Two thirds of Scottish population watched Rugby World Cup on TV

LONDON (Reuters) - Scotland’s impressive Rugby World Cup campaign helped attract two thirds of the national population to watch the tournament on TV, according to ratings for broadcaster STV.

(Reuters)

About 3.3 million people in Scotland viewed the competition, with a peak of 1.1 million -- one in five of the population -- tuning in for the tense 35-34 quarter-final defeat by Australia which the Wallabies won with a controversial last-gasp penalty.

According to figures released by BARB (Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board), the 2015 Rugby World Cup TV audience reach grew in Scotland by 32 percent compared to the 2011 tournament.

"The STV coverage was excellent and the viewing figures confirm the growing interest and engagement with rugby across Scotland," Dominic McKay, Scottish Rugby’s chief operating officer, said in a statement.

(Reporting by Rob Hodgetts; Editing by Justin Palmer)