The Bay of Plenty Rugby Union says record numbers of people are playing rugby in the Bay of Plenty.

For 2016 Bay of Plenty Rugby Union had a total of 10,829 players, making the Bay of Plenty the fourth biggest provincial union in New Zealand in terms of participation and only 200 players behind Wellington as the third biggest.

Along with the strong result in player participation, Bay of Plenty recorded a 14 per cent growth in total volunteer coaches and a 13 per cent increase in volunteer referees. These outcomes continue the trend in the Bay of Plenty over the past five years where the numbers of volunteers involved as coaches and referees has increased.

Bay of Plenty Rugby Union CEO Mike Rogers says the numbers highlight how important rugby is to the Bay of Plenty community.

'The numbers are a result of the fantastic work our clubs and schools are doing in their communities by providing safe and enjoyable environments that are attracting more people to our game,” he says.

'Our game is now very much a 12 months of the year sport with new forms of the game such as sevens, rippa rugby and quick rip. Our projections over the next 5 years show player participation is going to continue to grow.

'This is a really positive sign, however it means we face a massive challenge in continuing to attract more volunteers, ensure our clubs and schools are well supported, work with Councils to provide enough fields, as well as grow our revenue so we can invest in our community game.”

BOP RUGBY PARTICIPATION SUMMARY:

• Seven per cent growth in total players in 2016
• 14 per cent growth in total volunteer coaches in 2016
• 13 per cent growth in total volunteer referees in 2016
• Third highest number of female participants in New Zealand, behind Canterbury and North Harbour
• Highest number of total Maori players in New Zealand
• Total player participation has increased by 14 per cent over the past five years
• Volunteer coaches grown by 31 per cent over the past five years
• Volunteer referees grown by 18 per cent over the past five years