CANAL+ Group confirms Rugby World Cup broadcast rights, and more

The CANAL+ Group on Wednesday confirmed an agreement with World Rugby for the rights to broadcast Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 and Women’s Rugby World Cup 2029 live on SuperSport, on DStv, across Sub-Saharan Africa.

The announcement came as the French group, which recently acquired the MultiChoice Group, confirmed its listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE).

The confirmation of the broadcast rights for the men’s tournament that will be held in Australia from 1 October to 13 November 2027 will mean that DStv and GOtv subscribers can look forward to seeing South Africa and Zimbabwe represent Africa at rugby’s biggest global tournament. The 11th edition signals a major evolution for the tournament, expanding to 24 teams and featuring a new format with a round of 16 for the first time, delivering more matches and drama, while creating greater opportunities for emerging nations.

South Africa’s Springboks will be aiming to defend their title after back-to-back triumphs at Japan 2019 and France 2023 as they chase a historic fifth victory.

Zimbabwe also returns to rugby’s biggest competition for the first time since 1991, when the Sables last featured on the Rugby World Cup stage.  Other rugby powerhouses such as New Zealand, England, Ireland, France and hosts Australia will be going all out to add their names to the prestigious Webb Ellis Cup awarded to the Men’s Rugby World Cup winners. 

Meanwhile, in the women’s game, England’s Red Roses will enter the 2029 tournament as defending champions, having lifted the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 on home soil in a record-breaking competition for viewership, attendance and engagement. South Africa also made history in the last tournament by reaching the quarter-finals for the first time, becoming the first African team to do so.

Included in the broadcast agreement are World Rugby’s men’s 15s competitions: the World Rugby Junior World Championship, recently expanded to 16 teams, and the World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup.

World Rugby Chief Revenue Officer, Michel Poussau said: “We are delighted to partner with the CANAL+ Group to deliver comprehensive, high-quality coverage of international rugby’s pinnacle competitions across Africa, including two exceptional Rugby World Cups in Australia in 2027 and 2029. This agreement is a major step in expanding the reach of the game, ensuring fans across the continent can watch, follow and engage more deeply with rugby. We look forward to working closely with CANAL+ teams to bring the sport closer to audiences and inspire the next generation of players and fans in Africa.”

CANAL+ also confirmed that SuperSport will remain the exclusive broadcaster for the Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) following a multi-year broadcast rights renewal of the inter-continental club competition.

“Confirming these broadcast rights puts the seal on an incredible occasion for us as the CANAL+ Group, alongside the MultiChoice Group, as we have secured broadcast rights to many major rugby tournaments for our subscribers,” said David Mignot, CANAL+ Africa CEO. 

“This is another firm commitment that we are putting our subscribers first by ensuring they never miss out on the best sports content from the continent and from across the globe. We’d also like to acknowledge our partners, World Rugby and the VURC, with whom we will work closely to bring these exciting tournaments to life.”