How many games?

[Rit Hinners]

I have been educationg a friend about rugby. Watching a 6th Nations match he asked me how many games a player played in a year. I don't really know so I thought I'd ask you guys.

Take a player that plays International level rugby, say he plays 50% of his nation's matches. He also plays for a club in the Guinness and Magner's cup tourneyments etc....

Assuming good health, how many games total in a year on average?

 

[SimonSmith]

That is really going to depend on the player and level and country.

England - ballpark one every weekend between end of August and April. Then throw in Internationals on tour...A number not unadjacent to 45 may not be unlikely

 

[Rit Hinners]

That's kinda what I figured.

I believe I "ballparked" it at 35-40.

 

[rocco]

ISTR that there is a limit on games a player plays a season, at least at the elite level. However, this is based on starts and is got round by coming off the bench. I believe UK players play more than Southern hemisphere by some margin. Certainly 38 games is not unusual.

PS The elite player game limit is 32.

 

[Rit Hinners]

OK, let's look at a team. How many games a year would say Munster or the London Irish play in a year?

 

[dave_clark]

taking London Irish...

22 regular season Premiership games, plus a potential 3 in the play offs
6 HC/Amlin games, plus possible 3 in knockout
4 LV Cup, plus possible two

40 club games maximum, unless I've missed any tournaments or lost the ability to count.

 

[SimonSmith]

Anglo Welsh cup? They in that?

 

[dave_clark]

yep - renamed to the LV this season.

 

[stuart3826]

Anglo Welsh cup? They in that?

Yup - they got beaten by Warriors in the final round before the Quarter finals

 

[TigerCraig]

An Australian top level club player in Sydney would play 22 regular season games, plus up to 3 finals. We don't have cups, only the league.

A Super 14 player would have 13 club games, with potentially 2 finals. The international players would then go off and do their thing there. The non-internationals will go back to club rugby.

The big gap between Super 14 and club rugby was the reason for the ill-fated national club competition a couple of years ago.