Ahead of the 2023 Super League Grand Final between Wigan Warriors and Catalans Dragons, there were concerns over the expected attendance and the financial ramifications.
This is because money generated by the major finals impact the revenue the rest of Super League receive.
But the attendance was a very impressive 58,137 which is only just shy of the attendance recorded last year between Leeds Rhinos and St Helens.
Thus, financially it shouldn’t be much of a problem.
The anxiety largely stemmed from the last time Catalans contested the Grand Final.
In 2021, the Grand Final recorded an attendance of only 45,177 fans. But this was impacted by the pandemic.
Within days of defeating St Helens in the semi-finals, Catalans had sold 1,000 tickets and had three chartered planes planned, a figure that rose to five by the end of the week.
In total, 3,000 fans made the trip over from France with the RFL expecting an attendance of at least 55,000 but pushing towards 60,000.
Later in the week, 57,000 was the figure that emerged as the expected attendance. Either way, a massive increase on the 2021 decider and a great effort from the French fans who showed their passion with a pitch invasion after Sam Tomkins’ historic match winning try against St Helens which secured their place in the decider becoming only the sixth side after Leeds Rhinos, Warrington Wolves, Bradford Bulls, St Helens and their opponents to reach more than one Grand Final.
Being there before didn’t deter their fans from attending this year.
The official attendance was in the 58,137.
The 2023 Super League Grand Final saw Wigan Warriors and Catalans Dragons butt heads. The top two after the regular season level on points with one another and Champions St Helens.
Thus, this made for the most apt Grand Final as Wigan chased a sixth Super League title and Catalans Dragons battled to become the first new team since 2004 to lift the Super League trophy.
Their appearance at Old Trafford made history itself as they became only the sixth different team to reach more than on Grand Final after Leeds Rhinos, Warrington Wolves, Bradford Bulls and St Helens as well as their opponents Wigan Warriors.
Thus, it was posed to be a historic Grand Final in which former Wigan star Sam Tomkins was set to play a huge role in what was his final ever game before retirement.
