Munster draw in viewers like no others

SPORT ON TELEVISION/RTÉ'S MOST POPULAR EVENTS:THE SEEMINGLY never-ending achievements of Munster on the rugby field, not to mention as a brand, are reflected by the RTÉ sports viewing figures for 2008.

A peak figure of 1.033 million was recorded for that cold November Tuesday (18th) when Munster, shorn of 10 international players and losing Denis Leamy to injury early on, came agonisingly close to repeating the 1978 defeat of the All Blacks - the only Irish side ever to do so - and in turn ruining the title of the long running John Breen play, Alone It Stands.

The peak was reached at 9.16pm when word clearly spread like wild fire that they were on the verge of beating New Zealand. That is until Joe Rokocoko's late try shattered the dream.

"The most impressive figure was the 689,000 that tuned in from start to finish," noted Ryle Nugent, deputy head of RTÉ TV sport and commentator on the night. "The fixture grabbed the public's attention from the outset. The choreographing of the 20-minute build-up was delivered efficiently and respectfully, including the unveiling of the plaque by the Taoiseach. The pomp and ceremony was followed by the Munster, then New Zealand haka and then the first five minutes of the match itself were played at a million miles an hour. All the ingredients were there.

"The uniqueness of the occasion made it hard to compare with the other great days at Thomond Park in recent seasons," Nugent continued. "It was an unbelievable experience. I've been at all the big Munster games at Thomond Park in the past few years but this can't be compared. It was a totally unique event. Just very different from other big games, like a European match when they are doing whatever is necessary to get out of the pool.

"It was recognition of who they are and what they are about; showing they have come full circle since 1978. As soon as people walked in the door or sat down in front of the television they knew they were in for a special, unforgettable night."

The All Blacks' trip to Limerick was a genuine departure from the norm and touring squads will not be bringing the numbers to facilitate a repeat fixture any time soon.

"It has to be an advantage that it was a Tuesday evening in November and the recession had just kicked in. Also, there was no direct competition on TV like the Champions League. It was talked up in the media at length due to the history of the fixture, so the curiosity value was there as well."

That an event organised to celebrate a 30th anniversary and open a new stadium held par with two hugely significant All-Ireland finals and outdid all other events in a significant sporting 12 months merely emphasises the growth in popularity of rugby in this country.

"Rugby is a substantially growing audience over the past five years, no doubt about it," said Nugent. "It can be measured with the success of the national team, Munster and, to a lesser extent, Leinster. It is down to the accessibility of the audience to the players, who they can potentially see walking down the street."

Rugby viewing figures were significantly down the pecking order in 2003 with the Grand Slam- deciding Six Nations encounter at Lansdowne Road against England averaging only 504,000 and placing sixth on RTÉ sports' list behind Gaelic games and soccer internationals. Munster's defeat to Toulouse in the Heineken European Cup semi-final that year attracted only 264,000.

The All Blacks match was ranked third on the average list of viewing figures behind the 709,000 who watched the hurling final between Kilkenny and Waterford, which peaked at 840,000, and the 703,000 who watched the football final between Tyrone and Kerry, which peaked at 886,000.

The Champions League final in Moscow between Manchester United and Chelsea was watched by 653,000 on RTÉ, with a peak just shy of a million viewers.

That the Irish rugby match against England at Twickenham came fifth with 553,000, peaking at 655,000, is further evidence of the growth of rugby's popularity.

The Munster viewing figures were made apparent at RTÉ's sports awards in UCD on Sunday evening, when the province was also named team of the year.

Unsurprisingly, the main individual prize on the night went to two-time Major champion in 2008 Pádraig Harrington after he regained the British Open and captured the USPGA championship.

Former former Irish Olympic athlete and Ireland hockey international Maeve Kyle was inducted into the RTÉ Hall of Fame.