According to Statista, the number of people participating in archery in England from 2016 to 2023 has grown steadily, except for disruptions due to Covid-19. Although this popular online survey does not fully capture the reality of archery in England currently, Archery GB’s Annual Report for years 2022-2023 corroborates this positive trajectory. The report details that “In recent years, membership numbers grew to a high of 45,000 members – the sport should be capable of even further growth.” Therefore, it is fair to conclude that engagement in archery is on an upward trend in England.
The inspiration to undertake this sport can be obtained due to it being broadcast during the Olympics, but others may also be incentivised by modern media or a fascination with history.
Leander Pittis’ insight, as founder of Experience Archery, will be woven throughout this article. Experience Archery, located in North London, offers archery lessons, courses, parties and corporate events – with further details available on their website.
Although there is not a plethora of available, quantitative data that explores the burgeoning popularity of archery in England, similar patterns of rising enthusiasm towards archery can be observed worldwide. As reported by Grand View Research, “The global archery equipment market size was estimated at USD 2.42 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 3.9% from 2024 to 2030.” Subsequently, this outlined increase in archery products purchased around the globe, signals this widespread inclination towards taking up archery as a sport, whether that be competitively or recreationally.
From the standpoint of his archery business, Mr. Pittis comments on this growth in demand for archery memberships and spaces. "Absolutely, there is a growing demand for people wanting to take up archery. Since starting out, we have grown from running courses and taster sessions once per week, to now offering them three or four times per week. We’ve also seen a higher number of people from our beginner courses wanting to continue and shoot regularly at the club. In fact, the demand has grown so much that we’ve recently added an extra session."
Moreover, the general public’s demand for the sport is also exemplified during the Olympic seasons, as was investigated by Lifestyle Daily in an article published in August of this year, that reads: ‘Paris Olympics causes a 260% spike in UK sports demand’. It examined a study conducted by Ticket-compare.com that analysed Google search engine trends, and it found that there was a 41.27% increase for the searched phrase, ‘archery clubs near me,’ in the United Kingdom. Millions of fascinated viewers, watching the televised streams of the Olympic games from home, have been unsurprisingly themselves been inspired to consider partaking in the sports they watch admirably performed on their screens. Understandably, the sports that spark the most curiosity are those that are typically less popular; that achieve less press coverage. Thereby, it is undeniable that interest in archery and the number of participants involved in the sport is rising.
The modern media landscape has positively helped shape archery as a sport, considering it has consistently been portrayed in multiple, blockbuster movies. A key example of the influence these movies have on archery’s popularity, is the movie franchise: ‘The Hunger Games’. It was initially released in movie theatres in 2012, but the franchise is currently, consistently growing with the latest addition of ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’ in 2023 and a future debut of ‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’ scheduled for 2026. A Wikipedia article on the matter reported on the original movie’s success upon release.” In its first weekend on sale, Lionsgate reported that 3.8 million DVD/Blu-ray Disc copies of the movie were sold…With 10,336,637 units sold by the end of the year, it became the top-selling video of 2012.” Accordingly, the success of this film saga has undoubtably reached millions of possible archers worldwide at the time of publication.
Multiple articles in 2012 and after, reported on what an interviewee in a New York Times article termed ‘The Hunger Games Phenomenon’ as they explore how the growing notoriety of the motion picture had ignited a greater interest in archery for viewers. This topic was discussed by names such as: The New York Times, The Guardian, Sports Illustrated, Team GB, The Independent, Smithsonian Magazine and beyond. An article titled ‘How Hunger Games Changed Archery Forever’ from the website ‘Hunter’s Friend’ selling arrows and archery accessories, denoted increased traffic to the business after the initial release of the first movie. “ Now we were no longer just selling one bow to some guy, but we were now selling a bow to him, his wife, and all his kids at the same time. Our little shop, along with many others across the world, took a serious increase in traffic and we all welcomed it with open arms.”
Likewise, Mr. Pittis introduced his similar experience conveying that, “To be honest, there is now a real mix of people taking up archery, much more diverse than in the past, and there has certainly been a significant increase in women taking up the sport."
Perhaps, the more significant inclusion of archery heroines in movies has inspired some young girls and women to take up the sport. The posited theory is substantiated by a NPR article headline investigating how, ‘More Girls Target Archery, Inspired By The Hunger Games’ and it only depicts the case study of a single girl who has grown in confidence due to her start in archery. However, based on previously mentioned, aggregated sources it would be fair to argue that this affect has been experienced by thousands of other girls worldwide.
But it was not just the protagonist of ‘The Hunger Games’ Katniss Everdeen with her iconic bow that contributed to this growth in archery participation. It is also due to the appearance of archery in other popular movies and franchises like ‘The Lord of the Rings’ or the children’s animation ‘Brave’, and countless others.
Mr. Pittis provided his own response as to what he believes the leading drive for the interest in archery is. "I think there are many things driving the growth of the sport, from the governing body, social media, better accessibility and more coaches. Not to mention, the boost we usually see in Olympic years or when a new Hollywood film features archery. But, despite all this, archery is something almost everyone wants to try at some point, it’s in our DNA, part of the roots of who we are in the UK, as well as many other countries. It’s a fundamental skill that can be enjoyed by anyone, from children to adults aged 9 to 90… maybe even beyond!”
Lastly, archery has a rich history that dates back to prehistoric times, with its invention having a lasting legacy that affects us to this day. As Mr. Pittis poignantly pointed out, nearly every region in the World has some historical connections to archery, with the depth and cultural significance of those varying across different traditions. So, to many, archery can not only be a sport that trains one’s precision and endurance, but also something that honours their roots.
The Founder of Experience Archery, in London, provided a concluding thought. “Archery can mean so many different things to different people. For some, it might be a weekly bit of fun and a chance to relax and socialise. Meanwhile, for others, it becomes a passion that can almost border on obsession. Whatever it is, there’s something truly special about archery!"
After exploring this growing sports trend, the fascinating development of the concept of ‘archery’, originating from a need for hunting and warfare applications, to the modern, competitive and mainly recreational use of today, definitely deserves appreciation. Hopefully, archery will continue to attract new participants, whether those be professional or causal, to continue to grow the community.
