Report claims football is number one sport in Wales

Gareth BaleHuw Evans picture agency

Gareth Bale is top goalscorer of all-time for Wales' senior men's team with 38 goals

Football has overtaken rugby as the number one sport in Wales, according to a new study presented to the Football Association of Wales (FAW).

The independent research claims football is both the most popular and sees more participants across the country than any other team game.

Some 47% of respondents to a Wales-wide survey said they followed football, compared to rugby's 45%.

The report also suggests some 40% of children in Wales play football.

That figure is more than any other sport or form of exercise.

However, of that number, only 35% rated the quality of football facilities as good or above.

And Welsh football's elite domestic league - the Cymru Premier - also scored poorly with only half showing awareness of the competition.

Still, the findings will please the FAW who have been keen to bolster the game in Wales on the back of success at international level, with Rob Page's men side one game away from their first World Cup in 64 years.

The research, conducted in April of this year, was carried out by insights company Nielsen as part of a development programme by European football's governing body Uefa.

A thousand nationally representative respondents across age ranges from within Wales - including non-sports fans - formed the basis of the findings which have been welcomed by FAW chief executive Noel Mooney.

"On the whole this report is very positive and I'm incredibly pleased to see that the game which we are entrusted to run is now the number one interest sport in the country," Mooney said.

The report claims interest in football has increased since Wales' run to the semi-finals of the 2016 European Championships, up four points from 43% and in line with a benchmark across the continent.

It suggests rugby has also seen an increase but is now behind its rival sport - although the report finds it does have a more positive image.

In terms of participation among adults, exercising for fitness (24%) and swimming (19%) were more popular among respondents than football (17%) and rugby (6%).

However, of those participants, less than half of those who play football do so for a club, suggesting a trend in social and schools football.

In terms of specifically women's football, the report says interest in Wales is greater in rugby than football, although awareness of the women's national team - still in the hunt for their own World Cup qualification under Gemma Grainger - has almost doubled since 2016.

Several other topics are explored in the report, including one that sees the Welsh Rugby Union's image score more positively than the FAW.

"This independent report is testament to hard work of FAW employees, Area Associations, Leagues, Clubs and volunteers right across the country who raise awareness, interest and perceptions of our wonderful game," Mooney added.

"In conjunction with our strategic aims for Welsh football, this research provides us with insights on where we can continue to grow and what areas we need to focus on for improvement."

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