WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Super Rugby is experiencing a significant surge in popularity, with early indications revealing heightened fan engagement this season across the Southern Hemisphere tournament. This growth continues the momentum from a strong viewership presence in the 2024 season.
In New Zealand, where five of the eleven Super Rugby teams are based, viewership increased by 12 percent in 2024. According to Nielsen, an astounding 2.4 million New Zealanders tuned in to matches via free-to-air channels, pay television, mobile, and streaming services.
The previous year’s pinnacle event, a final match between the Auckland-based Blues and the Hamilton-based Chiefs, attracted over 640,000 viewers on television, with an additional 113,000 accessing it digitally.
This season’s first three rounds show promising numbers, mirroring robust viewership in both New Zealand and Australia, even after Australia reduced its teams from five to four due to the financial struggles that led to the Melbourne Rebels’ exit.
In Australia, certain venues exhibit crowds exceeding 20,000 per game for the first time since 2015. Around 15,000 attended on average during the opening round there.
Part of this resurgence might be attributed to the spirited performance of Australian teams this year. As the competition entered its sixth round, three teams from Australia—Queensland Reds, New South Wales Waratahs, and ACT Brumbies— held spots in the top six of the championship table, alongside the fierce New Zealand sides: the Chiefs, Crusaders, and Highlanders.
New Zealand’s Sky television reports a further 12 percent increase in viewership in the current season, with over 1.1 million fans engaging through various platforms.
In Australia, the Nine Network experienced a 17 percent rise in audiences compared to the previous season.
The question of the season is what’s troubling the Blues. After six rounds, they find themselves languishing in 10th place with a disappointing 1-5 record, an unexpected plight for a team brimming with star All Blacks.
Their recent game against the Crusaders concluded in a 42-19 defeat, marking their worst loss this season. Despite featuring 10 All Blacks in their squad, the Blues are grappling with injuries, sidelining notable players like Beauden Barrett, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, and Sam Darry, while over 70 players across the league missed the sixth round due to injuries.
The loss against the Crusaders highlighted repeated errors, unforced turnovers, and disciplinary issues, with their set pieces showing inconsistency. It accounted for their third consecutive home defeat.
Coach Vern Cotter admitted their struggles, expressing dissatisfaction with their recent performances. “If I’m being objective, we’re hating it,” he stated, though he remains hopeful for improvement, seeing their current plight as an opportunity to strengthen.
The Blues face the threat of missing the playoff cut unless they turn the tide in the forthcoming matches. Cotter referenced a conversation with team manager Richard Fry, who used a golfing metaphor to describe their current position: “we haven’t done well on the front nine. We’ll have to be much better on the back nine.” The team needs to score a few “birdies” to climb back into contention.
In contrast, the New South Wales Waratahs have redeemed themselves remarkably this season. Previously at the bottom in last year’s tournament, they are now placed fourth with a promising 4-1 record after five matches and a bye.
The Waratahs achieved a milestone victory on Saturday, overcoming fierce rivals the ACT Brumbies for the first time in 14 attempts since 2018. With new head coach Dan McKellar, previously at the helm of the Brumbies, the Waratahs triumphed in a tightly contested derby, winning 28-23 before a crowd exceeding 20,000 in Sydney.
The game turned with only 12 minutes remaining; trailing 18-21, the Waratahs secured victory when Max Jorgensen set up Joe Walton for the decisive try six minutes from full-time.
Key elements of their win included a resilient defense against the Brumbies’ maul and capitalizing on turnover opportunities, forcing seven in the first half and scoring off two. They held firm as their opponents rallied, scoring 17 points post-intermission.
The Waratahs were driven to showcase their capabilities following stinging critiques of their recent efforts, notably the 35-15 loss to the Reds.
Captain Hugh Sinclair addressed their improved performance, noting, “We had our integrity questioned throughout the week, and that’s tough as a rugby player and a rugby club. A lot of people wrote a few things about us, and we responded pretty well.”