Rugby and Golf

Recent sporting events and successes have captivated Irish consumers and provide an array of opportunities for marketers to engage with sports fans. Rugby union and golf are two sports that have seen considerable growth in the past year. 

While the proportion of Irish adults claiming to have an interest in rugby union has remained static at 24%, there have been significant rises in the number of adults accessing rugby-related content. Over the course of the last 12 months, there has been a rise of 60,000 adults watching rugby on TV, a rise of almost 20,000 reading about the sport in newspapers and now 169,000 rugby fans follow the latest news online – up from 132,000 in 2010.

The recent successes of Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke have also translated in a spike in golf exposure, particularly in newspapers and on television. 520,000 adults now watch golf on TV, up from 480,000 in 2010 and there has also been a 26% rise in reading about golf in papers – now reaching 241,000 consumers.