THE 2012 Stobart Super League season has proved a big hit at the turnstiles with record crowds flocking to see the action during the regular season.

Saints' average of 14,212 was the third highest in the competition after Wigan and Leeds, but significantly higher than Warrington and Hull.

A total of 1.88 million fans witnessed the drama unfold during the 27-round campaign, a 6.7 per cent increase on 2011’s figure of 1.77 million and the highest aggregate attendance since Super League’s inception in 1996.

The weekly average across the competition rose once again, with an average of 9,950 fans attending every game.

League Leaders Wigan recorded the highest average club attendance for the third consecutive season with an average of 16,043 fans attending each game at the DW Stadium.

The aggregate attendance of 88,425 recorded during the Easter Weekend this season was the second highest total recorded during one round of competition in Super League history, just 931 behind the record set at 89,356 set in Round 22 of 2010.

“The crowds we have witnessed this season have reflected the growing appeal of Super League across the country and are testament to the extraordinary action we see on display in the Super League.” said Super League Chief Executive Nigel Wood.

“The competition has continued to grow in stature throughout 2012 and there can be little doubt that the continued increase in skill and athleticism across the league, combined with the introduction of two new state-of-the-art facilities at St Helens and Salford, have been instrumental in attracting more fans to the sport.”