English club rugby, having taken a battering in the off-season, had something good to shout about on Friday when new figures showed record crowds and rising revenue in the Premiership.
The sport’s reputation has received a serious blow from the recent Harlequins fake blood scandal and doping offenses at Bath.
On the eve of the new season, however, which kicked off on Friday, the Sports Business Group of Deloitte said regular-season attendances in the 2008-2009 season topped 1.5 million with an average of nearly 11,400, up almost 1,000 on 2007-2008.
That figure could have been higher but for the limited capacity at many grounds, with more than half the clubs having stadium expansion plans in place.
Figures showed the 12 clubs generated total revenue of around £100 million (US$163.2 million) in 2007-2008, though increasing costs meant there was also a combined loss of more than £10 million in the same season.
“Premiership clubs have achieved impressive revenue growth with a combined £30 million growth [40 percent] from five seasons ago,” Deloitte’s Dan Jones said in a statement. “This is a particularly impressive achievement given rugby union clubs do not receive huge broadcast rights revenues.”
“The record attendances achieved in 2008/09 indicate the Premiership, along with certain other sports competitions, may be relatively resistant to the impact of the economic downturn compared to other industries,” he said.
Jones also said Leicester, with an income of more than £15 million in 2007-2008, and Harlequins and Gloucester, both exceeding £10 million, were well ahead of the rest. The average for the remaining nine clubs was £7 million.
Despite the upbeat outlook, however, Gloucester were the only club to record a profit.
In the first game of the season on Friday, Sale beat Leicester 15-12.
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