LAST weekend saw a record number of fans turn out to watch Premiership rugby; and indications are that those figures are set to rise.

When Jonny Wilkinson landed that last-minute drop goal against Australia to clinch the World Cup in 2003, he kick-started a rugby revolution, which has seen fans flocking back in ever increasing numbers.

On weekend one of the new Guinness Premiership season, 104,415 fans turned out top cheer on their team, with 16,815 turning out at Welford Road on Sunday to watch Leicester Tigers beat Sale Sharks.

Sharks themselves are expecting another bumper season after lifting the Premiership title and qualifying for the Heineken Cup once again.

A full house at Edgeley Park is no longer the rarity it once was. If crowd numbers continue to rise, then the club will have to seriously consider developing the ground to accommodate fans.

As things stand, Sharks are still a relatively small club, but in terms of growth, they are doing well. It wasn't that long ago that 2,500 at Heywood Road was the norm, but in the World Cup year, Cheshire Sport took a gamble to move away from the club's traditional home and set up their stall in Stockport.

The club now sells twice that number in season tickets alone.

England's victory in 2003 breathed new life into the sport and the gamble paid off as the club was rewarded with three five-figure crowds in the first season at their new home.

International

The number of bumper crowds has increased since then: the Sharks fan base is on the up.

The club also has a string of crowd pleasers and international names.

Jason Robinson is still guaranteed to have the crowd on their feet when he gets going, and the roar when Sebastien Chabal gets his head down can be deafening.

Major international stars such as Charlie Hodgson, Mark Cueto and Jason White have also added to the Sharks' appeal, with fans able to watch the best in the country without taking a trip to Twickenham. Saturday's clash against Northampton will be a real test for the Sharks, who normally play on a Friday night - and the game is on television.

But the club are still hopeful of getting a good crowd, particularly after setting up a new `beer and food village' next door to the ground, where fans can congregate before kick off, in much the same way as fans gather in the car parks around Twickenham for the traditional pre-match festivities.

Sharks chief executive Niels de Vos said: "What really dictates whether we develop the ground is how often we have a sell-out crowd and have to turn fans away. Season ticket sales are up this season, and we would expect that to increase again by the end of this season.

"I think that over the next five years, rugby will increase in popularity in this region, where football has always been the No 1 sport.

"Watching first-class professional rugby is a lot better value for money than top-level football, and many fans are being priced out of soccer."

TICKETS are still available for Saturday's game, which kicks off at 2pm.

Supporters can book their places on line at http://www.salesharks.com or by phoning 0871 222 0120.

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