The biggest rugby league attendances by country

Rugby league is sometimes found to be on the periphery in some nations where the sport has taken hold.

Take the likes of the UK – football and rugby union tend to dominate each component of the British Isles with league sometimes taking a backseat.

However, that hasn’t stopped some incredible crowds being generated across the UK, with England coming out on top of the whole pile.

England – 120,000

With a northern hotbed of rugby league, it is no wonder that around 120,000 people attended the 1954 Challenge Cup Final between Halifax and Warrington at Odsal Stadium in Bradford. Though Wembley Stadium has regularly hit stunning numbers in the past 100 years, none have come close to 1954.

Australia – 107,999

The largest-ever Australian crowd of 107,999 attended the 1999 NRL Grand Final between St George Illawarra and Melbourne Storm at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium. It has never been breached since.

Wales – 74,213

Hardly known as the hotbed of rugby league, Wales takes its place in third. Despite that, the short spell in which the Challenge Cup Final was moved to Cardiff as Wembley was getting built ensures its place in this list. 74,213 fans attended the 2005 Challenge Cup Final between Leeds and Hull at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.

Scotland – 67,247

Like Wales, Scotland doesn’t really have a great affinity with rugby league, but that didn’t stop the Rugby Football League taking the Challenge Cup to Edinburgh. The 2000 Challenge Cup Final between Bradford and Leeds attracted a vast crowd of 67,247 to Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium.

New Zealand – 47,363

The biggest attendance in New Zealand for rugby league remains the capacity crowd of 47,363 for the 1988 World Cup Final between the Kangaroos and the Kiwis at Auckland’s Eden Park ground.

France – 37,471

The largest crowd to watch rugby league in France was the 1954 World Cup preliminary match between France and the British Lions saw spectators numbering 37,471 flock to Toulouse’s primary venue.

Papua New Guinea – 35,000

Papua New Guinea is fanatical for rugby league, come rain, hail or shine. So, there’s no wonder when the 1985 PNG Grand Final between Hobar West and Air Niugini was played in heavy rain over 35,000 spectators flooded into Port Moresby’s Lloyd Robson Oval.

Russia – 35,000

Whilst Russia is not exactly known for its love of rugby league, once the fall of the Soviet Union occurred in the late 1980s, Russia experienced a boom in the sport. That meant that people become increasingly interested in the sport in the 1990s and early 2000s, making attendances like the 35,000 in Moscow’s Olympic Stadium for an international between Russia and the USA in 2002 possible.

Spain – 31,555

Though rugby league is still in its infancy in Spain, Barcelona proved to be a massive hit when Catalans Dragons took a Super League game on the road against Wigan Warriors. Over 31,000 spectators sat inside the Nou Camp to witness that fixture.

USA – 19,320

England’s Test against New Zealand in 2018 at the Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado saw 19,320 spectators file into the venue. That number surpassed the 1989 clash between Warrington and Wigan which had an attendance of 18,000 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Ireland – 15,000

It may take some by surprise to know that Ireland had its largest rugby league game back in 1954 – and with 15,000 in attendance too. Halifax and Warrington took a game to Dublin and it’s fair to say the locals approved.

Fiji – 10,000

Though Fiji remains an incredible rugby league hotspot, the facilities around the island have not kept up with the demand. That being said, the 1994 Pacific Cup Final against Tonga still yielded a 10,000 attendance in the Fijian capital, Suva.

Canada – 9,974

Of course, the Toronto Wolfpack put Canadian rugby league on the map, making it all the way to the Super League before being cut off back in 2020. That being said, the Wolfpack enjoyed massive success at their Lamport Stadium home and managed to sell out the venue back in 2019 when Featherstone Rovers came to town for the Championship Million Pound Game.

All figures taken from zerotackle.com.