Super League: Hull KR post record crowds while Huddersfield struggle

[josie andrews]

Super League: Hull KR post record crowds while Huddersfield struggle.

2024 was marketed as Super League’s year zero. With the IMG reforms coming into effect in 2025, and every Super League game set to be televised, this was going to be the year where the game stopped stagnating and started growing again.

The game has certainly received plenty of exposure this year. More games than ever are being televised and Super League is being beamed out at prime time on BBC2. The product on the field has generally been good, with only the early season controversy around the rules concerning contact with the head casting a shadow on the game of Rugby League.

But in the stands, the picture was less clear. There is a feeling within the game that crowds in the stadiums have not quite recovered to previous levels. With this in mind, we have dug into the attendance data to look at each side’s average Super League attendance.

12) London Broncos – 3,467

London Broncos seem to be English Rugby League’s perennial nomads. After a succession of temporary homes in the capital including Fulham, Ealing and the Twickenham Stoop, the Broncos appear to have finally found a more permanent residence at the Cherry Red Records Stadium, the home of AFC Wimbledon.

London remains Super League’s great enigma, with several unsuccessful attempts made to tap into the city’s massive population. However, if it is ever going to take off, this feels like the right place to do so. London’s attendances have been solid if not spectacular, with their average of 3,467 comfortably the lowest in Super League, but providing a solid base to grow from.

Their highest attendance is 5,102, which is higher than the lowest crowds attracted by some other sides in Rugby League’s heartlands. With the right plan, it feels like the Broncos finally have a stable base to grow from, after years in transit.

11) Huddersfield Giants – 5,151

Attendances at the Huddersfield Giants have to be a concern for both the club and the RFL. The club has everything it needs to be a success – a modern ground shared with their footballing counterparts, a good location in the heartland of Rugby League and a supportive owner in Ken Davy. Yet, for some reason, attendances just keep falling.

This season, the Giants have averaged just 5,151 for their home games so far. In 2010, their average attendance was 7,280 and has declined by an almost consistent amount annually in the intervening period. The Giants have a season-high attendance of 6,812 and a low of 4,102.

Although Huddersfield have arguably underperformed in the league this season, they remain in contention for the top six and made the Challenge Cup semi-final this season. This appears to be an issue which runs deeper than simply dissatisfaction with the playing squad.

10) Salford Red Devils – 5,345

Salford Red Devils were once considered to be arguably the worst-supported club in Super League, that is not the case now. Their average crowd of 5,345 represents a significant upturn since the years leading up to the pandemic. If they can maintain this level over the season, they are on course for their highest average attendance since 2012.

The club’s lowest ebb came in 2018, when they had an average crowd of just 2,823. Now, Salford’s lowest crowd of 4,087 is higher than their season average that year. This has undoubtedly been boosted by success on the pitch in recent years, but it appears Rugby League in Greater Manchester is establishing a bigger following.

Last year, the Red Devils averaged 5,291, so they are marginally up on that figure so far. With big home games against St Helens and Leeds Rhinos to come, Salford can be confident in growing their attendance once again.

9) Leigh Leopards – 8,512

Leigh Leopards took the top flight by storm last year. In their first year back from the Championship, they won the Challenge Cup and finished in the top four. They also received praise for their pre-game entertainment, attracting a number of top musical acts to play at the Leigh Sports Village before games.

Last season, Leigh attracted an average attendance of 7,254 for their home games, and as things stand, they are on course to improve on that figure next year. The Leopards currently average 8,512 at each home game, despite a more difficult year on the pitch.

Leigh face a series of personnel changes in the field for next season, with a number of their big name stars expected to leave the club. However, off-the-field, things are looking rosy, with Leigh posting a healthy growth of fans year on year, if the numbers hold for the rest of the season.

8) Catalans Dragons – 9,317

Rugby League is in rude health in the south of France and the Catalans Dragons continue to post impressive attendances. In 2023, they averaged 9,053, so this year’s average so far of 9,317 represents a modest increase on the year they qualified for the Grand Final.

Overall, the picture is positive for Les Dracs. Like all clubs, attendances have not immediately bounced back from their pre-COVID highs, but they are trending in the right direction. In 2010, the Dragons’ average gate was just 6,806. In 2019, it peaked at 10,259, so the current average is significantly closer to the high watermark.

If the Catalans can remain competitive at the top end of Super League, that number will surely continue to grow. If Toulouse Olympique can return to Super League in the near future, their attendances would be boosted even further. With a proposed redevelopment of the Stade Gilbert Brutus set to take place, the Catalans look to be going from strength to strength.

7) Castleford Tigers – 9,556

Castleford Tigers are one of the Super League sides who appear to be most threatened by the IMG reforms. However, despite their struggles on the pitch this season, their crowd has held up remarkably well.

Castleford average 9,556 for their home games, nestling them safely in the middle of Super League’s average attendance table. Overall, this is good news for Cas, though, as their crowd is on the up. For most of the 2010s, Castleford averaged somewhere between 6,000 and 7,000. This jumped to 8,779 in their League Leaders’ Shield winning year.

The fact that Castleford’s average attendance is currently higher than their most successful season in recent memory can only be a good thing. With persistent talk of a new stadium, the picture is generally a good one for the Tigers.

6) Warrington Wolves – 9,858

Warrington Wolves had a difficult 2023 season on the field, with Daryll Powell leaving the club mid-season and their side generally under-performing. However, Sam Burgess has transformed their performance on the pitch, leading them to a Challenge Cup final and into contention for the play-offs.

In the stands, however, this has not translated to an immediate upturn in attendances. After seven home games Warrington average 9,858, which is down on 2023s average of 10,890. Whether the ongoing Sam Burgess effect will see attendances pick up in the second half of the season remains to be seen.

A season high of 10,890 is closer to their historic average. Throughout the 2010s, Warrington averaged somewhere between 9,000 and 11,000, with a high of 11,114 in 2011. The club will be hoping that continued success on the field can help them move back towards that mark.

5) Hull KR – 10,192

For much of the 2010s, Hull KR’s attendances held firm. With a low of average of 7,429 in 2017 and a high of 8,321 in 2011, it appeared that KR’s fanbase was destined to remain steady, if not spectacular. However, in recent years, they have seen a huge growth in the number of fans attending their home games.

A combination of investment int he stadium and an upturn in performances on the pitch have fulled this growth. KR averages 8.770 last season, in a year which saw them reach a Challenge Cup final. This year, average attendances have jumped above 10,000, sitting at 10,192.

Hull KR feel like a club with real momentum at the moment, with on the field and off the field performance heading int he right direction. If both continue to improve, then the future looks bright in East Hull.

4) Hull FC – 12,088

Hull FC are often referred to as a sleeping giant in Super League and when you see their average attendance figures, it is easy to understand why. So far this season, FC have averaged 12,088 fans at their games at the MKM Stadium, putting them fourth on the list for average attendance.

FC’s fans could be forgiven for staying at home, given how the team has performed. The side remain second bottom in the table, with just one win from their opening 13 games. The low point of their season came in their away defeat against the London Broncos.

The opening game of the season gave a taste of how things could be at Hull, with 20,014 fans in attendance to watch the opening rounf Hull derby against Hull KR. With a new head coach for 2025 and a string of high-profile signings expects,

3) St Helens – 12,431

St Helens have the third highest average attendance in Super League this season, with an average of 12,431 fans making their way to the Totally Wicked Stadium for their home games this season. The Saints’ highest attendance was the near sell out crowd for the Good Friday derby against Wigan. 17,800 fans packed out the 18,000 capacity stadium to watch a classic, which Saints won 12-4.

Saints fans have had plenty to cheer in recent years, so their high average attendance is not unexpected. Wigan ended a run of four consecutive Grand Final wins for the Saints and, with the club level on points at the top of the Super League table with arch-rivals Wigan, Saints fans will be hoping they can bring the big prize back to Merseyside this season.

St Helens have played the most home games of any Super League side so far this season, having played eight games at the Totally Wicked Stadium to date. They also have the highest aggregate home attendance so far, with 99,445 fans attending a Saints home game in Super League in 2024.

2) Leeds Rhinos – 13,877

Given Leeds’ relative struggles on the field this season, the fact that they still attract the second-highest average home crowd in Super League is a testament to the size of the club. However, it will be a cause for concern for the club’s hierarchy that the number is just beginning to dwindle.

At the height of the club’s golden generation, crowds at Headingley would regularly top 15,000 with the club’s membership hovering around the 10,000 mark in 2016. However, the club’s highest attendance of this season is 15,284 and the club struggles to attract crowds of around 17 or 18,000 which used to happen regularly.

Leeds will be hoping to improve their performances on the pitch, and regularly compete for silverware again. If they can do that, then the Headingley crowd should begin to swell back towards its high watermark.

1) Wigan Warriors – 14,289

Wigan Warriors stand on the verge of achieving something truly remarkable. If they defeat the Warrington Wolves in the Challenge Cup final this weekend, they will hold all four available trophies concurrently.

This on-the-field success is being rewarded in the stands, as Wigan are currently the side with the highest average attendance in Super League. Wigan’s average gate of 14,289 puts them around 400 ahead of their nearest rivals, the Leeds Rhinos.

The only caveat is that Wigan have a remarkably small sample size, having played just three home games in Super League this season. Their crowd will be treated to a feast of Rugby League over the summer, with plenty of home games to make up. In will be interesting to see whether their superb following holds over the course of a full season.

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