Bath Rugby made a memorable return to the top tier of the Investec Champions Cup by delivering the only sell-out crowd for an English team across the international competition this season. The packed Recreation Ground witnessed Bath’s impressive victory over Saracens, securing their place in the quarter-finals for the first time since the reintroduction of the single-legged round of 16 in the 2022-23 season.
Despite Bath’s success in filling their stadium, overall attendance figures told a different story. Northampton Saints attracted a few hundred more fans for their last 16 win against French Top 14 side Castres compared to last year’s fixture. However, their crowd was still 1,500 fewer than the sell-out capacity seen during the 2023-24 season.
Harlequins, the third English team hosting weekend fixtures, experienced a significant drop in attendance—from 12,852 at their last round of 16 home tie in 2024 down to 7,515 this year. Scheduling the crucial round of 16 matches over Easter weekend has been widely blamed for dampening enthusiasm among Premiership Rugby fans. Additionally, repeat fixtures and matchups between teams from the same league likely contributed to declining interest.
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Across the continent, Toulon recorded lower attendance compared to last season, while Glasgow Warriors maintained a sell-out crowd at Scotstoun Stadium, though its capacity sits at just 7,321. Bordeaux continues to build momentum, drawing nearly 33,000 fans for their third consecutive round of 16 game—a steady growth since 28,000 supporters turned out in 2024.
Only two clubs, Toulouse and Leinster, have consistently hosted home round of 16 matches since single-legged fixtures returned in 2023. Toulouse’s attendance of 31,541 closely matched last year’s numbers but remained slightly down from 2023 figures at the Stadium de Toulouse. Back in 2024, Toulouse used their traditional rugby ground, Stade Ernest-Wallon, to a capacity crowd.
Leinster, which holds its knockout fixtures at the larger Aviva Stadium, saw a sharp decline in attendance this weekend with 21,491 spectators—a considerable drop from last year’s 55,627 and the 40,775 and 51,700 fans in 2024 and 2023 respectively.
Overall, combined attendance across the Champions Cup fell significantly from 185,132 last season to just 143,058 this year, highlighting challenges ahead for the competition despite standout moments like Bath’s sell-out success.