England v Tonga Test Series 2023

[yakstorm]

Unrelated question and hopefully not too tricky, have you got any data on when Super League ( or what ever it was called prior to Super League ) had its best average attendances over the course of the season?

I'm trying to find out when England's domestic 'glory days' were and what size crowds they got ?

IMO Super League's glory years were definitely during the Richard Lewis era, especially around 06 - 09.

Then both the crowd aggregate & averages were growing strongly.

The Super 8 year's did the most damage aggregate wise (outside of cutting the League from 14 to 12)

2023: 1,597,923 (9,489)
2022: 1,455,093 (8,565)
2021: COVID
2020: COVID
2019: 1,574,464 (8,625)
2018: 1,166,425 (8,547)
2017: 1,182,437 (8,568)
2016: 1,260,474 (9,134)
2014: 1,691,254 (8,443)
2013: 1,753,729 (8,769)
2012: 1,958,104 (9,828)
2011: 1,822,691 (9,114)
2010: 1,812,135 (8,934)
2009: 1,802,824 (9,079)
2008: 1,768,217 (10,183)
2007: 1,732,529 (10,098)
2006: 1,654,936 (9,052)
2005: 1,617,376 (8,884)
2004: 1,593,666 (8,570)
2003: 1,481,506 (7,951)
2002: 1,335,743 (7,207)
2001: 1,309,598 (7,085)
2000: 1,245,720 (7,415)
1999: 1,433,762 (6,266)
1998: 1,048,300 (6,915)
1997: 920,862 (6,976)
1996: 867,372 (6,571)

 

[taste2taste]

IMO Super League's glory years were definitely during the Richard Lewis era, especially around 06 - 09.

Then both the crowd aggregate & averages were growing strongly.

The Super 8 year's did the most damage aggregate wise (outside of cutting the League from 14 to 12)

2023: 1,597,923 (9,489)
2022: 1,455,093 (8,565)
2021: COVID
2020: COVID
2019: 1,574,464 (8,625)
2018: 1,166,425 (8,547)
2017: 1,182,437 (8,568)
2016: 1,260,474 (9,134)
2014: 1,691,254 (8,443)
2013: 1,753,729 (8,769)
2012: 1,958,104 (9,828)
2011: 1,822,691 (9,114)
2010: 1,812,135 (8,934)
2009: 1,802,824 (9,079)
2008: 1,768,217 (10,183)
2007: 1,732,529 (10,098)
2006: 1,654,936 (9,052)
2005: 1,617,376 (8,884)
2004: 1,593,666 (8,570)
2003: 1,481,506 (7,951)
2002: 1,335,743 (7,207)
2001: 1,309,598 (7,085)
2000: 1,245,720 (7,415)
1999: 1,433,762 (6,266)
1998: 1,048,300 (6,915)
1997: 920,862 (6,976)
1996: 867,372 (6,571)

Thanks for posting.
Looks like crowds grew 30% between 96 and 97 and have held ground since. Hopefully IMG can get those numbers trending up.

 

[Perth Red]

I was talking about England home games.

Many talk about showing up for Australia, or maybe NZ. Who in their right mind would think they'd get 25k vs Ireland before that world cup.

The expectation should be to never have an international in England below 25k ever again.

The tournament average in 2013, well 2/3 lowest attended games involved Australia (USA and Ireland).

If a marquee team falls flat like that, it's going to drive the average down

World cups are very different to test matches or a series. I mean we got 40k last year v samoa in a pool game!

1/4 finals total. Crowd
2013 55k
2022 51k

semis
2013 67.5k
2022 68.5k

final
2013 74k
2021 67.4k


considering uk was still having the covid hangover and canceled tickets from the postponement there wasn’t much difference. not sure why you feel 2013 was so much ahead of now?

 

[Perth Red]

Whinging Australian Fonua-blake lol

'I don't feel like they beat us': Tonga lament mistakes in first Test defeat

Tongan captain Addin Fonua-Blake was left to rue his side's missed opportunities as England clinched the first Test at St Helens.

www.nrl.com

 

[Perth Red]

game 1 Attendance 12,898.

 

[Warriors Fever]

game 1 Attendance 12,898.

View attachment 81081

I don’t see where they fit another 5000 in that looks pretty sold out

 

[Wb1234]

Sales for the second test are looking grim at the moment

what’s with English fans tickets are only 25 pounds and the game are in the heartlands

 

[jim_57]

Sales for the second test are looking grim at the moment

what’s with English fans tickets are only 25 pounds and the game are in the heartlands

Huddersfield is a strange choice given Leeds is a week later just up the road. Huddersfield Giants don’t have many fans and wouldn’t appeal to other fans all that much. Should have found a moderate 25-30k ground in London if there was one available. 1 Lancashire, 1 Yorkshire & 1 London makes sense for a 3 game series.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

So not as fanatical as we are led to believe then?

That's a bit harsh

 

[titoelcolombiano]

..

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Whinging Australian Fonua-blake lol

'I don't feel like they beat us': Tonga lament mistakes in first Test defeat

Tongan captain Addin Fonua-Blake was left to rue his side's missed opportunities as England clinched the first Test at St Helens.

www.nrl.com

Err Kiwi

 

[Wb1234]

Huddersfield is a strange choice given Leeds is a week later just up the road. Huddersfield Giants don’t have many fans and wouldn’t appeal to other fans all that much. Should have found a moderate 25-30k ground in London if there was one available. 1 Lancashire, 1 Yorkshire & 1 London makes sense for a 3 game series.

London
Newcastle
Manchester city ground

London has always gotten excellent crowds for test marches

missed opportunity with the broncos In super league but they didn’t know that when they decided stadiums for the series

hudds will struggle to break 20k and if it’s 15k will look poor on tv

Tonga have been really impressive they’ve kicked on since the World Cup

Woolf looks like an excellent coach

 

[Perth Red]

Huddersfield is a strange choice given Leeds is a week later just up the road. Huddersfield Giants don’t have many fans and wouldn’t appeal to other fans all that much. Should have found a moderate 25-30k ground in London if there was one available. 1 Lancashire, 1 Yorkshire & 1 London makes sense for a 3 game series.

Hudds is a strange decision, it’s never drawn big crowds there. Sadly Hulls poor showing during World Cup cost it a game you’d think.

 

[Perth Red]

Err Kiwi

Of course he is lol

 

[Wb1234]

Hudds is a strange decision, it’s never drawn big crowds there. Sadly Hulls poor showing during World Cup cost it a game you’d think.

If not expansion areas then Wigan or hull were a better choice

Wigan would’ve got well over 15k for that game

 

[Perth Red]

Sales for the second test are looking grim at the moment

what’s with English fans tickets are only 25 pounds and the game are in the heartlands

Where you seeing that? Always hard to say without knowing what seats have and haven’t been released. From seating map, if all released, looks like both main stands are pretty full.

 

[Perth Red]

If not expansion areas then Wigan or hull were a better choice

Wigan would’ve got well over 15k for that game

Why? They’re only 9 miles away from each other.

 

[Wb1234]

Where you seeing that? Always hard to say without knowing what seats have and haven’t been released. From seating map looks like both main stands are pretty full.

Trl

 

[Wb1234]

Why? They’re only 9 miles away from each other.

Wigans crowds are better

Tonga just toured in a World Cup

picking st Helen’s for the opener is just small minded thinking

who knows maybe it would’ve gotten 20k at the jjb

maybe st Helen’s fans are jaded after not making the grand final

 

[Perth Red]

Wigans crowds are better

Tonga just toured in a World Cup

picking st Helen’s for the opener is just small minded thinking

who knows maybe it would’ve gotten 20k at the jjb

maybe st Helen’s fans are jaded after not making the grand final

It’s England, not a club game. Fans will have travelled from all over for it, not just from the local club.