‘SA among top 10 world’s most rugby-obsessed nations’ − report

With the 2023 Rugby World Cup kicking off on Friday in France, data has revealed South Africa is among the top 10 of the world’s most rugby-obsessed countries, according to a report by The Grueling Truth.

This should not be a surprise following the outcry by South Africans after the SABC initially said it was not going to broadcast the tournament.

The Springboks will kick off the defence of their 2023 World Cup title on Sunday, 10 September 2023 against Scotland in the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille.

Top 10

The data compiled by The Grueling Truth revealed that South Africa ranks number 5 in the world’s most rugby-obsessed countries while Papua New Guinea is the most rugby-obsessed country in the world.

It said Papua New Guinea can rightfully claim the title of the most fervently obsessed country by a wide margin.

“The interest in rugby among Papua New Guinea’s residents outpaces the second-place contender, Fiji, by a staggering 21%. Oceania is well-represented in this ranking, with New Zealand taking the fourth spot.

“The Kiwis break into the top 10 of the most obsessed countries, just trailing Ireland, which is the sole European nation in the top 5. The current champion, South Africa, completes the top 5,” it said.

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According to the data, the United Kingdom, edges out the host country, France, which stands at the seventh position.

“Namibia, Australia, and Sri Lanka also make it into the top 10 list of the most obsessed countries, following that sequence.”

The Grueling Truth said the ranking was compiled using Google Trends, which tracked search interest over the past 12 months for topics such as rugby, rugby world cup, rugby league, rugby results, rugby news, rugby match and rugby fixtures.

“The final list was determined by considering the overall interest level across all these terms in each country,” it said.

Broadcast

Meanwhile, the majority of South Africans will finally get to watch the Springboks play in the Rugby World Cup after the SABC and MultiChoice reached an agreement on broadcasting rights on Thursday.

Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Zizi Kodwa said the SABC will broadcast 16 World Cup matches, including the opening match and all of the Bok matches.

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