I’ve always been a big fan of rugby, and I’ve often wondered which type of rugby – league or union – has a bigger global following. So, I decided to do some research to find out.
First, I started by looking at the historical development of both types of rugby. Rugby union has a longer history, dating back to the 19th century in England. It spread across the British Empire and then to other parts of the world. Rugby league, on the other hand, split from rugby union in the late 19th century due to some disputes over player payments. It became more popular in certain regions like Australia, New Zealand, and the north of England.
Then, I checked out the number of countries where each type of rugby is played. According to some sports research, rugby union is played in over 120 countries. It has a strong presence in countries like South Africa, France, and Argentina. Rugby league, while also played in many countries, is more concentrated in a smaller number of regions. It’s really big in Australia, where the National Rugby League (NRL) is a huge deal, and in the UK, with the Super League.
I also looked at the attendance figures for major tournaments. The Rugby World Cup, which is for rugby union, attracts massive crowds. In the 2019 tournament, the total attendance was over 1.7 million people. The Rugby League World Cup also has a good following, but the numbers are not as high. For example, in the 2017 tournament, the total attendance was around 500,000.
Social media and online engagement are also important indicators. I searched for the number of followers on popular social media platforms for both types of rugby. Rugby union teams and tournaments generally have more followers. For instance, the official Rugby World Cup Twitter account has over 1 million followers, while the Rugby League World Cup account has a few hundred thousand.
After all this research, I think it’s clear that rugby union has a bigger global following. It has a wider geographical spread, larger tournament attendances, and more online engagement. But that doesn’t mean rugby league is any less exciting. Each type of rugby has its own unique charm and passionate fans.
So, there you have it, my journey to find out which type of rugby has a bigger global following. It was a fun and eye – opening experience, and I hope you enjoyed reading about it as much as I enjoyed doing the research!
