Style makeover helps Gloucester Rugby increase crowds by 40%

Gloucester Rugby CEO Alex Brown has revealed attendances at Kingsholm were up by 40 per cent in 2024/25 compared to last season.

Taking the Premiership in isolation, Gloucester’s average crowd was 14,069, with sell-outs for the matches against Bath, Harlequins, Bristol and Northampton.

The round six match against Newcastle attracted the lowest crowd of the league season, with just 10,604 pitching up for the 36-7 victory over the lowly Falcons.

Brown believes ditching the conservative tactics of the previous season, when Gloucester finished second-from-bottom, in favour of a more attacking approach, was one of the factors behind the surge in support.

In an open letter to fans published on the club’s website, he wrote: “I hope you’d agree that we have seen the results of that change throughout the 2024/25 season. We’ve scored more tries (+24), earned more bonus points (+4), beaten more defenders (+45), offloaded more (+36), made more metres (+1,263), and scored more points (+119) than the season before. Save for two tough losses against Exeter and Harlequins, we can rightly rue the missed opportunity of a top-four place. While that chance slipped away, I couldn’t be prouder of the team’s growth. Finishing 5th after a 9th-place end the previous year is a positive step forward, but perhaps more pleasing is the manner of our performances, which I have thoroughly enjoyed.

“A huge amount of credit must go to George Skivington. Those who know George will understand his passion for the physical side of the game, but this season, he showed tremendous leadership by embracing a more open style of rugby, while maintaining a solid focus on our set-piece fundamentals. Backed by our coaching team and our Board, he was also committed to giving young players an opportunity during this season, and we are now seeing the benefits — with the likes of Arthur Clark, Afo Fasogbon, Freddie Thomas, Seb Blake, Seb Atkinson, Jack Clement, and Jack Cotgreave all claiming starting shirts and in many cases, international call ups.

“Kingsholm, thanks to you all, has started to become a fortress again, with four sell-outs and a seven-game unbeaten run at home to end the season. We saw a 40% increase in attendance over the season when compared to last year, and pleasing commercial growth across all areas of the business – credit must go to the ‘team behind the team’ for all their hard work.

“The atmosphere you have created at ‘Holm in response to the performances on the pitch has been the best I’ve ever known, especially at our final home match against Northampton. It was something truly special. The reception for our Gloucester-Hartpury ‘threepeat’ Champions at half-time, and the warm send-off for the men’s team, showed just how unique our Club is.”