Two home games into the season for Sale Sharks. 7,815 attendance for the first and 6,026 tonight



Looks like the North West public has decided that premiership RU is not for them

Early days yet.

True, but dropping 1800 off your opening match, when one of the big names is in town, is odd.

Average last year at home 7,609. You would expect the first home game of the season to be one of the big crowds. It may be early days but I would worry if I was managing the club

Has anyone else noticed that despite being incredibly unpopular, boring, going to take rugby league over blah blah blah this Rugby union thread is 31 pages long?



And thats on a Rugby LEAGUE forum!!!









poor cjhatesunion will be having a nervous breakdown at those stats

No Barry I am loving it,the more RL fans realise that union is 5h1t the better for me.

Wasps vs Leicester today – Wasps first home game of the season at Adams Park, attendance 8,006. Wasps average last year was 8,543 (games played at Adams Park) with the game against Leicester their highest at 10,116



Exeter today – 7,326 after their first home game of the season attracted 9,562



More worrying stats I think

Indeed - Quins was the third highest attendance for Sale last year at 8,172 - 6,026 this year, lower than any attendance last season

Sale's attendance last night doesn't look to bad when you compare it today's crowds.

And 90% of posts are negative.





The other 10% are Mackenzie's.

I still think you are protesting a little bit too hard cj!

Great win for wasps

Well done Shaun

London Irish first home game of season at the Madejski today vs Gloucester - attendance 8,267, which is 4,042 less than the same fixture last year and lower than any attendance at the Madejski for the entire 2009-10 season

Leeds Carnegie vs Saracens today - attendance 4,774... 743 more than last year!! (Pity that the two Leeds home games combined are 1,341 less than the corresponding fixtures last year)



So, at the end of two rounds of Premiership rugby, the total attendance at home grounds (i.e. excluding Twickenham double headers) is 168,374 which is 23,039 down on the same fixtures last year (swapping Exeter in for Worcester who were relegated)



As I say, worrying times

Where are you getting all this from?



How do Exeter's and Worcester's support compare?

I may be wrong but I'm pretty sure Gary Hetherington and company have done quite a bit of work to promote Leeds rugby union over the past couple of years. I might be wrong but I seem to recall an article where Hetherington stated the ultimate aim was Heineken Cup qualification.

The internet, SKY teletext etc - we are lucky to be living in an information age





Fair enough - it is difficult to compare like for like when the teams are not identical



In that case, for all home games to date (excluding those games involving Exeter) the total attendance is 128,095 which is 17,604 down on last year in like for like games



As I say, worrying times

Who's that Barry,don't recognise that team.

32 pages in just under a year.



Isn't that Northampton?

After round three previous season aggregate was 256265, which compares to 220410. The 36k difference can be accounted for by the fact in round 2 last season Saracens played their first fixture at Wembley Stadium. Leicester's first game was to celebrate opening of their new stand and was a 24k sellout (I doubt they will get the same this season against Newcastle), their first game at home this season was was 18 less than Lecicester's second home game last season against Worcester. So the conclusion is that you were clearly not comparing like for like and appeared to be looking for something that is probably not there whilst ignoring evidence that would contradict your argument.



I think they clubs would be more worried about sponsorship and advertising revenue far more than they will do crowds.

Rugby league clubs tend to earn more income from gate receipts than corporate, sponsorship with the opposite being true for rugby union clubs. Really don't think the union club chairmen will be having sleepless nights just yet.

How on earth can I not be comparing like for like when I am comparing each fixture with the same fixture the previous season?



I have stated that I have discounted the Wembley and Twickenham games – I am comparing the attendance for all games played at a clubs home ground with the attendance for the same fixture in season 2009-10



If that is not like for like, I don’t know what is?

Only one five figure crowd in UK and Ireland this weekend.

Poor crowd.

But very well behaved. Just look at that seating arrangement! Poetry.