Monday 18 July 2016 21:51, UK
Leeds Rhinos remain the best supported club in Super League despite enduring their worst season on the pitch for 20 years.
The 2015 champions are sure to finish in the bottom four but their crowds have held up, with an average of 15,828 putting them at the top of the pile for the fourth successive season.
The Rhinos' average attendance at the end of the regular 2016 season is just 85 down from last year's treble-winning campaign, a drop of less than one per cent.
Leeds chief executive Gary Hetherington said: "We are delighted to have maintained our fan base throughout what has been our most challenging season to date and I would like to thank and pay tribute to the fans themselves who have continued to support the team home and away this season.
"We have also attracted new fans, primarily through our engagement with community-based projects, and I would like to thank all our staff and our colleagues at Leeds Rhinos Foundation who have done a terrific job."
Their crowds are set to drop in 2017 because, subject to planning permission, the club are to demolish the South Stand in the close season and the stadium capacity will be cut to just over 13,000 during construction work.
While final figures are still to be established, Wigan lie second in the attendance table with an average of 12,894 with one home match remaining - against rivals St Helens, which should bring in a bumper crowd.
