Springbok supporters celebrate at a fan park in Pretoria during the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. Picture: Oupa Mokoena, African News Agency (ANA)
The Rugby World Cup is finally upon us and we are just hours away from the first match of the much-anticipated tournament.
The curtain will be raised at 8pm on Friday, before the mouthwatering clash between hosts France and the All Blacks at 9pm.
Now like most you might be asking yourselves, where you can watch all the action?
Well as a South African the only way you can see all the entertainment will be if you have DStv ...
BREAKING NEWS | SABC and MultiChoice reach an agreement on Rugby World Cup 2023 broadcasting rights, excluding OVHD pic.twitter.com/tzHVUpeT2n
— SABC News (@SABCNews) September 7, 2023
At the start of the week it was unclear whether the competition will be televised on the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), that has somewhat been rectified but a lot of South Africans will not be able to watch the Springboks as they look to defend their World Cup title.
ALSO READ: SABC’s agreement with MultiChoice to broadcast Rugby World Cup excludes over 3 million households
A total of 16 games will be broadcast after Multichoice and the national broadcaster, with the help of SA Sports Minister Zizi Kodwa were able to settle on a deal.
However if you are an Open View HD user, you will be unable to watch the games. Which means over 3 million viewers will not be to see Siya Kolisi-led Boks in action.
It is also important to remember that if you are streaming the game and it’s not via a the DStv streaming app, it is illegal. This could be solved if you are willing to pay for two months subscription to the service as the World Cup runs over 51 days.
ALSO READ: Good news for Springbok fans … SABC will broadcast Rugby World Cup
But if you are looking at venturing out to watch a World Cup match, the ‘Springboks Fan Malls’ might be an option. SA Rugby has sorted you out as various malls around South Africa namely, Menlyn Park (Pretoria), Mall of Africa, Nelson Mandela Square, Eastgate (Johannesburg), Gateway (Durban), Mimosa Mall (Bloem), as well as Canal Walk and Tyger Valley Shopping Centre (Cape Town) will screen matches.
Here fans can watch games without also having to worry about loadshedding as generators will make sure the screens do not switch off.
According to SA Rugby apart from the rugby, there will be live entertainment, professional punditry, and loads to eat and drink.
@AliciaPillay56