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How Welsh PRO14 attendances compare when the English visit in Europe
With one English club chairman claiming at the weekend that there will be a British League up and running in two years’ time, it is being claimed that attendances at regional rugby grounds in Wales would theoretically increase.
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However, it’s not as if there currently isn’t any annual meetings between English and Welsh clubs. They already face off every year in European competitions.
Here, RugbyPass looks back at the 2018/19 season to compare attendances at the four Welsh regions in the PRO14 and how they fared whenever an English club visited.
Welsh PRO14 home averages
Scarlets: 8,443, Cardiff Blues: 7,360, Ospreys: 6,812, Dragons: 5,123
The success of Judgement Day, when all four Welsh regional sides play the final derby match at the Principality Stadium, significantly skews average attendances. This year there was 51,297 present, so we have excluded those numbers from Cardiff’s and Dragons’ average home crowd.
This would be a game-changer all thanks to CVC https://t.co/FmRlPAfqoq
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 22, 2019
Welsh PRO14 derby home averages
Scarlets: 10,267, Cardiff Blues: 10,082, Ospreys: 9,521 Dragons: 7,286
Welsh PRO14 non-Welsh opposition home averages
Scarlets: 7,760, Cardiff Blues: 6,582, Ospreys: 5,797, Dragons: 4,518
Welsh home European tournament averages
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Cardiff Blues: 9,267; Scarlets: 7,857, Ospreys: 6,049, Dragons: 4,503
Welsh fans have been busy on social media lauding the idea of an Anglo-Welsh League, but @alexshawsport can’t see the merit in an amalgamation for the @premrugby clubs ?https://t.co/9vGnYsAPiN
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 22, 2019
Welsh home European versus English opposition
Cardiff Blues: 12,018 (v Saracens), Scarlets: 8,087 (v Leicester), Ospreys: 6,184 (v Worcester), Dragons: 4,600 (v Northampton)
Attendances at European games against English sides were higher for all four Welsh regions than their average PRO14 attendances against non-Welsh teams. In the case of Cardiff, it was hugely up by 5,436.
The figure for Scarlets versus Leicester Tigers was adversely affected by the fact Scarlets were already out of the qualification picture at that stage.
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The previous year they hosted 11,479 fans in their group fixture against Bath when they were still in contention for the knockout stages. That was noticeably higher than their non-derby PRO14 average.
A British League? Bring it on is the general reaction among fans in Wales https://t.co/AoMPHvTl90
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 22, 2019
Glancing at these figures, an argument can be made that rare competitive fixtures against English teams are more popular for Welsh regional rugby supporters than frequent home games against PRO14 opposition from Ireland, Scotland, Italy and South Africa.
The big question, though, is would this attraction of playing the English clubs increase if the fixtures were far more frequent as part of an Anglo-Welsh League?
That is the dilemma which Welsh club must ponder before any agreement is signed to leave behind the PRO14 in its current guise.
WATCH: The latest RugbyPass documentary, Foden – Stateside, looks at how ex-England international Ben Foden is settling into Major League Rugby in New York
Comments on RugbyPass
smith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
36 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
36 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
36 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
36 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
36 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
36 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
36 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
36 Go to comments