Study Shows €102 Million Spent in Ireland as Result of 2007 RBS 6 Nations Championship

1st February 2008

As the 2008 RBS 6 Nations Championship gets underway, independent research carried out by the main title sponsor The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), parent company of Ulster Bank Group, has shown that an estimated €102 million was poured into the Irish economy last year as a result of the Championship.

RBS commissioned Tribal Consulting to carry out what is considered to be the most comprehensive economic examination of the 125-year event yet. It reaches a powerful conclusion about the scale and impact of the showpiece rugby event on Ireland and the rest of the countries taking part, concluding that the entire RBS 6 Nations Championship is now worth nearly €538 million a year to the six host countries, with rugby supporters spending €182 million during the championships.

The research found that more RBS 6 Nations spectators flock to Dublin than any other venue in the competition. Visitors to Dublin accounted for an estimated 132,800 extra bed nights1 and 158,400 across the country as a whole - the highest of all the host cities and countries, which had a combined total of 767,000 bed nights 1 booked by spectators in 2007. The matches also take place when hotel occupancy is traditionally low, at 64% compared to 83% in the peak month of September.

The visitor expenditure generated by the matches also sustains some 370 jobs in Dublin and an estimated 560 jobs across Ireland as a whole.

Key Findings include:

RBS 6 Nations matches brought an estimated total of €102 million to Ireland in 2007.
An estimated 370 jobs in Dublin and 560 jobs across Ireland as a whole are sustained by the tournament. On an average match weekend in Dublin it is estimated that 1,700 temporary staff are employed at the stadium.
RBS 6 Nations supporters account for an estimated 132,800 bed nights in Dublin and 158,400 in Ireland as a whole - more than any other venue.
Of the host nations, Ireland's €37 million in additional direct visitor expenditure was only beaten by France, which generated €39 million in total. But Dublin's visitor expenditure total of €27 million beat those of all the other Capital cities, even London, which had €26 million.
Irish matches recorded an average of 11.9 million TV television viewers in 2007 across the six territories and broke all records, as RTÉ Television's audience figures for the championship reached the highest level ever.
RTÉ Two's coverage of Ireland's historic victory over England last year was the most-watched rugby match in Irish television history, with a record peak of over 1.2 million viewers tuning in.

The survey also collated television viewership figures for each of the six participating countries. Matches held in Dublin had an average of 11.9 million television viewers across the 6 Nations territories in 2007, and the tournament broke all records as RTÉ Television's audience figures for the championship reached the highest level ever. An average of 391,000 viewers tuned in for each match, an increase of over a third on the average viewership of 286,000 reached during the 2006 tournament.

That historic victory over England became the most-watched rugby match in Irish television history, with a record peak of over 1.2 million viewers tuning in. The game was also the most watched sports programme of the last ten years on RTÉ Television.

Pat McArdle, Group Chief Economist, Ulster Bank said the survey highlighted how Ireland's participation in the Six Nations led to expenditure and sustained both full-time and temporary employment. "It's easy to forget the economic side of such events when we get caught up in the moment but this survey shows how Ireland benefits from the money spent during matches by the general public and tourists. The timing of the Championship also means it brings visitors here during off-peak times, increasing hotel occupancy rates at a time when they might otherwise be lower."

McArdle added; "The RBS 6 Nations is more than just 15 games of rugby, it is a very real boost for the economies and local businesses of the host cities and nations, filling what is usually a quiet time in the tourist season. What has been most revealing though is the sheer scale of this boost. If you take into consideration the costs of preparing for the Olympics, it is equivalent to the anticipated economic benefit of the London Olympics, every three years."