The NRL is poised to break a 10-year old attendance record this week as an undefeated Canterbury-Bankstown side host South Sydney, following three consecutive years of attendance growth for the competition.
After a period of decline when fans were locked out during the COVID-19 Pandemic, attendances across the league have not only rebounded, but far surpassed pre-pandemic figures, with each of the past two seasons setting the all-time total attendance record.
With the single-game record now beckoning, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs CEO Aaron Warburton said that if the crowd figure reaches the anticipated numbers, it would be a significant moment for the sport.
“This record-breaking crowd represents a pivotal moment for rugby league,” he said.
“It validates our strategic direction as a code and creates substantial commercial opportunities through increased sponsorship value and broadcast interest.
“The flow-on effects will benefit all clubs, including the Bulldogs.
“This milestone demonstrates rugby league’s growing market position against other Australian sports and provides tangible evidence of our game’s healthy trajectory.
“The energy of a packed stadium lifts player performance and creates the kind of spectacle that attracts new fans to our game.”
The Bulldogs are a prime indicator of this growth, with their average home crowd of 15,274 in 2019 declining to 14,851 in 2022 (the first season after the pandemic with uncapped attendance), before rebounding strongly to reach 20,848 in 2024.
Although form has definitely played its part in attracting more fans to games, with the club making finals for the first time in eight seasons last year, the jump of almost 6,000 is still a significant one.
Warburton said that the Bulldogs are actively focused on tapping into the increased interest in the club following their recent success and converting casual supporters into members and regular attendees.
“Our vision is to have more people meaningfully connected to the Bulldogs brand than ever before,” he said.
“As long as we continue to provide value-driven commercial offerings that resonate with different segments of our fanbase, we’ll continue to grow this number.
“It’s about creating genuine reasons for fans to formalise their relationship with us through membership, whether they’re long-time supporters from our heartland or new fans discovering what makes the Bulldogs special.
“The key is maintaining authenticity while innovating our approach to fan engagement and consistently delivering value that exceeds expectations.”
The NRL has long been the poor cousin to its footballing counterpart, the AFL, whose massive attendances at games in Melbourne continue to push the league average above 40,000.
Other cities have seen growth too, with Perth and Adelaide sides regularly drawing in excess of 40,000 spectators to home matches, and clubs in non-traditional areas for the game such as the Brisbane Lions and Sydney Swans regularly breaking the 30,000 barrier.
Comparatively, the NRL’s average crowd last season of 20,851 was only 54.3 percent of the AFL’s figure of 38,365 across the season.
However, when compared to the AFL, the NRL’s post-COVID growth stands out.
The NRL’s average attendance in 2024 of 20,851 was more than 5,000 larger than the 2019 figure of 15,800, representing growth of 32 per cent.
The AFL comparatively jumped from 36,317 to 38,365, an increase of just under 6 per cent.
Last year, eight NRL clubs finished the season with an average crowd of over 20,000 people, the largest number in a single season in league history.
The Brisbane Broncos, who attracted 39,872 spectators through the turnstiles last season, are again the league leaders in 2025, with three crowds of over 40,000 to start the season giving them an average of 42,381 across the opening month and a half of the campaign.
Even the Melbourne Storm, located in the AFL heartland of Melbourne, drew a sellout crowd of 26,427 fans to their clash with the Warriors on Sunday, albeit with no AFL matches in town due to that code’s ‘Gather Round’ event which saw all round five games played in South Australia.
With the increased hype around the Bulldogs 6-0 start to the season, another area of focus is in creating a sustained attendance culture, so that when the period of success inevitably ends at some point, the club will have a strong supporter base through leaner years, with membership being a key tool.