The Figures Explained

The figures are taken from the Zurich Premiership site. Every effort has been made to verify their accuracy, but they are obviously subject to error, either my own, or by the administrators of the Zurich site.

I have included all home Zurich Premiership games, including the Play-offs and the Wild Card and Championship matches. I have not included any Powergen Cup or European competition figures, as there are no reliable sources for these.

My study starts with the 97/98 season, as that is the first for which figures are on record - the start of openly professional rugby in England. They are based on the 12 clubs in the Zurich premiership during the 2003/4 season.

It is apparent that different clubs have different methods of counting crowd numbers.

Different ways of counting a crowd

Clubs such as Harlequins only count numbers through the turnstiles, so they always report a below capacity Stoop even if it has sold out. Other clubs openly admit to counting tickets sold rather than heads attending – and this means that they count 100% of their season ticket holders for every match, whether or not they attend. Thus, Northampton, for example, regularly record capacity crowds, usually expressed in round figures such as 12,000. This variation in approach distorts the comparative figures somewhat.

In an attempt to address this, and simply to assist comparison, I have produced some weighted results in addition to the graphs, which are based on the exact published figures. In these weighted results I add an extra 15% to the numbers for those clubs who only count bodies through the turnstiles. This 15% figure is based on anecdote, on empirical evidence rather than on some quasi-scientific formula. Quins for example report that up to a third of their 4,000 season ticket holders do not turn up for games. (Season ticket holders account for half the capacity of The Stoop.) Where weighting is applied, Harlequins, Leeds, London Irish, Rotherham, Sale and Saracens have the extra 15% added to their figures. It is up to you the reader to decide which figures enable the more accurate comparison. 

For each club surveyed, as well as the raw figures, I’ve attempted to give a range of figures to assist with comparison. As well as comparative percentage growth both recorded and weighted there is a comparative absolute growth. Thus Leicester, who come 8^th in terms of non-weighted percentage growth in this period, with a 27% crowd increase, come third in non-weighted absolute growth, having grown their average crowd by 3,515 in this period, an achievement only bettered by London Irish and Northampton.

Club by club – my spin on the figures 

The author is a London Irish supporter whose interest was sparked by the growth he has witnessed at his own club. I have attempted for the purposes of these articles to remain dispassionate and objective. However, there may be times when some bias comes through! 

For each club I present the absolute and weighted figures, together with their relative positions. As a London Irish supporter my knowledge of actions taken by the club with regards to promotions, price increases, etc. will enable my interpretation of the figures to be more detailed than that for other clubs. In preparation for this series of articles I have consulted many other clubs’ supporters. Their assistance and insights have proved invaluable. 

There is an old saying about lies, dammed lies and statistics. No doubt some of my reading of these figures will be called into question. That I welcome unreservedly. Other than being an active rugby supporter, an amateur statistician and having had the time and inclination to gather these figures I claim no specialist knowledge.

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