Fylde’s Chairman of Rugby Mark Nelson says:
“I think it’s worth noting that the attendance for yesterday’s game Fylde v Tynedale of 1002 spectators was the 4th highest attendance in England on Saturday. The only games to exceed Fylde’s were Premiership Cup Quarter Finals, Exeter v Sale Sharks, Northampton Saints v Ealing Trailfinders and the Women’s Premiership play off Semi-Final, Saracens v Harlequins.
Importantly, of the 28 National League fixtures played across England, Fylde’s was the only game to beat the thousand barrier, the next highest being Rams v Plymouth Albion in Nat One, with 973 people.
No game at level 4, National Two, came close, with the nearest being 545 Luctonians v Loughborough in Nat 2(W). Several games only attracted 100 plus, the lowest, Barnes v Canterbury, 134.
Finally, there were around 1210 league/cup matches recorded in The Rugby Paper (yes, I did the maths!). So out of 1200 rugby matches played on Saturday in England, Fylde had the 4th highest attendance … now that is something to shout about.
Thanks go to the coaches and players for delivering an attacking and entertaining product on the pitch, to the Clubhouse staff who manage these numbers in an effective and friendly way, and to the volunteers who contribute hours of their time to make the matchday experience enjoyable.
The Club’s active promotion of rugby in this area of Lancashire, together with the Fylde Rugby Community Foundation, utilising extensive social media and other digital channels, is obviously helping build crowds and extending the reach of rugby into the community. And it’s providing more exposure to our loyal sponsors and advertisers.”