The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has confirmed that it will televise the highly anticipated Test match between the Springboks and the All Blacks.
However, the announcement has left many rugby fans frustrated after it emerged that the public broadcaster will only show the match on a delayed basis.
The clash between two of the world’s best rugby teams is scheduled to take place at Ellis Park Stadium, with kick-off set for 17:10.
SABC has scheduled its broadcast for 19:00, almost two hours after the match begins. By the time the game airs, the final result is likely to be known, meaning fans who want to watch the match live will have to find an alternative way to follow it.
Many supporters were initially excited by the prospect of watching the Springboks on SABC, only to express their disappointment after noticing that the match would not be shown live.
The public broadcaster has once again faced criticism from fans over its failure to secure the rights to broadcast one of the biggest fixtures on the rugby calendar live.
SABC disappoint Springboks fans once again
One fan, @Zavosdd, wrote: “This delayed live match is a slap in the face. You would have to lock yourself in the soundproof room from 5pm!”
@tlenaba added: “Repeat of a 17:00 match.. You are disrespecting lena Ko SABC, you don’t take people seriously. Nonsense!”
Another frustrated supporter, @DorrienVenable, wrote: “You can’t even afford to show the match of the national side being played live, its time to just shut down SABC completely.”
With the Springboks and All Blacks set to renew one of rugby’s fiercest rivalries, fans had hoped the SABC would make the blockbuster encounter available live to a wider South African audience.
Instead, the delayed broadcast has sparked another wave of criticism directed at SABC. The delayed match will be shown on SABC 3 on Saturday at 19:00.
Discussion about this post