more players than ever in 2010

[RugbyFuture]

http://www.theroar.com.au/2011/02/01/rugby-union-more-players-than-ever-in-2010/

Rugby Union: more players than ever in 2010

The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) has announced today that there were more rugby union players in Australia last year than at any time since the game was introduced to Australia in the mid-1800’s.

ARU CEO John O’Neill revealed that participation numbers for 2010 broke the 200,000 mark for the first time in history.

Mr O’Neill said the record number of players in 2010 was hugely significant and underlined how the code was again heading in the right direction.

“This is the second year in succession that rugby has registered an increase in playing numbers and that can only be good for the game as we continue to expand throughout Australia,” he said.

Overall a record 209,571 people played rugby in 2010, an increase on 2009 numbers of 16,990 (8.8%).

Nearly 47,500 juniors played in 2010, increasing playing numbers by 3.4% nationally. More than 40,200 seniors were involved in competition, boosting senior numbers by 2.3%.

Key areas of participation in 2010:

· NSW Juniors up 7.0% to 20,708 (record)
· Overall playing numbers in NSW up 8.1% to 84,428 (record)
· QLD Seniors up 8.7% to 10,195 (record)
· Overall playing numbers in QLD up 6.3% to 57,843 (record)
· ACT and Southern NSW Seniors up 4.6% to 3,097 (record)
· Overall playing numbers in ACT and Southern NSW up 16.9% to 16,436 (record)
· VIC Seniors up 9.1% to 2,501 (record).

Where the players are:

· NSW 43.95%
· QLD 30.11%
· ACT 8.56%
· WA 6.68%
· VIC 5.71%
· SA 3.05%
· NT 1.45%
· TAS 0.49%

 

[Moses]

stole my thunder RF, have been working this into wiki tables!

Registered Australian Rugby Union Players

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

That's fantastic news. If we have some good results internationally, expect to see those numbers rise again. The game is certainly more popular over here in the West than I can remember.

 

[TOCC]

Im reluctant to jump to any conclusions until i find out how they have measured the figure, more often then not a change in how they measure participation is the reason for big jumps in figures like this...

 

[RugbyFuture]

well according to my calculations this means that real playing numbers are still just below 87 000

by calculating the ratio of adult players to junior players, adding that number to the number of junior rugby players in nsw then turning that number into 100%

 

[fatprop]

Yeah, some of the way these numbers are calculated is a bit dodgy

Like a player playing school and club being counted twice

Like a player playing 15s & 7s being counted twice

etc etc

 

[RugbyFuture]

but who cares the other codes do it too, heck ALF counts Auskick lecture numbers.

 

[barbarian]

but who cares the other codes do it too, heck ALF counts Auskick lecture numbers.

ALF? From the 80s sitcom? Has obviously fallen on hard times if he is now working the numbers for the AFL.

Anyway, I understand the numbers may well be dodgy, but it's not like they have only discovered ways to fudge the numbers this year. The raw data is almost irrelevant, its the increase that counts. In other words, it is a definite positive that this years undoubtedly doctored numbers are better than last years undoubtedly doctored numbers.

 

[Lee Grant]

Agree barbarian - the main thing is the trend in data that is collected the same way every year. Thus the increase is encouraging.

Player numbers is not the be all and end all though, as we all know, otherwise we would lose every game to the French, English and South Africans.

We have to keep the numbers trend going up and if we are interested in improving the results of our national teams: male and female, XVs and 7s, Juniors and Seniors, we also have to convert our growing numbers into results. There is no better way to do this than copy what the Kiwis do - or as much as is possible in a country than is not rugby maniacal.

We can all come up with a dozen ifs and buts; however they don't have a huge player base either yet they have a peerless system of turning out rugby players with limited resources.

 

[liquor box]

http://www.theroar.com.au/2011/02/01/rugby-union-more-players-than-ever-in-2010/

Overall a record 209,571 people played rugby in 2010, an increase on 2009 numbers of 16,990 (8.8%).

Nearly 47,500 juniors played in 2010, increasing playing numbers by 3.4% nationally. More than 40,200 seniors were involved in competition

What am I missing? It is great news but if you add junior and senior players you get 87,700 which is a long way short of 209,571.

Is the larger number made up of anyone who played but not in a comp? (eg schoolyard lunchtime, or kicking a ball with mates?)

 

[TOCC]

ALF? From the 80s sitcom? Has obviously fallen on hard times if he is now working the numbers for the AFL.

Anyway, I understand the numbers may well be dodgy, but it's not like they have only discovered ways to fudge the numbers this year. The raw data is almost irrelevant, its the increase that counts. In other words, it is a definite positive that this years undoubtedly doctored numbers are better than last years undoubtedly doctored numbers.

unless this years doctored numbers are measured differently to last years doctored numbers which may indicate a trend which doesn't actually exist.

Its all happened in the past, in the early 2000's rugby union was claiming to have more players then rugby league... bullshit

 

[Ruggo]

Agree barbarian - the main thing is the trend in data that is collected the same way every year. Thus the increase is encouraging.

Player numbers is not the be all and end all though, as we all know, otherwise we would lose every game to the French, English and South Africans.

We have to keep the numbers trend going up and if we are interested in improving the results of our national teams: male and female, XVs and 7s, Juniors and Seniors, we also have to convert our growing numbers into results. There is no better way to do this than copy what the Kiwis do - or as much as is possible in a country than is not rugby maniacal.

We can all come up with a dozen ifs and buts; however they don't have a huge player base either yet they have a peerless system of turning out rugby players with limited resources.

Great post Lee. Other than players, are there more volunteers giving there time to the game. Parents of juniors that want to take a more active role in their local club and join commitees, dads who take on coaching a mini/mod side, people who offer to run the water on game day or offer to run the touch line in the lower grades where one isn't provided, those who man the sausage sizzle on sign on day. Without these people most players would have nowhere to play their rugby. Stat and regional unions need to get behind these people for the game to grow.

 

[Burke's Boot]

Hopefully the low Vic numbers will go through the roof now they have a side.

 

[Joe Mac]

Not sure I agree Lee Grant. This year is JON's last unless he signs a new contract so if he wanted to fudge the numbers to make him look great, this year would be the year to do it...

 

[Gagger]

I'm with Baabaa - the incentive to pump the numbers is there every year, unless they've just gone for out and out forgery

But hey, it's a good news story - needs pissing on

Assuming it is true, and the ARU aren't complete fucking morons at everything they do, what do we reckon is causing it?

 

[Jethro Tah]

Assuming it is true, and the ARU aren't complete fucking morons at everything they do, what do we reckon is causing it?

Overall a record 209,571 people played rugby in 2010, an increase on 2009 numbers of 16,990 (8.8%). After allowance for population growth (1.7% from 2009 to 2010), IMO the major factor is that the three Wallaby pin up boys of Beale, Quade and O'Connor had better years in 2010 than in 2009. Plus the G&GR best try promo of course.

 

[qwerty51]

WC year?

 

[Gagger]

Except that it wasn't (it was 2010).

Also, I'd only expect the WC to have a bump on the following year if the Wobbs did very well. Actually, only if they won it