Sport England Active People Results
Message from Steve Grainger:
Sport England Active People Survey
As you may be aware, Sport England have just released their latest Active People Survey results (April 2013 – April 2014). This is a national survey, now in its eighth year, undertaken by Ipsos Mori which looks at once a week and once a month participation in specific sports.
The latest figures for our sport give a total for over 16s of 190,400 participating once a week, with 264,000 participating at least once a month. These figures show a significant increase on the same period last year, when they were 166,400 once a week, and 229,700 once a month.
The most significant growth has been in 16-19 age group and there are encouraging signs of growth in participation amongst 20-25 year olds. The challenge of regular participation in the 26yrs+ age group still remains.
Comparison between the Sport England data and our own National Playing Censuses, completed with the help of our CBs and Clubs, show a good correlation and together provide useful indicators of trends.
These figures released today are encouraging and provide validation that our focus on retaining and attracting back 16-24 year olds, our work in schools, colleges and universities, and on new formats of the game are right.
For our XV a side game, we have targeted activities to retain and attract 16-24 year olds, an age group where many players drop out. We’ve created programmes such as All Schools, now entering its third year with 300 state secondary schools taking part, and are doing more to get colleges and universities playing rugby and connected to clubs. Second XV and below rugby is a priority and we will be strengthening and supporting this key area of the game with increased resources. The Women’s and Girls’ game has shown positive growth and our own data shows an increase in numbers of registered players.
We’ve also looked at the structure of adult competitions and leagues to provide competitive rugby that will encourage maximum player and supporter participation and to grow and sustain our clubs into the future. This work is vital in offering ways to better sustain our clubs, by lowering their costs and travel times and improving player welfare with more defined rest periods.
We’re also further developing alternative forms of the game through sevens and our Touch strategy, all of which put us in a strong position for the future.
Following a period of adverse weather mid-season, we worked hard across the game to find innovative ways to get matches played at every age group, including improving the availability of pitches throughout the season.
It is good to see the figures heading in the right direction but we remain realistic about the challenges we face in growing the game, including how to sustain participation during inclement weather and how to compete with other sports and leisure activities. People are undoubtedly looking for more choice, so we are committed to broadening the appeal of rugby union in all its forms and are confident that our plans are realistic and achievable.
This positive news reflects the hard work of volunteers and staff throughout the Community Game and we would like to thank them all for their continued support.
Best wishes
Steve Grainger
Rugby Development Director
Read the full Sport England statement here: Active People Results June 2014
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