Premiership Rugby defend US venture following low attendance in Philadelphia

18 September 2017 07:23

Premiership Rugby say it would be wrong to judge their American venture on the attendance figure for Saturday's clash between Newcastle and Saracens in Philadelphia.

A crowd of just 6,271 turned up at the 18,500-capacity Talen Energy Stadium for a second Premiership match played in America, after Saracens took on London Irish in New York 18 months ago.

It was the fourth-lowest attendance from 18 Premiership fixtures played this season, with the smallest crowd so far being 4,510 for Sale Sharks' home defeat against Newcastle 10 days ago.

The latest match kicked off a four-year agreement between Premiership Rugby and promoters AEG Rugby that it is hoped will increase the league's global footprint and also develop the game in America.

"You always want to get more people to the match," a Premiership Rugby spokesman told Press Association Sport.

"But the crowd isn't the difference between whether we have a sustainable strategy in the US.

"It would be wrong to judge the American Series of Premiership Rugby matches on the attendance figure in our first year in Philadelphia, as this trip was about so much more than an Aviva Premiership rugby match.

"We are in partnership with AEG Rugby, USA Rugby and NBC Sports to help grow the game in America and the brand of Premiership Rugby.

"We had coaches in the two weeks before the match in New Jersey, Washington DC and Philadelphia running sessions for more than 1,000 young American players and dozens of coaches.

"We also created a genuine legacy from this match, as our partnership with the British Council has allowed us to award 35 Premiership Rugby scholarships to 20 teenage American players and 15 coaches who will come to England in 2018 and spend time with our world-class academies.

"It's important to remember that the match is only one part of what we are doing in the States. Alongside that, there is the viewing figures on NBC Sports.

"Over the next few years our US TV numbers could exceed English ones, as we have a very strong partner in NBC Sports who met with a group of our clubs in the days before the match in Philadelphia."

Saracens won the game 29-7, ending Newcastle's unbeaten Premiership record this season.

Source: PA