Sport

SE's most popular team & sports star revealed

SE's most popular team & sports star revealed

Conor McGregor has been voted the South East's most popular sports star, while Manchester United is most supported team in the region.

A survey carried out by Beat 102-103 late last year asked you to tell us which teams and players you care about the most, and the results make for interesting reading.

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There's no doubt that the Conor McGregor effect is in full flow as he was far and away the most popular sports star in our poll. Just over 1 in 10 people surveyed said The Notorious was their favourite - an incredibly high number considering well over 200 sports men and women had been put forward in the poll.

Former Irish rugby captain Paul O'Connell came 2nd, with Katie Taylor, Steven Gerrard and Brian O'Driscoll making up the rest of the top 5.

Henry Shefflin was the highest placed South East native coming in at number 6, with Tipp's Seamus Callanan and Carlow's Sean O'Brien also making the top 10.

The top 10 includes 3 rugby and 3 soccer players, 2 hurlers, 1 boxer and 1 MMA fighter.

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TOP 10 SPORTS STARS
1st: Conor McGregor - 10.4%
2nd: Paul O'Connell - 4.4%
3rd: Katie Taylor - 3.8%
4th: Steven Gerrard - 3.1%
5th: Brian O'Driscoll - 2.4%
6th: Henry Shefflin - 2.3%
7th: Roy Keane - 1.6%
8th: Seamus Callanan - 1.5%
9th: Wayne Rooney - 1.2%
10th: Sean O'Brien - 1.1%

Meanwhile Manchester United just edged out the Kilkenny hurlers as the most supported club or team in the South East, earning 8.8% of the vote.

Louis Van Gaal's side may be struggling on the field, but they can still count on huge numbers of supporters across the region.

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The Waterford hurlers come 3rd in the poll, ahead of Liverpool and the Tipperary hurlers.

Incredibly the Leinster and Munster rugby teams finished dead even on 4% each, however the Irish national team came in slightly ahead of both provinces in 6th place. The Wexford hurlers and Arsenal FC make up the rest of the top 10.

The survey confirmed many people's assumptions that soccer, hurling and rugby are far and away the most popular sports in the South East.

TOP 10 SPORTS TEAMS
1st: Manchester United FC - 8.8%
2nd: Kilkenny Hurling - 8.7%
3rd: Waterford Hurling - 7.7%
4th: Liverpool FC - 7.2%
5th: Tipperary Hurling - 6.2%
6th: Ireland Rugby - 4.8%
~7th: Leinster Rugby - 4.0%
~7th: Munster Rugby - 4.0%
9th: Wexford Hurling - 3.1%
10th: Arsenal FC - 2.2%

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