Over 22 rounds, the Guinness Premiership provided tighter finishes and more points than its main European competitors, while attendances topped the 1.5million mark for the first time in the league’s history.
A total of 51% of Guinness Premiership matches were decided by just seven points or less, leaving the result in doubt until the final whistle. This was the same figure as for the French Top 14, with 44% of matches in the Magners League finishing within seven points.
The average winning margin in the Guinness Premiership was the lowest of the major European leagues at 11.52. This compared with an average winning margin of 12.54 in the Magners League and 12.61 in France.
The Guinness Premiership also provides more tries and points per match than any other top European league.
An average Guinness Premiership match in 2008/09 provided 40.86 points and 4.12 tries. Those figures put it comfortably ahead of the Magners League, which boasted 38.21 points and 3.74 tries per match, and even further ahead of the Top 14 with 37.67 points and just 3.13 tries per match.
New attendance records were set in the Guinness Premiership - up 10% to more than 1.5million and averaging 11,500, as well as the Magners League (up 20% and averaging over 8,000) and in the Top 14 which averaged 12,000 in the post-World Cup season.
Another measure of the competitiveness of the league is that nine teams have qualified for a Premiership semi-final since they came into operation just four season ago and that two teams – Leicester Tigers and Northampton Saints – are still in with a chance of European silverware.
