Scottish Rugby Crowds?

First topic message reminder :

Glasgow at the weekend had 3,348
For a big H-cup game this isn't great to say the least.

Scottish teams average Pro 12 attandance is 4127

I've said for a while that Scottish teams attendances should be higher, ok Rugby is a distant second to Football in Scotland (maybe even further than it is in England and GAA in Ireland, don't want to get in that discussion again).

In contrast Connacht had 8,000 at the weekend, and normaly get attendances similar to the Scottish teams in the Pro 12. For me the Scottish teams averaging less than Connacht shows up a big problem for Scottish Rugby.

Both teams are in big population area's, (bigger than most teams in Pro 12, and a lot in Prem), and its not like they are poor teams, (you can understand Zebre, Dragons and Connacht struggling to pull in supporters) but Glasgow are 5th and doing well in League, just droped out of playoff spot, and were in the play offs last year. Edinburgh are 7th and last years H-cup semi finalists. Connacht in contrast are 10th in a small city with a sparse population around it, and argueably rugby is as much a minority sport in Connacht as it is in Scotland (or not much difference).

To me Glasgow and Edinburgh have all the things you could want, local players, decent teams, big population areas, yet fail to bring in crowds of any note.
Why is it other teams can with less of these advantages? yet Scottish teams struggle?

With these crowds are the two teams viable? The SRU have upped funding, but is this based on a model that in a few years the two teams will be getting bigger gates and hence less dependant on SRU?
What can they do? what have they done? why has it failed?
Will it improve over next 2 years or so?

For me The two Scottish teams should be averaging at least 7000/8000 a game, the fact they are not shows that there are issues with the teams.

Imperialbigdave wrote:Can we turn this into a sticky? Its surely the most debated subject on 606.

+1

This and "Declan Kidney is the saviour of/worst thing to happen to Irish Rugby (delete as appropriate)"

also put a big disclaimer at the top for anyone not yet aware, saying:

"Alternative venues for Edinburgh Rugby have been debated for years. There are none. You dont have the magic solution. Stop telling us how simple it should be."

MacKnocked-on wrote:It been said many times but Murrayfield just isn't ideal for Edinburgh games, no atmosphere and a bit too far out of town. The proposed development at Raeburn Place (I know there are lots of objections) is the sort of venue that would make for a much better match experience; good Stockbridge pubs and walking distance from the centre of town. That empty hotel/pub beside the ground could be an official Edinburgh venue/shop if things improved attendance wise.
It really shouldn't be that difficult to build a rugby support in Edinburgh surely?

As a Stockbridge resident I can assure you that Raeburn Place would never work. The residents in Stockbridge will oppose anything and everything that isn't entirely in keeping!

Still - it would be even closer to my flat than Murrayfield, so I can live with that suggestion.

Meadowbank on the other hand is a toilet. A big NO to that!

RP just got planning permission for a major makeover (including retail outlets) tho?

Feicin Stockbridge

I've lost count of the number of times I've said that this topic has been done to death on this forum - you're right in that a sticky would do the job!

Well if yous would come up with an answer that worked we could stop debating it?!?! Just saying ...

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:RP just got planning permission for a major makeover (including retail outlets) tho?

Well it was originally going to be flats, and they vetoed those in favour of maintaining a derelict pub (which apparently used to be awesome). Didn't know the planning permission had finally been granted.

The solution is easy - stay at Murrayfield until we have enough money to build a bespoke complex, and in the meantime get over it!

Imperialbigdave wrote:also put a big disclaimer at the top for anyone not yet aware, saying:

"Alternative venues for Edinburgh Rugby have been debated for years. There are none. You dont have the magic solution. Stop telling us how simple it should be."

Sooo.....

Basically....

You don't want ideas or solutions, just the opportunity for a wee moan?



Fair enough!

Ulster in crisis?

Always Asbo!

Always.

Disappointed if yous weren't - coming over to v3 soon?

V soon!

I would suggest it as a fantastic new venue for Edinburgh but....

Just checked that this years average attendance is up 300 per game on last year, comparing the first 7 games of the season ( 5 Pro 12 & 2 HC).

Still nothing to shout about, but considering the cost of games have gone up, the crowds have been OK (relatively speaking).

That's quite depressing DM - I thought crowds haven't been great this year but obviously it is pretty much the norm. Edinburgh's season average last year was helped by the London Irish game (12k) and obviously the Toulouse game (38k) but I suspect the other crowds were pretty similar to what we're getting this year.

Can't see much changing on Friday night against RM - wet, cold night with nothing to play for.