Active Lives Sports Participation Survey - November 2022

[Dunbar]

My annual look at the Sport England Active Lives sports participation survey.

From the year to November 2022, participation in Men's Rugby League increased from 37,100 to 42,100.  While this is an increase and welcomed, it is statistically recognised as 'No change' in the report.

For the first time, Women's Rugby League is included in the report and for the year to November 2022 there were 12,100 particpipants

Data:

Men

For comparison to other sports, Rugby League is a mixed bag compared to Rugby Union and Football.

Both Rugby Union and Football registered a 'Significant increase' in the 12 months to November 2022 while Rugby League was 'No change' - while both Rugby Union and Football have registered a 'Significant decrease' from the baseline data (November 2016) while Rugby League is 'No change'.  Of course the exit from Covid restrictions will have an impact on the increased figures in the last 12 months

Football: 2016 - 2,083,900; 2021 - 1,265,600; 2022 - 1,759,900

Rugby Union: 2016 - 236,400; 2021 - 113,400; 2022 - 157,200

Rugby League: 2016 - 58,900; 2021 - 37,100; 2022 - 42,100

Women

Football and Rugby Union have registered 'No change' from the Baseline.

Football: 2016 - 215,100; 2021 - 176,400; 2022 - 244,900

Rugby Union: 2016 - 23,200; 2021 - 20,100; 2022 - 36,700

Rugby League: 2016 - N/A; 2021 - N/A; 2022 - 12,100

Thoughts

I think it is disappointing that in men's participation, Rugby League has not exited the Covid restrictions with the same increases that Rugby Union and Football have enjoyed - but the fact we haven't seen a significant decrease from the baseline is a bit more encouraging.

On the women's data.  I think this is very encouraging.  To be at circa 30% of men's participation in a relatively short amount of time is positive and also to be at about a third of the Rugby Union participation which got something of a head start.  Proportionally, Women's Rugby League participation is closer to Union (33%) than Men (27%) already.  If we can grow from here then we will be in a good place for Women's Rugby League.

Source

Participation is defined as those aged 16+ who have taken part in sport and physical activity at least twice in the last 28 days.. Data is here Active Lives data tables | Sport England

Edited August 5, 2023 by Dunbar

[HawkMan]

Doing a bit of maths with the old calculator,  it's obvious Rugby Union is in decline seriously.

The figures for 2022 compared to 2016 in the men's expressed as a percentage are as follows.

Football 84% of 2016

Rugby League 71% of 2016

Rugby Union 66% of 2016

[Eddie]

If those figures are correct, I’m surprised yet delighted that there are over 12,000 women playing rugby league, and that the proportion vs male players is so high. 

[Archie Gordon]

I feel that this thread should link directly to the TTRL one. That, alongside and including women's rugby, is where our focus on growth should be.

[gingerjon]

17 hours ago, Dunbar said:

Women

Football and Rugby Union have registered 'No change' from the Baseline.

Football: 2016 - 215,100; 2021 - 176,400; 2022 - 244,900

Rugby Union: 2016 - 23,200; 2021 - 20,100; 2022 - 36,700

Rugby League: 2016 - N/A; 2021 - N/A; 2022 - 12,100

Wiki say there are 43 women's clubs in England and Wales at the minute. Let's assume 40 in England for simplicity.

An average of 300 participants per club. Is that right?

(As a comparison: soccer reports 12,640 women's teams - not clubs so will include development, 5 a side etc. So that's a somewhat more believable 20 participants per team.)

[Dunbar]

9 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

Wiki say there are 43 women's clubs in England and Wales at the minute. Let's assume 40 in England for simplicity.

An average of 300 participants per club. Is that right?

(As a comparison: soccer reports 12,640 women's teams - not clubs so will include development, 5 a side etc. So that's a somewhat more believable 20 participants per team.)

Almost impossible to answer.

Looking at the 2021 RFL annual report, it says that there were 81,000 active participants and 44,000 core community participants in the year. 

The Active Lives survey says 37,100 participants (no women in the data for this year) and so circa 7,000 women in the core community data does stack up as it is growing quite quickly.

Absolutely loads of assumptions there of course. 

What I would say is that I don't see any reason to distrust the Active Lives data - certainly not to try and discredited what is a good news story.

[Spidey]

20 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

Wiki say there are 43 women's clubs in England and Wales at the minute. Let's assume 40 in England for simplicity.

An average of 300 participants per club. Is that right?

(As a comparison: soccer reports 12,640 women's teams - not clubs so will include development, 5 a side etc. So that's a somewhat more believable 20 participants per team.)

I think Warrington have 3 x Girls teams (12s 14s 16s) plus two open age sides (at community level) that would mean around 100 there at least before the SL squad is counted. Plus there are girls playing at ages under 12 along side the boys.  That’s before counting the various mixed tag participants. This is where I think there’s probably some double counting maybe as there will be some crossover?

edit - I missed the definition above as 16+

Edited August 6, 2023 by Spidey

[Archie Gordon]

For 2021, Active Lives estimated about 8k women playing RL. They didn't publish the number however because it was felt to be statistically unreliable (low numbers in the survey).

Edit: I think it's substantively unreliable too, for the reasons GJ was outlining. But if I was the RFL's PR, I would take the Dunbar/Eddie position. In other words, I think you're all right. (Nobody will argue with me now, yeah?)

Edited August 6, 2023 by Archie Gordon

[Dunbar]

5 minutes ago, Archie Gordon said:

For 2021, Active Lives estimated about 8k women playing RL. They didn't publish the number however because it was felt to be statistically unreliable.

That stacks up with the RFL data on core community participants (men plus women) being around the Active Lives number.

[gingerjon]

44 minutes ago, Archie Gordon said:

For 2021, Active Lives estimated about 8k women playing RL. They didn't publish the number however because it was felt to be statistically unreliable (low numbers in the survey).

Edit: I think it's substantively unreliable too, for the reasons GJ was outlining. But if I was the RFL's PR, I would take the Dunbar/Eddie position. In other words, I think you're all right. (Nobody will argue with me now, yeah?)

I'd definitely be shouting it from the rooftops because the growth - even if the numbers don't quite seem to fit - is obviously substantial and worth celebrating.