Springbok Women’s World Cup Brings Women’s Sport into SA Fan Spotlight

According to data from Nielsen Sports SA, the Springbok Women’s historic first-ever Rugby World Cup quarterfinal was a milestone television event, upping the game for fans with a dedicated SuperSport channel (199) for the tournament – another first for women’s rugby.

The channel, driven by SuperSport’s Here for Her campaign, signaled a shift in SA fans’ support of women’s sport, amplifying the growing momentum driven by the players and their communities of loyal fans.

“The Springbok Women have not only made history on the field, but they’ve also shown the power of women’s sport to unite, inspire and attract growing audiences,” said Duncan Stead, Commercial Manager at Nielsen Sports SA. “This is the beginning of a new chapter for women’s rugby – and indeed women’s sport in the broader sense – in South Africa.”

The four Women’s Rugby World Cup matches became the four most-watched Springbok Women’s games ever. In fact, throughout 2025 to date, more than 1.27 million unique viewers have engaged with the team’s matches - up 334% from 2024’s comparable period, a clear signal of rising interest and investment in the women’s game. Total unique viewers reflect a 334% growth, while total consumption numbers were up a staggering 673%.

Nearly half a million viewers (484,265) tuned in live to watch the quarter-final clash against New Zealand’s Black Ferns, marking a 135% increase on last year’s top match audience Springbok Women.

With considerable viewership growth YoY and more games in 2025, average audiences were significantly up versus 2024. Notably, audience skews showed that 49% of viewers were from the Western Cape and Gauteng, with a more prominent male skew, but also growing female interest, providing a fertile platform for participating brands.

This surge reveals a broader movement in women’s sport, where increased coverage and visibility are being met with equally strong audience enthusiasm and buy-in from advertisers, capitalising on the opportunity to connect with South African viewers in a growing space for local fandom.

Selikane concludes, “With unprecedented audiences, breakthrough performances, and a groundswell of support, women’s rugby isn’t a side note - it’s becoming a central storyline in South African sport.”