Pacific Championships: Kangaroos prove-box office gold as TV ratings skyrocket
A week after Australia’s win over Tonga in the Pacific Championships had officials claiming a victory over rugby union’s Bledisloe Cup in the TV ratings, Mal Meninga’s Kangaroos scored another victory.
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Mal Meninga’s new-look Kangaroos are proving to be box-office gold. A week after their win over Tonga in the Pacific Championships had officials claiming a victory over rugby union’s Bledisloe Cup in the ratings, the Kangaroos win over New Zealand on Sunday afternoon in Christchurch attracted another blockbuster audience.
More than 900,000 fans tuned in on linear TV and streaming as Australia booked their berth in the Pacific Championships final, the audience representing an increase of nearly 20 per cent on the corresponding pool game last year.
The audience included viewers across the Nine Network and Fox League. The viewership for the Kangaroos and Jillaroos matches was 1.2 million on top of a sellout crowd in Christchurch as the game capitalised on the momentum in New Zealand this season – all the Warriors home games were sold out.
“International rugby league is thriving and there are exciting times ahead as we start to build towards the World Cup in 2026,” NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo said.
“The players have been brilliant and the fans have responded.
“All roads will now lead to CommBank Stadium on November 10 for a captivating day of Pacific Championships finals.”
Meninga has been stripped of a handful of his biggest names for the Pacific Championship, the most noteworthy Penrith superstar Nathan Cleary and Melbourne Storm five-eighth Cameron Munster.
They haven’t missed a beat in their absence. Parramatta playmaker Mitch Moses has taken Cleary’s No.7 jersey and been a dominant presence alongside five-eighth Tom Dearden.
The pair combined to telling effect on Sunday as the ‘Roos avenged last year’s loss in the final with a 22-10 win, booking themselves a place in the final against the winner of this weekend’s game between Tonga and New Zealand.
The ratings have been a boon for the international game as Meninga looks to restore some pride in the green and gold jersey after last year’s devastating defeat at the hands of New Zealand.
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Originally published as Pacific Championships: Kangaroos prove-box office gold as TV ratings skyrocket
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