SA Rugby and the CANAL+ Group have held discussions on strengthening their partnership with SuperSport following meetings in Johannesburg last week.
Executives from SA Rugby met with CANAL+ Group representatives at the MultiChoice offices in Randburg to discuss strategic plans for rugby broadcasting in Africa.
The organisations held information-sharing sessions aimed at aligning their long-term strategies for delivering rugby content to viewers and DStv subscribers across the continent. The discussions focused on enhancing the viewing experience beyond live action, including immersive experiences and storytelling.
The partnership comes as SA Rugby prepares to stage matches from 2026 involving Springbok men’s, women’s and junior teams, as well as sevens competitions. SuperSport, which forms part of the CANAL+ Group, will broadcast the events to millions of rugby followers across Africa.
SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer said SuperSport had been broadcasting rugby content, including Rugby World Cups, for decades.
“We had very fruitful discussions with CANAL+ leadership in Johannesburg and, along with them, we are very excited about the road ahead,” he said.
Rendani Ramovha, CANAL+ director for sports content in English and Portuguese-speaking Africa, said rugby played an important role in the sports package delivered to CANAL+ Africa’s pay-TV audience.
“We are excited to engage with the rugby governing body to find ways to deliver the sport to audiences across many different touchpoints: linear television, streaming, digital and social media,” he said.
Ramovha said the discussions aimed to ensure viewers received the best rugby viewing experience through the SuperSport partnership, with content planned for this year leading up to the Springboks’ title defence in Australia next year.
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