Rugby crowds

Just saw this on the planet rugby website
"With nearly 30,000 tickets already sold for Saturday's clash (just 4,500 shy of a full house), All Blacks supporters must clearly be expecting an improved South African performance. "
http://www.planetrugby.co.uk/story/0,25883,16024_7063407,00.html

Okay, I know that a lots been made about empty seats during the Super 15 matches in NZ, but I expected that the Tri Nations would be sold out?
I mean trying to fill a 34,500 stadium in Wellington shouldn't be that hard should it?

That does surprise me. I thought the visit of the Springboks was as big as it gets for New Zealanders.

Surely Australia are a bigger draw, probably England as well.

I'd imagine many are gearing up ahead of the RWC whilst at the same time there will be a hangover from the recession. A Saffa B Team that got hammered by the Aussies won't be that big a draw. People are probabley only turning up because it's a chance for NZ to beat their best ever score on the Saffa's.

With the RWC coming up is it a case of having to decide where to spend what free cash you have?

I was surprised they got 52,000 to Sydney last weekend given it was a Bok 'B' side and the wallabies were borderline woeful V Samoa.

The crowd's in NZ haven't been great all super 15 season but I think that's been most attributed to everyone saving their coin for the WC.

luckless_pedestrian wrote:That does surprise me. I thought the visit of the Springboks was as big as it gets for New Zealanders.

It's not really the Springboks though is it. It's a PDiv select 15. The real Boks are at a secret training camp back home in SA. Maybe a lot of people wanna save their dollars for the WC?

Yeah, I hadn't considered the strength of the side that the 'Boks are sending over.

You know that is something that I have never understood, I don't go to a test match just because it is the All Blacks.

I will go to any test match, whether it is the 10th ranked team or the 1st ranked team.

I'm the same Biltong. I just end up going to a lot of the lesser lights because I can never get my hands on ABs tickets.

We have to cut NZ fans some slack; there will be plenty of fans who have bought World Cup tickets.

I have had the best time with a couple from Wales in the nineties.

We put a decent score against them and eventually they scored a try, the couple was very complimentary about the springboks and very happy when their team at last scored a try. Had a nice banter going with them.

biltongbek wrote:I have had the best time with a couple from Wales in the nineties.

We put a decent score against them and eventually they scored a try, the couple was very complimentary about the springboks and very happy when their team at last scored a try. Had a nice banter going with them.

If Wales won that day would you have liked the couple as much?

I do think that NZ do have some disadvantages which other peopple don't give them credit for when it comes to rugby crowds....

Firstly they have to play their matches at 8pm rather than the standard 3pm in Europe & SA... this pretty much rules out people with families. This is all due to TV money no doubt and the large SA & European rugby markets.

Secondly population... NZ is a very sparsely populated country. Ok it has a population larger than Wales and matching Ireland.... but that is spread over a vast area.
This saturdays match is being played in Wellington... the Wellington region only has a population of 500K yet covers an area about half the size of Wales.

When you think Wales has about 2MM people in South Wales, London & Paris have 8MM each when NZ manage to put 30-40,000 in a stadium each international its not all that bad.

biltongbek wrote:You know that is something that I have never understood, I don't go to a test match just because it is the All Blacks.

I will go to any test match, whether it is the 10th ranked team or the 1st ranked team.

Let's be fair, the SA side on Saturday probably should be ranked 10th in the world. I agree though, if you're an ABs fan in Wellington surely you'd go to any game.

Honestly, given what the weather's been like over the past few weeks in NZ (it was snowing in the Hutt Valley on Saturday and roads and airports all over the South were shut Sunday) I'm really not surprised that people are waiting until the last minute before parting with hard earned $. Especially in Wellington where the weather can be somewhat unpredictable.

luckless_pedestrian wrote:That does surprise me. I thought the visit of the Springboks was as big as it gets for New Zealanders.

It does...but this aint the Springboks...

World Cup is a huge impact, talking to my old man who is in Wellington, has tickets for every game at the world cup in wellington, no matter who is playing. Is not sure if he will go to the Cake tin this week though.

I can't say I am surprised about the ticket sales. Wellington is a very strange and almost non-descript place for a capital city, it was absolutely baltic when we were there in the height of summer and there will be a shed load of games for home fans to go to in the WC.
KIWI Out of interest (plus I can't be bothered looking it up on internet), is this the 2nd biggest stadium behind Eden Park? I went to a few when Mrs Injured and I were out there for a few months and was surprised about how small the sadium in Hamilton was. I was also a wee bit surprised/unnerved by the boy with a chain saw in the cherry picker behind one of the goals.
Would NZ not be better to do what Scotland do and cut the prices and move a less attractive game to a smaller stadium where the atmosphere will be better?[/b][b]KIWI

New Stadiums, Christchurch would have been biggest....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Rugby_World_Cup#Venues

I think there are a number of factors. I'm living in Wellington at the moment.

1: I think the game probably will be sold out. only 4,500 tickets left.

2: Traditionally, in NZ you can walk up to a match and get in, even a test match. It did my missus head in for several years. I'd never bother to pre book. It was only when she realised it wasn't a problem and found out many other people did the same did she start to relax.

3: The timing of the matches makes it difficult. The matches start at 8pm and finish close to 10pm, by the time you've walked for 20-30 minutes back to your car. I've got kids and it makes it hard. I'm guessing that younger people are out the pubs and bars, and the elderly are wrapped up warm in bed.

4. to my mind NZ rugby matches lack an entertaining atmosphere. This was fine when we only went to a few provincial games and maybe a test. It's not as entertaining with small crowds. After my last visit I'm even wondering whether I'll go to a super rugby game with the kids next year (I'm guessing I will).

5. The cost of the games are expensive. There are cheap tickets but they go quickly. It cost me $150 to take the boys to one super 15 game. Add to that the cost of the world cup tickets this year. You have to pick and choose. I'm going to a bunch of games including the final, but the bank balance has taken a big hit.

Blimey O'Reilly, BC - have the prices for S15 rocketed? When Mrs Injured and I weet to a few matches matches, we were surprised how cheap it was althought the exchange rate was massively in our favour a few years ago.

Exchange rate has dipped alarmingly Injured, checking today's exch rate tells me it is at $1.87:£1. To put that into perspective, when I came to the UK in 2002 it was $3.32:£1 (god bless oanda.com).

Looks like a few British tourist are going to be absolutely stung to the Poopie house and back. Glad I didn't make the effort to be fair! Having said that if I didn't have a wife and kids I'd have probably gone back already.

Anyway, I'm off topic. NZers tend to believe in the system of the walkup crowd. If there are only 4,500 seats left then it will sell out come Saturday. If there were 10,000 left it would still probably go. Not bad considering the team SA have deemed appropriate to grace us with.....but that's another story for another day!

Population spread and economics all play their part. Simply put, there is too much rugby being offered as a paid product for people to stump up for. I'd gladly forgo the Super XV if it meant the NPC was brought back into the limelight....