For the first time the survey was web based and over 12,000 supporters completed the questionnaire, making this third Premier Rugby Fan Survey the largest of its kind in the world. The survey was conducted by SportsWise, an independent sports market research agency.
Fieldwork for the survey was carried out between October 20 and November 16, 2006. The survey focused on an average of 1,000 attending supporters at all 12 Guinness Premiership clubs and was designed primarily to investigate fan attitude and opinion towards their experience of club rugby. The findings will be used to inform Premier Rugby policy over the coming years.
SportsWise research director Jon Downer said: "The survey demonstrates the importance of fan consultation in professional sports. With more than 12,000 Guinness Premiership fans participating in the process, the findings provide strong, reliable data for Premiership clubs to further develop relationships with their supporters. It also allows Premier Rugby to understand what supporters' views and opinions are across a wide range of rugby-related issues."
The average supporter in this survey is 44 years old, five years younger than in the previous survey. Just under 80% are male. The average respondent has attended club matches for approximately seven years.
When asked about the Guinness Premiership, 82% of respondents felt it had improved or stayed the same, a figure supported by an eighth consecutive year of increased attendances. And 86% also felt the standard of play in the Guinness Premiership was excellent or good. This figure was supported by statistics showing that Guinness Premiership matches average more points and more tries than either the Magners League or France's Top 14. In comparison with other sports, the Guinness Premiership recorded high levels of satisfaction for entertainment, levels of competition and family entertainment.
Sixty percent of the survey's respondents had attended international matches within the last two seasons. When they were asked to compare club and international rugby, they ranked the club game higher in terms of entertainment, competition, value for money and family entertainment.
The theme of club rugby as the family game was further reinforced, with most attending matches with friends, a spouse or their children. When asked what prevented them from attending more matches, most cited family commitments as the barrier. However, better access to food and drink would also encourage them to get to their club ground earlier.
In conclusion, Premier Rugby chief executive Mark McCafferty said: "The size of the Premier Rugby Fan Survey has tripled this year and we now believe we have the largest supporter survey in world rugby. Support for Premiership rugby has grown massively in 10 years and, by asking our supporters how we are doing, we hope to keep growing and delivering the same levels of satisfaction for years to come.
"Two million people watch rugby at Guinness Premiership grounds over the course of a season. We feel those supporters are a vital fourth voice in this debate on the future of elite rugby. They are a passionate group, steeped in rugby tradition and with views on the way forward for club and country. For our clubs their views are vital and I think the time has come to involve real rugby fans in the debate."
