Rugby on a Budget: Leeds’ Headingley Stadium unveiled as cheapest for fans, costing less than £80 to attend a game

Principality Stadium in Cardiff is the best rugby stadium for fans in the UK, boasting a capacity of 74,500 and a Google review score of 4.7/5
Following in second is fellow Six Nations stadium Murrayfield, with fans only having to travel 0.1 miles from the nearest public transport station
Headingley Stadium in Leeds is the most affordable stadium, costing £79.26 on average to attend a game

With the Six Nations 2024 set to begin on the 2nd of February, rugby fever is once again about to grip the nation. But which rugby stadiums offer the best experience for passionate fans?

The team at Betway have analysed 30 stadiums in the UK ranking them on metrics including Google review scores, capacity, accessibility, and overall affordability to determine the best for fans overall.

Principality Stadium in Cardiff is the best UK rugby stadium for fans, boasting a capacity of 74,500 and a Google review score of 4.7/5

Principality Stadium ranks as the best stadium for rugby fans in the UK. It’s home to the Welsh Rugby Union and boasts a capacity of 74,500, making it the third-largest stadium in the Six Nations Championship.

It has the highest Google review score of all UK stadiums at 4.7/5, and has also racked up over 53,000 posts on Instagram. On top of that, the stadium is easily accessible at just 0.2 miles’ walk from the closest train station.

In second place is Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, which is home to the Scottish Rugby Union and will also be participating in the upcoming 2024 Six Nations. Its huge capacity of 67,800 creates a roaring atmosphere that’s hard to beat. It’s also the most convenient stadium for fans travelling via public transport, located just 0.1 miles away from the nearest station, as well as being one of the cheapest with a return trip averaging only £4.

Coventry Building Society Arena rounds off the top three. Its capacity of 32,609 makes for a lively atmosphere, and a trip here is pretty budget friendly, with Coventry boasting one of the cheapest accommodation costs in the country (£60.46) and also the lowest price for a meal at McDonalds (£6.00).

The top 10 best rugby stadiums for fans in the UK:

Rank	Stadium name	City	Google review score	Capacity	Avg. cost of accommodation	Walking distance from the train station (m)	Price of 2 one-way trips on public transport	Price of McMeal or equivalent	No. of food and drink locations in the city	No. of Instagram posts
1	Principality Stadium	Cardiff	4.7	74,500	£65.17	0.2	£4.40	£6.75	810	53,715
2	Murrayfield Stadium	Edinburgh	4.6	67,800	£101.29	0.1	£4.00	£7.00	1,200	8,237
3	Coventry Building Society Arena	Coventry	4.3	32,609	£60.46	0.1	£4.40	£6.00	623	1,444
4	Ashton Gate Stadium	Bristol	4.5	27,000	£73.02	0.8	£4.00	£6.67	1,100	5,170
5	BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park	Cardiff	4.5	12,500	£65.17	0.5	£4.40	£6.75	810	13
6	Kingston Park	Newcastle	4.5	10,200	£84.01	0.5	£4.60	£6.50	869	13,663
7	Totally Wicked Stadium	St Helens	4.5	18,000	n/a	0.7	£4.40	£6.00	325	577
8	Headingley Stadium	Leeds	4.6	20,500	£60.46	0.6	£4.00	£8.00	1,400	4,523
9	Brentford Community Stadium	London	4.6	17,250	£98.93	0.2	£5.80	£8.00	13,500	2,586
10	The Darlington Arena	Darlington	4.4	25,000	£63.60	1.3	£4.00	£7.00	56	5

Headingley Stadium in Leeds is the most affordable stadium, costing £79.26 on average to attend a game

Headingley Stadium in Leeds takes the top spot for value, with an average total cost of £79.26 for attending a game (not including ticket prices). Nearby accommodation costs just £60.46 per night on average, while two one-way trips on public transport and a McMeal at McDonalds both cost just £4.

Coventry Building Society Arena comes in second, with accommodation, public transport and food all adding up to a very reasonable £81.14. This is followed by The Darlington Arena at £82.40, and Cardiff’s Principality Stadium at £85.85.

The top 10 cheapest rugby stadiums for fans in the UK:

Rank	Stadium name	City	Average cost of accommodation for 1 night	Price of 2 one-way trips on public transport	Price of a McMeal or equivalent	Average total cost of attending a game
1	Headingley Stadium	Leeds	£60.46	£4.00	£4.00	£79.26
2	Coventry Building Society Arena	Coventry	£60.46	£4.40	£4.40	£81.14
3	The Darlington Arena	Darlington	£63.60	£4.00	£4.00	£82.40
=4	Principality Stadium	Cardiff	£65.17	£4.40	£4.40	£85.85
=4	BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park	Cardiff	£65.17	£4.40	£4.40	£85.85
5	Meadow Lane	Nottingham	£62.03	£5.40	£5.40	£87.41
6	Ashton Gate Stadium	Bristol	£73.02	£4.00	£4.00	£91.82
7	Franklin's Gardens	Northampton	£63.60	£6.20	£6.20	£92.74
8	Sixways	Worcester	£68.31	£5.50	£5.50	£94.16
9	Kingston Park	Newcastle	£84.01	£4.60	£4.60	£105.63
10	Ravenhill Stadium	Belfast	£84.80	£5.04	£5.04	£108.49

Cinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens named as one of the most affordable rugby stadium for fans