Here in the UK, we’re known as a nation of sports lovers and nowhere is this truer than in North West England. From Cumbria and Lancashire to Greater Manchester and Merseyside, we possess a real passion for sports, whether we’re watching it on the screen, cheering in the crowd or even playing ourselves. But here in the North West, sport is more than a pastime.
Sport makes a significant contribution to the local economy in this part of England, with the North West benefitting from billions of pounds every year. This is particularly true when we look at the impact made by the country’s most popular sports, namely football and rugby.
Football’s contribution
Football evokes a love, passion and camaraderie that few other sports can compete with in the UK. Not only is it our most watched sport but it’s also our most popular to participate in, with 1.5 million adult males playing football at least twice per month during 2021. Popularity aside, football also happens to be England’s most lucrative sport.
The 2019/20 Premier League contributed £7.6bn to the wider UK economy and if we zone in on the North West, we can see that our local economy reaped the benefits. In fact, during the 2019/20 season, Premier League clubs generated £2.1bn for our region, as well 21,000 jobs.
When speaking about the impact that this sport has on our local economy, Collette Roche, COO of Manchester United, said it ‘shows what a positive force the Premier League and football in general is in the life of our region.’
Rugby’s contribution
Rugby is the UK’s second most popular sport and whether you’re a fan of rugby union or league, it’s safe to say that this sport contributes to our national and local economy. Sale Sharks are currently one of the area’s most lucrative rugby union sides, playing their trade in the sport’s top tier. However, if we take the 2021 Rugby League World Cup, we can see it has already boosted the economy despite the fact that the tournament is yet to begin.
The tournament was set to start on 23 October 2021 but was subsequently postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Rescheduled to 2022, the opening match will take place on 15 October and the Rugby League World Cup has already been making headlines for delivering £25m to the UK economy.
The North West has a huge part to play in the upcoming competition, with 87% of Rugby League World Cup gamesbeing held in the North. This includes three of our own stadiums: St Helens, Trafford and Liverpool. With the tournament set to host one million spectators, the Rugby League World Cup could mean a big boost for our local businesses.
