Following the 2024 Super League season, we’ve looked at where each team ranked in terms of their average attendance.
There is a split on how relevant attendance figures are, or at least about the obsession that fans seem to have with them. Some argue for atmosphere over attendance whilst others fans put big faith in the figures.
In an IMG world, attendance really does matter – to a certain point. An average attendance of over 7,500 across three seasons guarantees you maximum points on that metric in the ‘Fandom’ pillar.
That’s a total that nine of the twelve Super League clubs surpassed based on their 2024 average attendance.
Attendance also brings in revenue so it is undeniably important but perhaps more interesting is how it reflects the attitude of fans towards the club. The higher the attendance then surely the more positivity at the club, which in some cases can lead to demands for stadium development – something that looks set to happen at Hull KR.
Craven Park was sold out on almost every occasion in 2024, something that is reflected in their impressive attendance. Here, we’ve assessed the average attendance in Super League for each club to see where they all stack up.
Ranking Super League clubs by their average 2024 attendance
12th: London Broncos – 3,178
No longer a Super League club but London averaged the lowest attendance in 2024 with just shy of 3,200 fans attending each game. It’s a figure that is only just over a fifth of the attendance at the very top of this chart and highlights how far the game still has to go in expanding in the non-heartland clubs.
11th: Huddersfield Giants – 4,532
Only 1,354 more than London is Huddersfield, who are an established heartlands club. Their poor performances of the past two years have seen attendances dwindle and that’s even seen owner Ken Davy commit to building a new, smaller stadium for the Giants.
10th: Salford Red Devils – 4,646
Salford Red Devils averaged just over 4,500 in 2024 but it should be noted that their home play-off game (not counted in the average) saw almost 11,000 fans turn up. For a club that plays such exciting rugby and has hit heights beyond 10,000, this average could certainly be boosted.
9th: Castleford Tigers – 7,940
We see a huge jump from the 10th-lowest average attendance to the ninth with Castleford seeing almost 8,000 turn up at Wheldon Road each week. Under new head coach Danny McGuire and new ownership in 2025, could positive feelings around the club help it jump even further?
8th: Leigh Leopards – 8,391
Leigh are a prime example of a club who have seen the effect of positivity. After their Challenge Cup winning 2023, the Leopards increased their attendance massively and went beyond an 8,000 average at the Leigh Sports Village.
7th: Catalans Dragons – 9,162
A poor season at the Stade Gilbert Brutus but the attendance figures still surpassed 9,000 for Steve McNamara’s side. With such impressive NRL recruitment ahead of 2025, perhaps they’re another side who could leap forward.
6th: Hull KR – 9,901
The Super League runners-up recorded sell outs at Craven Park almost every week and even had a temporary stand erected for their Round 27 clash with Leeds Rhinos and in the play-offs. With plans to expand in the future and the team performing on the field, this looks set to surpass 10,000.
5th: Warrington Wolves – 10,065
Bizarrely, Warrington’s average attendance actually decreased despite a much-improved 2024 campaign. The club is in a brilliant position under Sam Burgess and had Man of Steel contender Matt Dufty lighting the Halliwell Jones Stadium up, however, their average attendance dropped from 10,894 to 10,065.
4th: Hull FC – 10,975
A team who had a very poor season and therefore saw an even steeper decline in average attendance than Wire was Hull FC. Despite almost 11,000 turning out each week, the Black and Whites saw their average home crowd in Super League slip from over 12,000 to below 11,000.
3rd: St Helens – 13,105
The Red Vee are always well-supported, even in their poor seasons and 2024 was one of those. They only just made the play-offs but over 13,000 turned up most weeks on average showcasing their incredible fan base.
2nd: Leeds Rhinos – 14,035
Leeds Rhinos were another to have a poor season and they even missed the play-offs but that didn’t stop an increase in their average attendance. The Headingley crowd average jumped from 13,326 to over 14,000 in what was a disappointing season.
1st: Wigan Warriors 14,910
There is no surprise here with Wigan Warriors topping the average attendance table as they have topped everything in 2024. Matt Peet’s side are truly one of a kind at the moment and that’s only set to continue in 2025 where they will likely surpass an average of 15,000 as things are going.
* All attendance figures sourced from Rugby League Project *
