Leinster closed out their season with silverware on Friday night, retaining the BKT United Rugby Championship title with a 36-7 win over the Bulls at Croke Park.

In front of an attendance of 39,184, better than some, including us, had feared, Leo Cullen’s side delivered one of their most complete performances of the season, scoring five tries and again proving too strong for the South African side in a repeat of last year’s decider.

Sam Prendergast was named player of the match, with Leinster becoming the first side to win back-to-back titles in the URC era.

The crowd was down on last year’s 46,127, but the decision to return to Croke Park still gave the final a sense of occasion.

Credit too to the URC for how it has continued to build its own audience beyond the live broadcast. The official highlights video, below, has already been viewed 232,000 times over the weekend, a number that will be a multiple of those who watched the game live on Premier Sports.

On TikTok, Sam Prendergast’s chase and covering tackle has also hit 157,000 views, and the Championship pushed out over 50 Instagram posts during the course of Friday night.

 

@urc Sam Prendergast’s Grand Final winning commitment 🔥 #URC ♬ original sound – United Rugby Championship

 

Sport for Business Perspective

This kind of digital reach matters, as does the direct relationship being built with supporters. The link sent out to subscribers of the URC’s excellent fan feed for next season’s fixtures was another smart touch, keeping the conversation going beyond the final whistle.

For Leinster, this was the right ending to a season that had again carried its share of frustration in Europe. For the URC, it was another reminder that the competition has found real substance, strong stories, and an increasingly effective way of bringing them to fans.

 

 

 

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Image Credit: URC

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