A large faction of Munster supporters living abroad were up in arms about the ‘shambles’ of a streaming service offered by the club.
Several Munster fans are demanding a refund after they paid to watch yesterday’s game against All Blacks XV at Thomond Park, only for it to be marred with technical issues.
The historic showdown was made available to stream on the club’s own streaming platform, Access Munster. For a €10 monthly charge, supporters could tune into the friendly, but the service has been brutally criticised online after last night’s event.
People who were excited to tune in to the rare fixture were left disappointed and frustrated when the coverage repeatedly froze and crashed, making it almost impossible to watch the game or the much-talked about pre-match haka.
There are few games in rugby steeped in more tradition than any meeting of Munster and the All Blacks, and last night’s meeting was the first since 2016’s Maori All Blacks visit to Limerick.
Most of the anticipation was focused on the pre-match ritual of the haka – a traditional Maori war dance used to fire up warriors on the battlefield.
You could hear a pin drop in the stadium as the New Zealand team began their ritual.
The respect that followed from the home crowd was impeccable, before a trademark Thomond roar met its conclusion.
Most fans on the Access Munster service seemed to miss out on the incredible spectacle, a problem that the club themselves promptly acknowledged and apologised for on their social media.
One disgruntled fan took to X to vent their frustration about the broadcasting problems, and likened the situation to Munster’s recent lack of performance on the pitch.
“Munster Access has crashed. Sums up where Munster are at right now,” they wrote.
Another commented: “What a complete joke. The live stream crashing just sums up Munster at the moment. Push everything behind a paywall and the streaming option crashes.”
One other added: “Is Access Munster run by a bunch of toddlers? You had one job and you have royally f***ed it up. What an utter disgrace.”
The struggles experienced by fans online at the beginning of the game were echoed by the players on the pitch, as Munster found themselves 14-0 down after half an hour.
Despite a strong comeback, the team from the southern hemisphere proved to be too strong on the night, and the game ended 24-38 to the All Blacks XV.
