ARU looking to move Bledisloe Cup Matches abroad

[the sabanator]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=11626130

'London and even New York are being considered as venues for a Bledisloe Cup game in 2020.
The Australian Rugby Union is considering the move during the $780m renovation of Sydney's ANZ Stadium, according to the Daily Telegraph.'

Less than impressed with this idea. What is it with the ARU's thinking that it is the Sydney Wallabies? I'm sure Melbourne/Perth, heck even Canberra, would love a Bledisloe game and be a far better use of resources than New York. If the Kiwis want to play a game in NY, fine, but we need to be growing the game more in this country - not putting a marquee matchup of the year in a time zone that nobody will watch/care about...

 

[Braveheart81]

Maybe the thought is that investigating how much money it could generate overseas could drive a higher big from Melbourne or Brisbane to host it?

It's a tough one because generating an extra few million dollars from the fixture could enable a sizeable increase to grass roots funding that year.

This fixture is worth so much to the ARU and their financial position doesn't enable throwing away multiple millions of dollars to move it to a less than ideal venue.

Personally I'd be looking at a return to the MCG for one of the years where ANZ Stadium isn't available.

 

[lou75]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=11626130

'London and even New York are being considered as venues for a Bledisloe Cup game in 2020.
The Australian Rugby Union is considering the move during the $780m renovation of Sydney's ANZ Stadium, according to the Daily Telegraph.'

Less than impressed with this idea. What is it with the ARU's thinking that it is the Sydney Wallabies? I'm sure Melbourne/Perth, heck even Canberra, would love a Bledisloe game and be a far better use of resources than New York. If the Kiwis want to play a game in NY, fine, but we need to be growing the game more in this country - not putting a marquee matchup of the year in a time zone that nobody will watch/care about.

Talk about taking the game away from grass roots supporters

 

[Pfitzy]

"We need money more than we need fans. These overpriced offices and wine tabs don't just pay for themselves, you know!"

 

[Blue]

jaysefus this is the most fucking stupid thing I have read in a while.

move your most important product to another continent.

 

[wamberal]

"We need money more than we need fans. These overpriced offices and wine tabs don't just pay for themselves, you know!"

Actually we need both money and fans. A bit complicated, I know.


BTW, hope you had a look at Mark Ella's column in The Weekend Oz.

 

[cyclopath]

jaysefus this is the most fucking stupid thing I have read in a while.

move your most important product to another continent.

This.
I don't care if it makes more money.
I don't care if it's good business.
We haven't won the fucking thing for half a generation, and we talk about shifting a home game to the other side of the world??
Play the bloody thing at Suncorp, MCG, whatever.
Just bloody retarded.

 

[wamberal]

We did manage an away win in Hong Kong. Maybe we can do it again.

 

[Jagman]

In the years that the Olympic stadium is being renovated (2018-21) there is only one year where we host two bledisloes, 2020. I'm guessing the idea is only for one of those tests in that year. I also doubt that the ARU can afford to go 4 years without a bledisloes in Sydney which would require a game at the SFS, which would lose money in comparison and require something to compensate it financially. My guess is 2018 Brisbane, 2019 Melbourne, 2020 SFS and NY/London, 2021 Brisbane.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

According to Steve Tew, no one from ARU has asked for NZRU's view on this. I suspect they'll be needing some per$ua$ian

 

[TOCC]

A game at the SFS? What a waste..
Take it to the new Perth Stadium before the SFS.

Also this New York/London proposal is a slap in the face of fans, already rugby union is seen as elitist and inaccessible to the casual fan, take test to the other side of the world would only reaffirm that.

 

[Braveheart81]

According to Steve Tew, no one from ARU has asked for NZRU's view on this. I suspect they'll be needing some per$ua$ian

If the year they're thinking about it 2020, it's not surprising they haven't asked NZRU yet.

I think a reasonable part of putting the word out there about a possible overseas match is to bump up pressure from Victoria and Queensland to put in a bigger bid for the match.

The Bledisloe Cup is treated as a major event and there is generally taxpayer tourism department dollars available from the winning city.

Personally I think they should have one or two matches at the MCG during that period.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^^^^^ current Bledisloe Cup schedule ends in 2019 (as does World Rugby's International schedule) & Tew has said several times that NZRU won't commit to anything post-2019 until WR (World Rugby) addresses the International Windows issue aka the Global Season. So, yeah, ARU needs to start talking to NZRU (& others) about the Southern nations taking a unified stance to WR (World Rugby).

 

[boyo]

Why can't it be at the SCG?

 

[GTPIH]

Because the SCG is a crap place to watch rugby, as is the MCG, because you're too far from the field. The capacity of the SFS is only 2,500 <SCG, so may as well play it there.

 

[Braveheart81]

Because the SCG is a crap place to watch rugby, as is the MCG, because you're too far from the field. The capacity of the SFS is only 2,500 <SCG, so may as well play it there.

I thought the MCG was pretty good when I went to the Bledisloe there and I was in the nosebleeds (albeit it close to half way).

Docklands is also an oval and I went there for the Lions test. If I was having a Bledisloe in Melbourne I'd definitely choose the MCG over Docklands.

 

[Highlander35]

Key aspect to rectangular games on oval pitches is attendance.

If you are going to get 80k by playing at the MCG, rather than 50k at the SFS (I don't know capacities) go for it.

If you are going to get 32k at Etihad (see France 2014), you may as well play in the 29k AAMI.

 

[Braveheart81]

I'd be highly surprised if they couldn't get 80k+ to the MCG for a Bledisloe.

 

[wamberal]

I'd be highly surprised if they couldn't get 80k+ to the MCG for a Bledisloe.

If it was a decider it would sell out.