Rhino_rugby
Herbert Moran (7)
A solid long-term moveAnd Champion de Crespigny extends through 2028:
Champion de Crespigny re-commits to Force until end of 2028
westernforce.rugby
Western Force 2025
- Thread starter RugbyReg
- Start date
Dctarget
David Wilson (68)
Enjoyed the Force's dominant win very much but the next few games are the make or break part of the season. Away against the Reds then four games against Kiwi opposition. Including the Highlanders and 'Canes who are sitting behind them but both have a game in hand. Would absolutely love for the Force to get a win against 2/4 Kiwi teams, then finals is looking promising.
Strewthcobber
David Codey (61)
6,011 as per Austadiums
rugbyAU
Desmond Connor (43)
poor
Tazzmania
Jim Clark (26)
They were competing with the Fremantle Dockers first home game, as well as a sweltering 34c direct sun with absolutely no shade in almost all the stands. (Not sure who scheduled the games this year, as it appears the supportors well being at the ground was not taken into consideration whatsover)
In years gone by there also used be substantial Fijian supporter turnout which for both this match and the world series seven was tiny and almost non-existent.
Hope to see better numbers for the Kiwi matches and if the Force can continue developing and playing well that will help too.
Wilson
John Eales (66)
Not as bad when you look at it in comparison to the 2024 crowd against the Drua - 4,882. That's almost a 25% increase year on year. There's still a fair way to go obviously, but this would've been the Force's 3rd highest (reported) crowd last year, only 1-2k behind the Crusaders and Hurricanes crowds. The Reds game also saw a ~35% increase in crowd numbers (a few hundred shy of last years largest), so there are some generally positive signs in Perth.
I can't speak to the economics of hosting at HBF, but I wouldn't be surprised if they only need to get a bit past a ~10k baseline crowd (50% of capacity) for things to be looking pretty solid.
Yoda
Trevor Allan (34)
Waratahs had 20000 odd in a 42000 seat stadium in a big derby … in a city that embraces rugby more than Perth. Just to compare..
Wilson
John Eales (66)
I don't see much point in that comparison, it's different teams, playing different opposition, at different stadiums, speaking to different markets.
Any conclusions you can draw from that comparison are going to be much more about population dynamics in the 2 cities than they will be about the health of the game and what direction it's headed in for the two teams.
Crashy
Nicholas Shehadie (39)
to be fair, the Tahs should now be getting a lot more than that. They have been so dire more often than not ( Christ remember when Berrick Barnes kicked the thing away every single time he got the pill....) that they appear to have a lot of work to start drawing seriously big crowds...
Mr Pilfer
Alex Ross (28)
It was a joke really, they should be trying to avoid the AFL and they fixture the game at exactly the same time as the Dockers, but worse was 2pm on a Sunday in the Perth heat in a stadium with very little shade. Anyway, those who were there like me really enjoyed it, best win in years.
The_Brown_Hornet
John Eales (66)
I didn't expect any sort of decent crowd yesterday, it was bloody warm out there and no shade. It's even hotter today. Who schedules these sorts of fixtures in the afternoons in Feb/March in Perth?
Strewthcobber
David Codey (61)
Super Rugby draw comes out months before the AFL one. Not really sure how they can avoid games under those circumstances
Yoda
Trevor Allan (34)
Tv and RA dictate game times.
SteveWA
Charlie Fox (21)
The Sunday game may have been a consideration for our Fijian friends.
The Ghost of Raelene
Michael Lynagh (62)
Tahs always get the side swipe in these convos about crowds. Just worry about building crowds. Waratahs have more sport team competition than any other franchise in Aus if people want to play those games which in general I think are moot because people follow their sport with vary few going to multiple.
For a side coming off the spoon getting 20,572 48% capacity is a good result. Reds crowd for the derby v the Tahs was 20,072 38% which was heralded as the biggest since the SuperAU final...
A much more even comp should keep the numbers and grow them as the Aus sides are considered competitive. 2 wins by Aus sides in NZ already definitely helps people justify the spend to go to the footy.
For a side coming off the spoon getting 20,572 48% capacity is a good result. Reds crowd for the derby v the Tahs was 20,072 38% which was heralded as the biggest since the SuperAU final...
A much more even comp should keep the numbers and grow them as the Aus sides are considered competitive. 2 wins by Aus sides in NZ already definitely helps people justify the spend to go to the footy.
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