Ideas & Debate

Interesting facts about diehard Kenyan rugby fans

rugby

Excited fans at a past rugby tournament in Nakuru. On average, each fan will spend about Sh2,612 on food and drinks, excluding gate and transport charges. FILE PHOTO | NMG

The annual Kenya rugby 15s circuit came to an end last month ushering in the National Sevens circuit, which kicked off with the Driftwood Sevens over the weekend in Mombasa.

Besides, the local rugby fans will also be following the 10-leg Rugby World Cup Sevens 2017/18 series, which is scheduled to start on December 1 in Dubai before cruising to other nine rugby capitals across the world until June next year.

Fans who attend rugby matches are unique compared to other lovers of sports. In Kenya, they attend matches in sporty attire, cheer their teams and dance during competitions and in after-match parties.

But do you know that local rugby fans have unique characteristics and behaviour that set them apart?

Trends and Insights For Africa (TIFA), a local company that conducts social, market and sports research, did a survey and discovered a number of truths about the local diehard rugby fans, which set them apart from other sports enthusiasts in the country.

The word ‘‘fan’’ originates from the Latin word “fanaticus”, meaning “insanely but divinely inspired”. This description is spot-on in describing the Kenyan rugby fan. While at the field, they mostly cheer their team, socialise, eat and drink, and few later partake in the after party dancing orgies.

The fans are vibrant and have high social media engagements. Evidently, the rugby crowd is extremely social and radiates high energy levels.
Our survey found that more than half take selfies and post them on social media, especially Instagram and Twitter.

Rugby fans also love to share their positive experiences at matches on social media, thereby becoming strong ambassadors for brands.

It is commonly held that “soccer is a gentleman’s game played by hooligans’’. On the other hand, “rugby is a hooligan’s game played by gentlemen.”

Our survey found that rugby fans are both gentlemen and hooligans. The fan’s passion also extends to football with 68 per cent indicating they follow the sport.

Another 16 per cent are basketball enthusiasts. Although they are passionate about rugby, very few of are members of rugby clubs. The number of female rugby fans is also on the rise. Indeed, today there are more women spotted in the stands during rugby matches than previously, which is an indication of their increased interest in the sport.

Our survey found that females make up 29 per cent of the fan base. This shows that rugby has started to appeal to a considerable number of women.

READ: Is your brand seen as male or female?

Secondly, rugby is becoming the sport of choice for millennial fans. In regard to their age cohorts, majority of rugby fans (78 per cent) are aged between 18 to 30 years.

This generation is active on social media and is always on the lookout for something new. They seem to have found this kind of engagement in rugby.

Kenyan rugby fans are highly educated since more than half have a minimum of an undergraduate degree, while a handful have primary level education. Most of them (74 per cent) have a source of income as they are employed or self-employed.

The unemployed account for only eight per cent. The more education a consumer has, the more discerning they are. Rugby fans are selective and such consumers possess an acquired taste habitually for premium products and services. This is evident from how they dress, their mobile handsets, and expenditure patterns.

On their spending habits, the fans have high expenditure patterns at rugby events. On average, each fan will spend about Sh2,612 on food and drinks (excluding gate and transport charges).

This high expenditure at matches is an indication of the fans’ ability to spend on entertainment and luxury goods.

The fans also are very loyal and follow the circuits and the Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) social media pages faithfully.

The study shows that 43 per cent attend more than five rugby events per season and they do not stop there. They attend events such as Safari Sevens (67 per cent), Kababeri Sevens (48 per cent) as well as Prinsloo Sevens, Driftwood Sevens and Dala Sevens.

Considering that fans follow the rugby games in various counties presents repeated exposure opportunities for brands sponsoring the circuit.