Rugby League crowds top 16 million

Crowds at matches in the English Coca-Cola Rugby League have topped the sixteen million mark for the fifth consecutive season. More than 16.35m supporters attended the 1,656 matches played during 2008/09, an increase of 1% on last season.

The Rugby League continues to enjoy sustained attendance growth. Gates are currently at their highest levels for nearly 50 years and have more than doubled since the mid-eighties (7.5m in 1985/86).

The Coca-Cola Championship is set to retain its place as the 4th most watched League in Europe with a total audience of 9.9m fans. This is likely to be bettered only by the Premiership, Germany