Must be joking: Leeds Rhinos' Headingley is cheapest, but shock survey says St Helens have better stadium

A study of 25 of the country’s biggest rugby venues ranked Headingley as the least expensive venue for fans and eighth-best overall, one place below Saints’ TW Stadium. Leeds and St Helens were the only dedicated rugby league grounds in the top 10.

The survey, by bookies Betway, priced the average total cost of attending a game at Headingley - not including tickets - as £79.26. It claimed nearby accommodation costs just £60.46 per night on average, while two one-way trips on public transport and a McMeal at McDonalds both set supporters back just £4.

However, the survey reckons, in terms of overall experience, Saints has the edge as the UK’s seventh-best place to watch a rugby match. That was based on Google review scores, capacity, the average cost of accommodation, walking distance from the nearest railway station, the price of two one-way trips on public transport, price of a McMeal or equivalent, number of food and drink locations in the city and number of instagram posts mentioning the stadium name. The Principality Stadium, in Cardiff, came out on top, with Edinburgh’s Murrayfield second and Coventry Building Society Arena in third place.

Top-10 cheapest rugby stadiums for fans in the UK: 1 AMT Headingley (£79.26); 2 Coventry Building Society Arena (£81.14); 3 Darlington Arena (£82.40); 4-joint Principality Stadium, Cardiff and Cardiff Arms Park (£85.85); 5 Meadow Lane, Nottingham (£87.41); 6 Ashton Gate, Bristol (£91.82); 7 Franklin’s Gardens, Northampton (£92.74); 8 Sixways, Worcester (£94.16); 9 Kingston Park, Newcastle (£105.63; 10 Ravenhill, Belfast (£108.49).

Top-10 best rugby stadiums for fans in the UK: 1 Principality Stadium, Cardiff, 2 Murrayfield, Edinburgh; 3 Coventry Building Society Arena; 4 Ashton Gate, Bristol; 5 Cardiff Arms Park; 6 Kingston Park, Newcastle; 7 TW Stadium, St Helens; 8 AMT Headingley; 9 Brentford Community Stadium; 10 Darlington Arena.