South Africa’s SA Rugby governing body has announced the acquisition of a stake in the United Rugby Championship (URC) competition’s operating company, Pro Rugby Championship DAC.
The body joins the competition’s founding shareholders, the governing bodies of Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales, in taking a stake in the competition, which features teams from across those five unions.
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Private equity fund CVC Capital Partners is also a 28% stakeholder in Pro Rugby Championship DAC through a £120 million, 2020 investment, made back when the competition was known as the Pro14.
Speaking on the stake acquisition, URC chief executive Martn Anayi commented: “There is no doubt about the hugely positive impact South African rugby has had on our league, and confirmation of their addition as a shareholder was always part of the roadmap. In 2018 and again in 2021, South African rugby showed vision and courage in reshaping where their teams competed, and this milestone is a testament to that foresight.
“From a fan’s perspective, nothing changes. But from a business standpoint, our URC team will now work even more closely with South African teams, partners, broadcasters, and stakeholders to continue elevating the league. This alignment across both hemispheres will create day-to-day efficiencies and open the door to exploring new ideas at a faster pace.”
The URC’s popularity has grown in recent years, peaking with the 2023-24 campaign, which saw record attendance and broadcast viewership figures.
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By GlobalDataThe 2023-24 season’s total audience figure of 47.7 million surpassed the previous record of 37.4 million set in 2023, and in terms of attendance, the URC recorded a 3% overall rise, while the season’s total attendance of 1.69 million was also a new record, with average attendance coming to 11,200 per game.
SA Rugby chief executive Rian Oberholzer added: “This is a red letter day for South African rugby and marks the completion of a journey that began eight years ago when we first contemplated a northern hemisphere future. There have been doubters over the years but the vision we shared with Martin Anayi and the URC team has now come to pass and we look forward to growing the competition as full partners with our colleagues in the north.
“The competition has gone from strength to strength and with four different winners in the first four seasons of our participation, it has proved itself as arguably the most competitive league in rugby. It has been good for our rugby and we look forward to many more years of success.”
South African sides Toyotah Cheetahs and Southern Kings joined the competition in 2018, but departed in 2020, before the four current South African sides, Lions, DHL Stormers, Hollywoodbets Sharks, and Vodacom Bulls, were added in 2021 with the URC rebrand.
In South Africa, the competition is broadcast by Supersport, and supported by regional title sponsor Vodacom, as well as partners Qatar Airways, SA Breweries, and OUTsurance.
In all other markets than South Africa, the competition is known as the BKT URC thanks to a tie-up with the titular Indian tire manufacturer.
