Pub finding app MatchPint, which was used by more than 1m people last year with more than 2,000 pubs listed on the app, has teamed up with Guinness – which recently extended its long-standing association with rugby union – to find out which home nation's fans are the most knowledgeable.
Call Yourself a Fan?, a rugby fan trivia competition jointly hosted by Guinness and MatchPint, enters its final stage this weekend with England fans trailing their opposite numbers from Wales, Ireland and Scotland respectively.
The competition involves English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish rugby fans participating in weekly quizzes during the Autumn Internationals. Each week, the scores are tallied in a league table, ranking each nation's fans by sporting knowledge.
The online quiz been run in conjunction with two-for-one drink deals at MatchPint pubs across Stonegate, Greene King and Mitchells & Butlers sites in the UK and against a backdrop of increased year-on-year beer sales during this year’s autumn fixtures. Pubs have also been given promotional videos by MatchPint to publicise both themselves and the competition.
After 500 fans participated in the first week, the Irish fans stormed into an early lead with 56% correct answers – leading the Welsh faithful on 52% with Scottish and English fans jointly contesting the wooden spoon with 47% average scores.
However, after the second week of competition, the Welsh fans have taken to the top of the table with their fans notching an average score of 52% correct answers. They’re followed by the Irish on 50%, Scottish supporters on 49% with English fans in last place with a 46% average score.
Overall winners are set to be announced during the week commencing 27 November after the final round of Autumn International fixtures have taken place this weekend, with Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland taking on Australia, Samoa, New Zealand and Argentina respectively on Saturday 25 November.
The opening weekend of the Autumn Internationals was the most searched-for sporting event on MatchPint since September, second only to Anthony Joshua’s bout with Carlos Takam.