We’re blown away by the attendance information set throughout the league this season,” stated Vodacom URC chief government Martin Anayi. “Our groups put great work into enhancing their match-day experiences for followers and selling their video games and this could give everybody in rugby nice encouragement for subsequent season.

“We’re early days nonetheless for the URC however it’s clear that followers are responding to the draw of the South African sides and the 18-round format which has elevated jeopardy and competitors throughout the board.

“The sell-out crowd in Cape City this weekend is a unbelievable signal of curiosity in URC, nonetheless, we’re simply as happy with setting a brand new report for normal season attendances and there must be nice satisfaction throughout all 16 groups in that collective achievement.”

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Report-Breaking Figures for Vodacom URC attendances in 2022-23

Complete cumulative attendance for R1-18 was 1,424,520, the very best within the competitors historical past (together with earlier iterations)
Common match attendance for R1-18 was 9,893 – the very best in competitors historical past (together with earlier iterations)
Complete cumulative attendance for the total season (excluding Grand Ultimate) is 1,577,114 – the very best in competitors historical past (together with earlier iterations)
Grand Ultimate attendance of 55,000 will deliver complete attendance for the season to 1,632,114
Complete cumulative attendance for playoffs to this point (QF and SF) is 152,954 – the very best in competitors historical past (together with earlier iterations)
Common match attendance for playoffs to this point (QF and SF) is 25,432 – the very best in competitors historical past (together with earlier iterations)
Leinster v Munster set a brand new report for highest attendance in northern hemisphere for a non-playoff sport at 26,795
DHL Stormers set total report for a non-Ultimate playoff sport with 47,261 attending their semi-final in opposition to Connacht
All 16 URC golf equipment have a better common match attendance vs final season, with total common match attendance growing by 36%
123,307 report attendance for a single spherical recorded in spherical 11

Picture: Shaun Roy/BackpagePix