SuperSport secures Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry TV rights

CANAL+ confirmed a broadcast rights agreement with the South African Rugby Union (SARU) and New Zealand Rugby (NZR) to show all matches in the Castle Double Malt Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour live in South Africa on SuperSport on DStv.

The agreement will see SuperSport, Africa’s leading sports broadcaster, showcase all four Test matches between the Springboks and All Blacks, as well as the four matches against the Vodacom United Rugby Championship teams as New Zealand embark on the first full tour of SA for 30 years.

The tour kicks off tonight when the DHL Stormers host the All Blacks in Cape Town, kick-off 19h00, live on SuperSport.

“The South African, New Zealand and global rugby audience is thirsting for this Tour, and we're delighted to confirm that SuperSport will continue to bring rugby's biggest matches into homes in Africa,” said Rian Oberholzer, SARU CEO.

“This is a landmark event in the rugby calendar and having a landmark broadcaster in SuperSport to once again bring the passion and drama of the Tour to screens on the continent will be music to the ears of local fans.”

CANAL+ Africa and MultiChoice Group CEO, David Mignot, was delighted with the confirmation of the broadcast rights agreement to the historic return of the tour after 30 years.

“CANAL+ has continued to demonstrate its investment in local sport and entertainment content and Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry is another feather in our cap in terms of bringing sports content that matters to viewers and subscribers,” said Mignot.

“We have been consistent and unwavering in our belief that local content is the key driver of growth in our business but also has more of a meaningful impact in the lives of the people who matter to us the most, our viewers and subscribers.

“We are grateful to our partners, SARU and NZR, for making this partnership possible, and we look forward to an exceptional display of rugby between two of the best rugby nations in the world.”

New Zealand CEO, Steve Lancaster, said: “Anticipation for Rugby's Greatest Rivalry continues to build and interest in the Tour is very strong across New Zealand, as we know it is for South African and global audiences.

“This is one of the game's most exciting events and we're looking forward to enabling fans to follow another memorable chapter in the rivalry between our two teams and engage with the stories and all the action during the tour.”

SuperSport’s coverage will go further than ever before, capturing all the behind-the-scenes action from both camps during this intriguing tour, with expert analysts and former players who have experienced similar intensity during their playing days to that of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, breaking down all the key moments and talking points.

Up-to-the-minute updates will be available on supersport.com as well as SuperSport Blitz. Visit Greatest-Rivalry.com for more information.