Rugby union participation in England 2016-2023

In 2023, there were approximately 223 thousand individuals participating in rugby union in England. This was an increase from the previous year and represented a four-year high for participation in the sport. 

What are the origins of rugby union?

Rugby Union reputedly originated in the early half of the 19th century in the Rugby Public School. Despite being played globally since the latter half of the 19th century, it took until 1995 for the sport to be professionalized, with the first three Rugby World Cups being played at an amateur level. Meanwhile, the other code of the sport, rugby league in Great Britain, was professionalized at its inception in 1895. In 2023, there were approximately 50 thousand rugby league participants in England. 

The Rugby Football Union

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the principle governing body of rugby union in England. The RFU describes its primary objective as to encourage rugby, and its values, to flourish across England. It promotes and runs the sport, organizes international matches for the England national team, and educates and trains players and officials. In 2022/23 the total expenditure of the RFU totaled over 200 million British pounds, a significant increase from the previous years, which had been impacted by coronavirus (COVID-19) containment measures. This expenditure is approximately in balanced with the income distribution of the RFU, which in 2022/23 amounted to approximately 221 million British pounds.