Astonishing Figures Reveal Rugby Truly Is A Rapidly Rising Global Sport

Rapid rise.

Rugby has nearly 800 million followers globally, while more than 338 million considering themselves fans, with India, China and the USA alone constituting almost 33 per cent of the population, according to the largest-ever market research into fan trends and perceptions conducted by World Rugby.

Published as the Rugby World Cup 2019 trophy tour visited India where there are 25.7 million fans of rugby, the research undertaken by Nielsen Sports paints proves that rugby truly rapidly rising global sport.

  • Global fanbase increase of 24 per cent since 2013
  • Asia, North America, South America and Africa growing rapidly
  • Short-form content effective in attracting new fans
  • Average fan age decreasing and female fan-share increasing

Rugby is experiencing strong global participation growth with 9.1 million men, women and children (registered and casual participants) regularly playing the game, with growth driven by emerging rugby markets of large populations.

The research, undertaken across 88 markets, reflects participation trends, with significant increases in rugby interest driven by emerging markets since rugby’s Olympic Games inclusion:

  • 793 million people follow rugby globally, while 338 million consider themselves as fans – an increase of 24 per cent since 2013
  • The fanbase in emerging markets (Brazil, China, India, Mexico and USA) has increased by more than 50 per cent since 2013
  • Asia, North America, South America and Africa have the fastest-growing fan-bases with 112.5, 52.8, 38.2 and 32.7 million respectively
  • Of the 338 million fans, China and USA have 33 million fans, India 25 million fans and France 20 million fans, while RWC 2019 hosts Japan are in the top 10 fan-grossing nations with 14 million

Other highlights include:

  • The average age of a rugby fan is 36, this has fallen by two years since 2013, while the sport is increasingly attracting a younger audience in emerging rugby markets
  • 36 per cent of rugby fans globally are women or girls. In emerging markets, the corresponding figure is 34 per cent
  • USA, China, India, Mexico, Brazil and Japan in top 10 fan nations
  • Rugby Sevens interest has increased by 6 per cent since its Olympic Games debut at Rio 2016
  • Across key emerging markets in Asia, North America, South America and Africa, 63 per cent of rugby fans became fans after being inspired by shorter forms of the game
  • Participants highlight rugby’s values, fun and health benefits as major attractions to playing

World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said:

“World Rugby welcomes this study, which paints a picture of a sport that continues to attract new and younger fans globally. The information will aid our strategic decision-making, assisting World Rugby, our regions and unions in ensuring attractiveness of the game and shaping future fan-engagement programmes.”

Facebook
Twitter
Follow Me
Instagram