The price of Premiership Rugby revealed
How much will fans fork out to support their rugby union team this season?
The 2024/25 season is now in full swing and fans are flocking to Premiership Rugby stadiums up and down the UK to support their club UK... are you one of them? Read on as we reveal just how much it will cost you to support your team this year.
How much do rugby fans pay to support their side?
The Novuna Personal Finance team have crunched the numbers to find out just how much supporters could shell out this season, taking into account:
- The price of an average adult season ticket
- Matchday parking costs for 14 home matches
- The cost of buying a replica shirt
The big question is this... where does your team sit on our league table?
Harlequins come top of the table... but fans might not like this result!
That's right - our research reveals that Quins are the most expensive club to follow. Fans will shell out £1,128 to support their team at home over the course of the 2024/25 season thanks to a combination of pricey season tickets (costing an average of £801), matchday parking (£252) and a replica shit (£75).
Taking second place as the UK's least affordable rugby union club is Saracens. Fans heading to watch the Sarries in action will need to stump up £1,069 throughout the course of the season.
It's great news for Newcastle Falcons fanatics, though, as we're crowning them the most affordable club this season! Fans will part with just £587.99, with low ticket prices working out at just over £28 per game on average.
Did you know... the average rugby fan spends around 2% of their total salary on supporting their side
Using ONS regional salary data, we worked out what percentage of a fan's annual salary is spent on season tickets, matchday parking and a home shirt. And that's not including all those added extras, such as pints and pies!
We're afraid it's bad news for Bath fans, who'll spend 2.3% of their salary supporting the Blue, Black and Whites. Newcastle Falcons yet again prove themselves to be the most cost-effective club to support, with fans splashing out 1.64% of their salary on tickets, merch and parking.
Tackling the cost of season tickets
We’ve kicked the figures into touch and can reveal which clubs offer the most affordable season tickets, based on average season ticket prices for the 24/25 season.
Our research tells us that the clubs with the most expensive season tickets are Harlequins (£801), Saracens (£763) and Bath (£714).
But it's not all bad news! Newcastle Falcons fans will shell out just £393 per season, with Bristol (£439) and Leicester Tigers (£492) fans also spending much less on average to support their club.
Our thrifty season ticket tips
Is merch a must-have?
Proudly donning your club's shirt is part of the fun for many fans... but it can be costly. In fact, the average price of a rugby union club home shirt is £68.40.
There's not too much disparity between rugby clubs here, though Newcastle Falcons fans can kit up for less with their shirts coming in the cheapest at just £54.99. Harlequins, Saracens, Bath and Sale are tied at the top with their shirts costing £75.
Discover the priciest parking spots
When it comes to the price of attending a home game, it's all about location, location, location. Our research discovered a whopping £147 difference between the most and least expensive matchday parking options. Harlequins fans will have to shell out £252 per season to park for home games, while Northampton Saints supporters will need to find just £105, working out at less than £10 per game.
There are loads of ways frugal fans can cut the cost of their transport, though...
1. Swap driving for public transport
Take a bus or train to your club's stadium to cut down on parking costs. Most clubs have handy transport pages on their website, detailing the best way to get there. Some even offer matchday shuttle bus services.
2. Car share with other thrifty fans
If you're heading to a game with friends and family, why not arrange to travel together? It's much more efficient and you'll share petrol and parking costs too.
3. Book in advance
Most clubs and surrounding car parks allow you to book your parking spot in advance. This could save you turning up on the day and having to park miles away - likely in a more expensive spot.
“Devoted fans looking to cut the cost of following their club, should try season ticket packages and save at least 10% on games, alongside a host of other benefits and discounts across the whole matchday experience, making it the most cost-effective way to follow their team over the course of the season.”
Theresa Lindsay
Marketing Director
Novuna
Results by club, from most to least expensive
We've crunched the numbers - here's how much it'll cost fans per season to support their club.
1. Harlequins: £1,128
Quins tops the table as our most expensive rugby league club. With the average adult season ticket costing £801, the joint most expensive home shirt at £75 and matchday parking coming in at £252 for the season, Harlequins fans can expect to fork out over £1,000 this year if they want to cheer on the team.
2. Saracens: £1069
Sarcens narrowly avoid being named our most expensive rugby union club. Despite selling the most expensive adult season ticket, their overall average comes in lower than Harlequins while they also charge a whopping £75 for a home shirt. Matchday parking also comes in slightly cheaper at £231.
3. Bath: £912.20
Bath offer a range of season ticket prices, averaging £714. Fans aren't getting away with a cheaper shirt, though, with replicas costing £75. Budget-friendly parking comes in at just £123, though, saving fans cash to travel to The Rec.
4. Exeter Chiefs: £784.99
The average cost of an adult season ticket is over £100 cheaper than Bath, thanks to a much wider range in ticket prices. Exeter Chiefs fans will still need to cough up £68.99 for a home shirt and £140 for matchday parking though.
5. Sale: £767
Coming in at £552 for an average season ticket (with the most expensive option being £995 - much higher than some of our pricier-ranked clubs). It's the more accessible cheaper tickets bringing Sale's average total down, with the lowest season ticket price available for just £323. Home shirts will cost a staggering £75, with matchday parking coming in at £245.
6. Bristol: £754
With the second-cheapest average adult season ticket price (£439), it's matchday parking letting Bristol down at £245. Fans can don a Bears home shirt for £70 - not the most costly shirt out there, but certainly not the cheapest.
7. Gloucester: £740
Gloucester charges, on average £540 for a season ticket with prices ranging from £316 to £773. A home shirt is a more reasonable £60 and matchday parking will set fans back just £140.
8. Leicester Tigers: £730
The average season ticket price comes in at less than £500 (£492), with the cheapest tickets available for just £199. Matchday parking costs £168 and a home shirt will cost £70.
9. Northampton Saints: £682
We're getting to our cheapest clubs now! Northampton Saints charge £517 for their average season ticket price, certainly not the cheapest of our ranked clubs. However, it's the least expensive club to travel to, with matchday parking setting fans back just £105 throughout the season. With a bit of change leftover, they may be tempted to buy that £60 shirt, after all.
10. Newcastle Falcons: £587.99
Thrifty Falcons fans will be glad to hear their beloved club is the most affordable of the lot, topping the leader board for the cheapest average season ticket price (£393), least expensive adult season ticket (£185) and home shirt (£54.99). It'll cost fans slightly more to park up £140) but, with savings made elsewhere, who's complaining?
About our study - The research was conducted by Novuna Personal Finance between 27.09.24 - 01.10.24.
- The season ticket amounts quoted are the average price for the current 2024/25 season omitting renewal discounts and early-bird promotions.
- Parking calculations based on attending 14 competitive home fixtures during the season comprising 9 Premiership matches, 3 Premiership Rugby Cup pool matches and 2 European home pool matches.
- Home adult replica shirt price for 2024/25 season.
- 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 pool matches.