Children's rugby participation in England 2025| ��ƽ��

Share of children participating in rugby in the last week in England from 2017/18 to 2024/25

Characteristic	Share of respondents
2024/25	8.1%
2023/24	8.2%
2022/23	8.3%
2021/22	8.1%
2020/21	5.7%
2019/20	8.8%
2018/19	9.7%
2017/18	8.9%

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Release date

December 2025

More information

Region

United Kingdom (England)

Survey time period

2017 to 2024

Number of respondents

*130,448

Age group

5-16 years

Method of interview

Questionnaire

Supplementary notes

* Previous base sizes:
2017/18: 109,503; 2018/19: 113,728; 2019/20: 89,303; 2020/21: 86,828; 2021/22: 104,404; 2022/23: 122,347, 2024/25: 130,448.

Figures from prior to 2024/25 were taken from previous reports by the same source.

This statistic uses original data from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport and includes copyright material licensed under © Crown, the .

Citation formats

When surveyed during the 2024/25 school year, 8.1 percent of children aged 5 to 16 years old said they had participated in rugby in the last week. This marked a decrease from the previous year, when it stood at 8.2 percent. Based on figures going back to 2017/18, participation peaked in 2018/2019, with 9.7 percent.

How many individuals overall participate in rugby in the England?  

As the birthplace of the sport, there is a strong culture in England of both following and participating in the game of rugby. Among adults who play rugby in England, the number of participants in rugby union totaled around 228,800 in 2025. This was around four times the number of adults who played rugby league, a code of the sport that is primarily played in the north of England.

How much money is invested in rugby in England?

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) received 30.5 million British pounds for rugby development investment and over double, 65.6 million British pounds, in professional rugby investment in 2024. The Union also generates significant amounts of its own revenue, with the RFU's largest source of revenue in 2023/24 coming from hospitality and catering, nearly 50 million British pounds.