Rugby World Cup Insights
Japan 2019
| November 2019
| November 2019
Methodology of Data Collection
Total device IDs - 0
Matches - Data Collected From 12 stadiums and 16 Fanzones across Japan*
*Data collected at stadiums during the matches and at fanzones when they were open to
the public.
| Stadium | City | Prefecture | Fanzone 1 | Fanzone 2 | Fanzone 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium | Kamaishi | Iwate | Kamaishi Civic Hall | - | - |
| Fukuoka Hakatanomori | Fukuoka | Fukuoka | JR Hakata Station Square | - | - |
| Hanazono Rugby Stadium | Higashi-Osaka | Osaka | Tenshiba, Tennoji Park | Hanazono Chuo Kouen Baseball Stadium | - |
| Kumagaya Rugby Stadium | Kamaishi | Saitama | Community Space | - | - |
| Kobe Misaki Stadium | Kobe | Hyogo | Meriken Park | - | - |
| Kumamoto Stadium | Kumamoto | Kumamoto | Hanabata Square & Symbol Promenade | - | - |
| Oita Stadium | Oita | Oita | Oita Ikoi no Michi Square | - | - |
| Sapporo Dome | Sapporo | Hokkaido | Sapporo Odori Park | Sapporo Station South Plaza | - |
| City of Toyota Stadium | Toyota | Aichi | Sky Hall Toyota | - | - |
| Tokyo Stadium | Tokyo | Tokyo | Tokyo Sports Square | Chofu Station Square | Chofu City Green Hall |
| Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa | Shizuoka | Shizuoka | Sumpu Castle Park | Soramo | Entetsu Hall |
| Yokohama International Stadium | Yokohama | Kanagawa | Rinko Park | - | - |
Methodology of Data Collection
Total device IDs - 0
Matches - Data Collected From 12 stadiums and 16 Fanzones across Japan*
*Data collected at stadiums during the matches and at fanzones when they were open to
the public.
Tournament Dates: 20th September (Fri) - 2nd November (Sat), 2019
Teams: 20 participating teams
Format: Total of 48 matches*
Pool stages: 4 pools of 5 teams, 40 pool matches in total.
Finals: Quarter-finals, Semi-finals, Bronze-final, Finals
Teams: 20 participating teams
Format: Total of 48 matches*
Pool stages: 4 pools of 5 teams, 40 pool matches in total.
Finals: Quarter-finals, Semi-finals, Bronze-final, Finals
* 2 matches cancelled due to typhoon
Match Venues: 12 venues across the whole of Japan
Opening Match: 20th September (Fri), 2019 Tokyo Stadium
Format: Total of 48 matches*
Finals: 2nd November (Sat), 2019 Yokohama Stadium, Kanagawa
Opening Match: 20th September (Fri), 2019 Tokyo Stadium
Format: Total of 48 matches*
Finals: 2nd November (Sat), 2019 Yokohama Stadium, Kanagawa
Demographics of RWC Fans
Demography
Age Groups of Rugby Fans at RWC 2019
| 18-25 | 26-35 | 36-45 | 45+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22% |
26% |
26% |
26% |
Profile of Tourists at RWC
Gender
Male 53%,
Female 47%
55% of tourists were over the age of 36
The Asian rugby playing nations of China- Hong Kong, Singapore and surprisingly, mainland China (all who did not have teams in the tournament) were also a part of Top 8.
The top 8 countries where overseas fans came from included Tier 1 Rugby playing nations England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand were all represented in top 8. USA, though an emerging Rugby nation, also made it to the Top 8.
Rugby fans from Norway, Philippines, Portugal, Belgium, South Korea, UAE, South Africa, Russia, Vietnam, India, China- Taiwan and Brazil made it to the top 20 countries.
Age Groups of RWC Tourists
| 18-25 | 26-35 | 36-45 | 45+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23% | 22% | 28% | 27% |
| Rank | Country of Origin | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | |
| 2 | UK | |
| 3 | New Zealand | |
| 4 | China- HKG | |
| 5 | Singapore | |
| 6 | USA | |
| 7 | China | |
| 8 | Ireland | |
Airports Preferred by the RWC Tourists
| UK, Australia, Singapore | New Zealand | USA, Philippines | China | Thailand | Netherlands | Vietnam | Malaysia, HK | India |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo Narita | Tokyo Narita | Tokyo Narita | Osaka Kansai | Tokyo Narita | Tokyo Narita | Tokyo Narita | Tokyo Narita | Tokyo Narita |
| Tokyo Haneda | Tokyo Haneda | Tokyo Haneda | Tokyo Haneda | Osaka Kansai | Osaka Kansai | Osaka Kansai | Osaka Kansai | Fukuoka |
| Osaka Kansai | Osaka Kansai | Osaka Kansai | Tokyo Narita | Tokyo Haneda | Tokyo Haneda | Nagoya | Tokyo Haneda | Tokyo Haneda |
| Sapporo | Nagoya | Nagoya | Nagoya | Nagoya | Nagoya | Tokyo Haneda | Fukuoka | Osaka Kansai |
| Fukuoka Airport | Sapporo | Fukuoka | Fukuoka | Sapporo | Fukuoka | Fukuoka | Sapporo | Sapporo |
Tokyo Narita was the most popular international airport for RWC Tourists except for fans from China who chose Osaka Airport.
- Tokyo Haneda and Osaka Airport were the second most popular airports for RWC tourists except for fans from India who chose Fukuoka Airport
- RWC Tourists also seen at international airports in Sapporo and Nagoya
RWC Tourists visiting Hot Springs (Onsens)
Due to various stadiums/host cities being located near natural hot spring areas, it was expected that RWC tourists would visit these areas. Oita prefecture containing Beppu and Yufuin areas saw the majority of RWC tourists.
Majority of the RWC Tourists at Onsens (85%) were from Australia, UK and New Zealand. These were followed by rugby fans from Singapore, UAE and Hong Kong.
* Five popular hot spring areas around Japan were geofenced during the tournament to see which RWC fans went to visit these hot springs.
| Hotspring | % of total RWC onsen visitors |
|---|---|
| Beppu, Oita | |
| Yufuin, Oita | |
| Atami, Shizuoka | |
| Hakone, Kanagawa | |
| Arima, Kobe |
| Top 6 Rank | RWC Tourists who visited Onsens - Country of Origin |
|---|---|
| Australia | |
| UK | |
| New Zealand | |
| Singapore | |
| UAE | |
| China - Hong Kong |
Profile of Local Fans at RWC
Gender:
Male 55%, Female 45%,
with 51% over the age of 36
Male 55%, Female 45%,
with 51% over the age of 36
95% of local fans came from the top 20 (of 47) prefectures in Japan. 61% of the local fans came from the top 5 prefectures of Tokyo, Osaka, Kanagawa, Hyogo and Hokkaido, with 36% of fans coming from Tokyo and Osaka.
Age Groups of Local Fans
| 18-25 | 26-35 | 36-45 | 45+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22% | 27% | 25% | 26% |
Brand Preferences of Local Fans at RWC
 Automotive |
 Cafes |
 Supermarket |
 Local Sports Brand |
|---|---|---|---|
1. Toyota 2. Volvo |
1. Starbucks 2. Tully’s |
1. Tokyu 2. AEON |
1. Mizuno 2. Asics |
 Foreign Sports Brand |
 Department Store |
 Banking |
|---|---|---|
1. Adidas 2. Canterbury |
1. Takashimaya 2. Tokyu |
1. MUFG Bank 2. MIZUHO Bank |
Comparing Local & Tourist
Rugby Fans at RWC 2019
Comparing Audiences – Demographics
Gender Ratio similar across all views.
Higher ratio of female fans seen at RWC 2019 when compared to the global average of 2018 World Rugby
Higher ratio of female fans seen at RWC 2019 when compared to the global average of 2018 World Rugby
| 2018 World Rugby/Nielson Sports Global Research |
Global Average |
|---|---|
| Male % | |
| Female % |
Comparing Audiences – Demographics
Age Group Ratios similar across all views. Over 50% of Rugby Fans at RWC 2019 were above 36 years.
2018 World Rugby/Nielson Sports
Global Research
The global average age of a
Rugby Fan is 36 years
Global Research
The global average age of a
Rugby Fan is 36 years
Comparing Audiences:
Locals vs Tourists viewed by Stadiums, Fanzones, Selected Teams
In general, RWC Tourists did not visit fanzones with the exception of Sapporo Station South Plaza Fanzone where tourists made up 12% of the attendees.
Games played at Hanzono stadium and Kumagaya stadium had proportionally more locals than tourists (compared to the average for the tournament)
| Stadiums | Locals | Tourists |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Stadiums | ||
| Tokyo Stadium | ||
| Kobe Stadium | ||
| Hanazono Stadium | ||
| Kumagaya Stadium | ||
| Fanzones | Locals | Tourists |
| Overall Fanzones | ||
| Sapporo Station South Plaza | ||
| Japan | ||
| New Zealand | ||
| England | ||
| USA | ||
| Australia | ||
The audience at stadiums and fanzones were mostly separate with only 1.24% of the audience seen at both fanzones and stadiums.
The games played by the national teams of Japan, NZ and England games saw higher than average number of RWC tourists, while USA and Australia team games saw proportionally higher than average number of local fans.
Comparing Audiences – Hotel Preferences
Japanese chain hotels - APA, LiveMax, Sunroute and Super Hotels did well to attract both locals and
RWC tourists
Top Hotel Chains where 32% of RWC Tourists stayed
| APA Hotel Group | |
|---|---|
| LiveMax Hotels and Resorts | |
| Sunroute Hotel Chain | |
| Super Hotel Chain | |
| Tokyu Hotels | |
| Daiwa Roynet Hotels |
Top Hotel Chains where 23% of local fans stayed
| APA Hotel Group | |
|---|---|
| LiveMax Hotels and Resorts | |
| Sunroute Hotel Chain | |
| Super Hotel Chain | |
| Tokyu Hotels | |
| Daiwa Roynet Hotels |
Comparing Audiences – Tokyo Sports Bars
Bars located in Shibuya and Shinjuku especially the 82 Ale House, Hub and Hobgoblin chains did well in
attracting both local and tourists.
Top Sports Bars in Tokyo preferred by RWC Tourists
- Lads Garage Shinjuku
- 82 Ale House Akiba Tolim
- Dining & Bar Estadio Shibuya
- Hub Shibuya
- The Dubliners Cafe and Pub Shibuya
- Hobgoblin Shibuya
- FootNik Ebisu
- 82 Ale House Shinjuku Sanchome
Top Sports Bars in Tokyo preferred by Local Rugby Fans
- Hobgoblin Shibuya
- The Dubliners Cafe and Pub Shibuya
- Lads Garage Shinjuku
- 82 Ale House Shingawa
- 82 Ale House Akiba Tolim
- FootNik Ebisu
- 82 Ale House Shinjuku Sanchome
- The Aldgate Shibuya
*Within Central Tokyo, 40 selected sports bars were monitored on RWC match days.
RWC Japan - Data Comparison to other APAC Rugby Tournaments
| Tournament Name |
Hong Kong Sevens 2018 |
Singapore Sevens 2018 |
Commonwealth Games Rugby Sevens 2018 Australia |
Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 San Francisco |
Rugby World Cup 2019 Japan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City | Hong Kong | Singapore | Gold Coast | San Francisco | Across Japan |
| Country | China | Singapore | Australia | USA | Japan |
| Stadium Name | HK Stadium | National Stadium | Robina Stadium | AT&T Park | 12 Stadiums |
| Event Date | 6-8 April 2018 | 28-29 April 2018 | 13-15 April 2018 | 20-22 July 2018 | 20 Sep – 2 Nov 2019 |
| Tournament Days/Time | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | Over 43 days |
| Period of Data Research | 14 days | 14 days | 14 days | 14 days | 10 Sep – 12 Nov 2019 |
| Reported attendance | 120,000 over 3 days | 52,000 over 2 days | 27500 (Day 3 only) | 100,000 over 3 days | 1,800,000 over 43 days |
| Unique IDs Collected during | 13,031 | 13,577 | 7434 | 7048 | 137,210 |
| As a % of reported attendance | 10.9 | 26.1 | 27.4 | 7.0 | 7.6 |
| Local IDs collected (%) | 9513 (73%) | 9097 (67%) | 5130( 69%) | 3631 (51.5%) | 108,555 (68%) |
| Tourist IDs collected (%) | 3520 (27%) | 4480 (33%) | 2304 (31%) | 3417 (48.5%) | 28,655 (32%) |
APAC Rugby Data is available from the report "Keeping up with the rugby fans: Data-led insights on rugby fans in APAC – 2018 games"
RWC Japan - Data Comparison to other APAC Rugby Tournaments:
Home Locations of Tourists
| Top 8 Tourist countries (% of tourists seen at tournament) |
Hong Kong Sevens 2018 |
Singapore Sevens 2018 |
Commonwealth Games Rugby Sevens 2018 Australia |
Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 San Francisco |
Rugby World Cup 2019 Japan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country 1 | Japan (13.7%) | Indonesia (15.5%) | New Zealand (19%) | New Zealand (26%) | Australia (33%) |
| Country 2 | Thailand (11.2%) | Malaysia (15.5%) | USA (18%) | Australia (15%) | UK (28%) |
| Country 3 | Singapore (9.6%) | Philippines (11.2%) | UK (12%) | UK (11%) | New Zealand (7.3%) |
| Country 4 | Philippines (9.2%) | India (9%) | Japan (8%) | Indonesia (8%) | Hong Kong (5.6%) |
| Country 5 | Australia (8.8%) | Australia (7.6%) | Malaysia (6%) | Japan (7%) | Singapore (4%) |
| Country 6 | USA (8.8%) | Vietnam (7.6%) | India (5%) | India (5%) | USA (4%) |
| Country 7 | UK (7.2%) | Thailand (6.3%) | China (4%) | Philippines (5%) | China (4%) |
| Country 8 | Indonesia (5.8%) | USA (5.2%) | South Korea (4%) | Singapore (4%) | Ireland (1.1%) |
APAC Rugby Data is available from the report "Keeping up with the rugby fans: Data-led insights on rugby fans in APAC – 2018 games"
RWC Japan - Data Comparison to other APAC Rugby Tournaments:
Gender
| Gender Breakdown |
Hong Kong Sevens 2018 |
Singapore Sevens 2018 |
Commonwealth Games Rugby Sevens 2018 Australia |
Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 San Francisco |
Rugby World Cup 2019 Japan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Male % | 56% | 55% | 56% | 59% | 54% |
| Overall Female % | 44% | 45% | 44% | 41% | 46% |
| Local Residents | |||||
| Male % | 56% | 54% | 53% | 53% | 55% |
| Female % | 44% | 46% | 47% | 47% | 45% |
| Tourists | |||||
| Male % | 56% | 56% | 58% | 65% | 53% |
| Female % | 44% | 44% | 42% | 35% | 47% |
APAC Rugby Data is available from the report "Keeping up with the rugby fans: Data-led insights on rugby fans in APAC – 2018 games"
RWC Japan - Data Comparison to other APAC Rugby Tournaments:
Devise OS
| Audience Device Type Breakdown |
Hong Kong Sevens 2018 |
Singapore Sevens 2018 |
Commonwealth Games Rugby Sevens 2018 Australia |
Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 San Francisco |
Rugby World Cup 2019 Japan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local Residents | |||||
| Android (%) | 72% | 69% | 53% | 44% | 38% |
| iOS (%) | 28% | 31% | 47% | 56% | 62% |
| Tourists | |||||
| Android (%) | 69% | 62% | 62% | 63% | 65% |
| iOS (%) | 31% | 38% | 38% | 37% | 35% |
APAC Rugby Data is available from the report "Keeping up with the rugby fans: Data-led insights on rugby fans in APAC – 2018 games"
| MARCH 2020
About Near
Near is the world's largest source of intelligence on people and places, processing data from over 1.6 billion monthly users across 44 countries. The Near Platform powers data-driven marketing and enrichment offerings through a suite of SaaS products. The users of the platform can leverage audience, spatial, retail, among other data in a privacy-led environment.
Founded in 2012, Near is headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in Silicon Valley, Paris, Bangalore, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo. Today, marquee brands such as News Corp, MetLife and The We Company work with Near to provide enhanced customer experiences.
Near is backed by leading investors including Sequoia Capital, JP Morgan Private Equity Group, Cisco Investments and Telstra Ventures.
Visit www.near.com to find out more.