Achi news desk-
Research group Substance’s report puts the overall economic benefit of community rugby in Scotland at £159.2m, a 771% return on investment. This included £13.5m in economic benefits, £41.2m in social benefits, and £103.3m in health and welfare benefits.
The value of volunteering efforts was second only to the value of well-being benefits estimated at £92m. Participation in rugby has been found to have a positive and measurable effect on reducing depression, anxiety and schizophrenia, while also reducing crime and improving educational performance.
The top line figure also includes £13.5m of economic benefits.
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Scottish Rugby vice-president Keith Wallace, who is also chairman of the group’s club rugby board, said the report was a “real game changer”.
“For the first time it provides solid evidence of what we all strongly believed: firstly, that our thousands of volunteers provide enormous value; and secondly that participation in club rugby brings benefits to players, clubs, communities and the Scottish economy,” he said. .
Participation by non-professional rugby players in Scotland returned more than £3,000 per player in the year to the end of March, a level similar to the value per player in Scottish football. There are an estimated 50,000 club rugby players in Scotland.
Participation also prompted ancillary spending by the club’s players, their families and friends, totaling almost £6m during the same period. Players spent £3.1m on clothing, £1.1m on food and drink, and £1m on travel and tournaments.
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Between the 155 member clubs in the survey and Scottish Rugby, annual expenditure on club rugby was £24.4m. Some of that investment went into facilities, and the use of 416 rugby pitches across Scotland achieved a gross added value (GVA) of £7.5m.
Clubs also raised £1.2m in charitable donations during the 12 months, boosting Scotland’s third sector.
