The Lesser-Mentioned Problem

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Rugby League is a sport which loves naval gazing. I suppose the blogpost you are about to read is a perfect example of that. People who love the sport are sometimes those who are the most critical of it. That criticism is borne out of a desire to see the sport grow. But when we talk about growth, we often ignore a key factor. Participation.

Sport England released its most recent participation figures last month. Football has increased by 516,000. Cricket is up by 124,000. Netball has increased by 139,000. Basketball has risen by 57,000.

Stop for a moment and let's play a game. How many people do you think play Rugby League in England? According to this survey, it's 52,800, down from 54,200 the previous year.

Different methodologies provide different outcomes though, the RFL's own figures state that there has been a growth in participation of 5%, largely driven by a 33% growth in female participation and a 51% growth in what the RFL deems "inclusive" playing (which refers to versions of the sport that accommodate those with disabilities).

Probably the most helpful way of assessing the RFL's figures, is via this chart:

There are several ways you can look at these figures. There was an obvious COVID-related dip and a positive assessment is that this has started to reverse. The negative is that there are less playing the sport now than pre-covid. 

Given the strong growth the women's and 'inclusive' game has had, this means that there must be a drop off in men's participation.

Participation figures matter for various reasons. Let's start internationally and review the most recent figures published by European Rugby League.


When the numbers playing Rugby League in the likes of France and Wales are as they are, there is practically zero chance of them being able to compete at international level.

Meanwhile, Scotland's 422 participants and Ireland's 193 participants show that Rugby League essentially does not exist in these countries. It justifies the decision to not allow the countries to take part in the next World Cup.

The most recent figures I can see show that Australia has 181,587 participants in Rugby League (excluding touch). That's around three and a half times higher than England. That is despite England's population being more than twice that of Australia.

On a domestic level, many harbour ambitions for Super League to become a 14 team competition. If participation numbers are stagnant or decreasing, there will not be a sufficient player pool to sustain it.

Rugby League's greatest selling point and its greatest limitation is its physicality. The brutality is what attracts some to playing the sport and what puts others off.

Even for those who love the physicality, you have to think. If you suffer an injury and can't work, even for a short period of time, the impact could be devastating.

I think it's fair to say that sports where there is no contact or lesser physical contact are therefore more appealing to a wider audience.

Other sports have also mastered the shorter or more social format. Five a side football and limited-over cricket are two examples of off-shoots of more popular sports which act as a doorway to participation.

Rugby League doesn't really have an equivalent. Australia has placed a greater focus on a limited contact version of the sport (Oztag). In the UK, there is X-league. If you've never heard of it, have a read of this!

I can't help but feel that this is the area in which there is real potential to grow participation. Full contact is great and I do not advocate neglecting it. 

On Sky Sports' The Bench podcast this week, Jon Wilkin said that at amateur and junior level we focus too much on competition and less on sport being a source of fun. 

I agree. Competitive sport is fantastic. But so is social sport. It provides opportunities to get active and further physical and mental wellbeing.

There has been a major focus on growing the sport, particularly since IMG became involved. There have been lots of ideas floated lately. But without increasing participation, it is hard to see how we achieve that growth.

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