, March 22 -- Following on from last season's record viewership for a single campaign (37.4million) fans are continuing to watch the Vodacom United Rugby Championship in greater numbers as the tightest race for the play-offs has begun.

Coming off the back of two record rounds of attendance in R8 and R9 (held over December and January), the league's total viewership for the season is also tracking at double-digit growth thanks to new rivalries, the league's level of competitiveness and the jeopardy attached to the play-off race.

Additionally, at the mid-season point 51% of Vodacom URC games have resulted in a winning margin of seven or less points which is up from the season averages of 34% in the past two years. In figures verified by N...