The real cost of being a rugby fan revealed
Written by
Friday 18th October 2024
We’ve tackled the figures to find out how much it will cost Premiership rugby union fans to support their club this season.
The average fan will spend £816 across key price points which make up the matchday experience, including a season ticket, replica home shirt and matchday parking for home games. This equates to almost 2% of a fan’s salary.
But which rugby clubs cost fans the most cash?
Let’s breakdown costs per club
Our research reveals Harlequins is the nation’s most costly rugby union club, with fans shelling out £1,128 throughout the season. This includes an average adult season ticket price of £801, a home shirt for £75 and match day parking for £252.
This means Quins fans will pay £540 more this season compared to Newcastle Falcons fanatics, who take the title as this year’s most affordable club to support. Falcons supporters will pay just £393 for an average adult season ticket, £54.99 for a home shirt and £140 for matchday parking. Northampton Saints takes the top spot for cheapest matchday parking, at just £105 for the season.
To find out the full cost breakdown per club and where your club sits on our league table, visit Novuna Personal Finance’s Price of Fandom page.
Can fans cheer on their club for less?
Our research revealed some fans are parting with much more cash compared to other clubs in the league simply to watch a home fixture.
Bath takes the top spot for the priciest budget option, with their cheapest adult season ticket costing £535. This is a whopping £350 more than Newcastle Falcons’ cheapest season ticket (£185).
Saracens fans have the largest price range to choose from, with over £950 standing between their cheapest adult season ticket (£352.50) and the most expensive option (£1,307.50). This is a great way to give fans plenty of options to cheer on the Sarries, whatever their budget.
Newcastle Falcons is once again the top choice for cost-conscious fans. They offer up the cheapest tickets across the board, including their cheapest possible adult season ticket (£185), most expensive option (£591) and average season ticket price (£393).
The finances of the teams are complex, and we understand the price of season tickets can vary hugely from club to club with all sorts of factors coming into play. However, one thing all clubs should have in common is offering flexible payment options. Whatever the price of tickets, customers should have peace of mind that they can spread the cost, so a hefty upfront season ticket price doesn’t stand in the way of them cheering on their team.
Phil Alltoft, Commercial Lead
Fans can save big by bagging their season tickets
We worked out the average cost of a matchday ticket versus the cost per game for season ticket holders. Unsurprisingly, season ticket holders benefit hugely from their membership, with an average saving of £15 per home fixture (the average cost per game for season ticket holders is £41, versus the average cost of £56 for a matchday ticket).
This shows the power of promoting your cost-effective season ticket options, which could save fans hundreds of pounds over the course of a season… but are you doing all you can to make the cost of season tickets accessible for your fans?
Support fans in supporting you
While many eager rugby fans are more than willing to shell out for premium tickets and all the added extras, ongoing cost-of-living challenges may prohibit fans from fully throwing themselves behind the game.
Offering a better range of payment options can make the cost of season tickets more manageable. Having to find hundreds, or maybe even thousands, of pounds upfront can be daunting, but spreading the same cost over a set number of months allows fans to incorporate their tickets into their monthly budget.
This not only supports fans, but also helps rugby clubs retain and attract members.
Find out more about offering season ticket finance
Our season ticket finance is unique in the market:
- No recourse: if a season ticket holder defaults on their payments, we won’t recoup costs from your club
- Makes offering finance simple: Our non-brokered finance solution gives you the option to offer finance without requiring FCA authorisation
- Admin-free: Fans apply for their season ticket loan online and manage their agreement themselves, so there’s no hassle for your admin teams
- Improves cash flow: When a supporter successfully applies for finance, you’ll receive their fees in full from us within 5 working days
- Cost effective: We don’t charge set-up costs or annual fees
About our data: Cost per game calculations for each Premiership club are based on the average priced season ticket and attendance at 14 competitive home fixtures during the season comprising 9 Premiership matches, 3 Premiership Rugby Cup pool matches and 2 European home pool matches. More information can be found at www.novunapersonalfinance.co.uk.
Written by
Stephanie Reid, our Marketing Manager, has been helping retailers utilise their payment options for nearly a decade. She often shares her unique insights on how to promote finance effectively, ensuring it's front of mind when customers are making a purchasing decision.