Female rugby player numbers rise but males in decline

While women’s rugby has seen an increase in playing numbers, men’s rugby has again declined.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Community rugby has seen a surge in women’s playing, refereeing and coaching numbers.

The sport has seen a staggering 20 per cent rise in females playing since 2022.

However, junior male playing numbers continue to decline.

New Zealand Rugby has today confirmed 147,434 players for the 2023 season, an increase of 7 per cent, with women and girls’ participation to 29,448.

Junior male numbers though are declining with 49,999 junior club boys registered, down 2 per cent on 2022.

However, senior men’s club saw an increase of 3 per cent on 2022 to 33,500 players.

Despite that NZR General Manager Community Rugby Steve Lancaster said the results were pleasing given it was the first uninterrupted rugby season since the pandemic began in 2020.

“Covid completely changed community sport across the country, and we’ve really only just completed our first normal rugby season in four years. We’re pleased with how the game is recovering.”

He said like all sports rugby still face challenges in the community game, in particular junior boys’ numbers are not back to where they were pre-Covid in some parts of the country.

“We’ve spent some time understanding the issues and, along with teenage participation, it will be a focus of ours moving forward.”

Lancaster said that the growth in women and girls playing club rugby was a key success for the sport.

“An increasing focus since 2020 has been on getting more women and girls involved in club rugby where they’ll play for a full season as opposed to one-off festivals and tournaments. That means more games and, most importantly, a more meaningful rugby experience enjoying all that’s great about community rugby.”

NZR has also confirmed the reduced tackle height in community rugby will be extended until the end of the 2025 season, in line with World Rugby’s global recommendations.

Lancaster said the trial, which involves the first tackler tackling below the sternum and targeting the belly area, had improved the safety and quality of games and was strongly supported by the rugby community.

Match analysis by NZR found that 90 per cent of first tackles in 1st XV school rugby, 78 per cent in senior men’s rugby and 72 per cent in senior women’s rugby were below the sternum this season.