Rugby player numbers continue to grow

Club Rugby | 30 October 2014 | Club Rugby

New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has released its player registration numbers for the year and for the first time they have topped 150,000.

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Two thousand more players laced up their rugby boots in 2014 than the previous year and many of them were women, teenagers and junior players.?

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A total of 150,564 registered rugby players played the game in New Zealand, including a 12 percent increase in female rugby players, and Club Rugby's goal is to cover it all.?

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New Zealand Rugby’s General Manager Community and Provincial Union Rugby Brent Anderson said the numbers reflected the special place rugby has in New Zealand communities.

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“They’re taking to the field with the support of Provincial Unions, volunteers, referees and coaches who all work really hard to give them the opportunity to play," said Anderson.?

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Anderson said NZR had placed particular emphasis on encouraging teenagers to stay in the game and attracting more female players of all ages.

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“Keeping teenagers in the game is a challenge as they have so many demands on their time like school, work and social activities. It’s an area we’ve invested in and it’s pleasing that it’s starting to pay dividends.

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He said Rippa Rugby, a non-contact version of the game played by both boys and girls, is growing in popularity and encouraging females to choose rugby.

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“We’ll be launching a plan soon to grow rugby for girls and women and we have ambitious goals. We are developing more opportunities for teenagers and women to play in tournaments, increasing competition and skill levels. With Women’s Sevens in the Olympic Games in 2016 we’re expecting women’s rugby to become an increasing popular choice to play and watch,” Anderson said.

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Club Rugby is the only independent website of its kind in New Zealand.

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Club Rugby's focus is on covering rugby from the ground up.

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To date in 2014,?Club Rugby's audience has grown by 30.1 percent from 2013, and 70.1 percent of people are visiting the website on their own accord and not through social media channels.

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We seek new sponsorship and advertising partners for 2015 to help us consolidate our audience and aid in our continued growth in both depth and breadth, also in line with the NZRU's objectives. Please email editor@clubrugby.co.nz to discuss how we can help each other.

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If you wish to contribute to Club Rugby going forward in any capacity, watching and reporting rugby, writing preview, human interest, opinion and research stories, through digital or visual media channels, or you see opportunities in your region for added ?or extended coverage please email editor@clubrugby.co.nz

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150,564 players – increase of 2,081 compared to 2013

Highest number since NZR started recording player numbers in 2001

80,249 Small Blacks (5-12 years) - increase of 1,607 (2 percent) compared to 2013

42,314 teenagers (13-20 years) – increase of 469 compared to 2013

27,821 players aged 21+ - increase of 5 compared to 2013

17,825 female players – increase of 1,912 (12 percent) compared to 2013

1,884 referees – decrease of 207 compared to 2013

11,713 coaches – decrease of 19 compared to 2013

TOTAL player numbers year on year - 2010: 146,893; 2011: 145,689; 2012: 149,978; 2013: 148,483; 2014: 150,564