Premier Rugby first carried out fan research in the Autumn of 2002 and hopes the second set of research will track changes in the demographics and attitudes of the growing number of premiership supporters.

Simon Hoskins, senior marketing manager at Premier Rugby, explained why the research is so important.

He said: "Crowds across the Zurich Premiership continue to grow rapidly across the 12 clubs and we are keen to communicate regularly with our supporters to establish their views and opinions about various aspects of the club game. Last time the research gave us valuable information about who our supporters were, where they came from and what they thought about the service and facilities on offer.  We are hoping to be able to track any changes and find out more about the new fans who are enjoying premiership rugby around the country. The supporters are the most important stakeholder in our game and we value their feedback."

A random selection of 15,000 fans will receive questionnaires during the coming weeks and will be asked for their views on all aspects of their club as well as general questions relating to the health of the game. 

SportsWise is an independent sports research consultancy which conducts a wide range of research for sports governing bodies and professional clubs. 

Jon Downer, of Sportswise, said: "With a total of 15,000 questionnaires going out to supporters the Premier Rugby National Fan Survey is the largest supporter consultation in professional club rugby. The survey covers a wide range of topics from what fans think of the matchday experience and ticket price through to the role of rugby in the wider community. The findings provide clubs with valuable information to help build stronger and more valued relationships with their supporters."

The questionnaires will be completed over the next couple of months and the results will be announced in the New Year.