Bledisloe Cup 2019 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground?

[Marcelo]

Melbourne Bledisloe Cup: Victoria uses State of Origin success to launch 2019 rugby union bid

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2015-...-cup-victoria-state-of-origin-success/6555012

Victoria is using Wednesday night's rugby league State of Origin success to try to move in on rugby union territory, announcing a bid for the Bledisloe Cup.

The Melbourne Cricket Ground set an attendance record, attracting a crowd of more than 91,000 to watch New South Wales defeat Queensland 26-18 in Game II of the series.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said it cemented Melbourne's reputation as Australia's sporting capital. Mr Andrews told Channel Nine the success would be used as ammunition to try to lure rugby union's flagship event, the Bledisloe Cup, to Melbourne in 2019. The annual showdown between Australia and New Zealand is usually played in Sydney, Brisbane, Auckland or Wellington.

"We're going to be coming after it in earnest," he said. "Last night showed every fan of every sport really that we can fill stadiums here in Melbourne. "We know and understand just how important major events are. I'm really proud that Mike Baird had to come all the way to Melbourne to see a record State of Origin crowd."

Police praised the behaviour of the record crowd at the MCG, despite public disappointment over a number of fans who booed during a moment's silence to honour Ron Clarke, who died on Wednesday. Only four people were arrested for drunkenness and one for pitch invasion.

The announcement came the day after Mr Andrews launched an "aggressive" campaign to attract major sport and cultural events to the state.

"If you stand still you get passed by and there's a few states that have benefited from the fact that Victoria's been a bit sleepy in the last three or four years," he said. "Well, that all changes now and I think last night just showed that we've got the experience and we've got the ability. "The Victorian people love sport and they'll come out in really strong numbers to support major events."

 

[Tex]

We filled the MCG for the Bledisloe in the past. Give it as much oxygen as origin and it'll fill again.

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[matty_k]

In a World Cup Year? Guaranteed to be only one Bledisloe match that year. I'd pick one that will have two played in Australia.

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[Marcelo]

The last Bledisloe in MCG was in 2007, the Wallabies won 20-15. The attedance was 79k

http://en.espn.co.uk/scrum/rugby/match/25474.html

 

[p.Tah]

Why? Awesome for cricket and AFL. Crap for RL, rugby and soccer.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Why? .

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[TOCC]

If the Victorian Government wants it then that usually means they are willing to throw some marketing dollars behind it as well... The return is generated through the exposure offered and secondly for the number of tourists who will visit, playing it at the bigger stadium with potentially more tourists is more attractive for the Vic Govt then playing it at AAMI.


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[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^^^^ yeah, AAMI holds ~30K jam-packed (which it would be, lotsa AB-starved kiwis in Melbourne) v surely at least double that at MCG. No brainer, really, esp if as you say the Vic state gov't gets behind it.

 

[Melbourne Terrace]

Please god, no more damn AFL grounds. All tests in Melbourne must be played at AAMI Park from now on.

We've only just been rid of Etihad and now people are suggesting moving to an even bigger dump of a ground for Rugby. It's been shown time and time again that there are only about 30k people in this city who are consistently willing to turn up to watch a test.

Even for big events like the Lions test or the Bledisloe, the only way that Etihad or the MCG can possibly filled is relying on away supporters, which is just embarrassing. Play a game at the MCG if you want to throw away home advantage, you can guarantee there will be more Kiwis there than home supporters like in previous years.

 

[TOCC]

The Bledisloe won't be played at a 30'000 capacity ground... If Melbourne is to host another Bledisloe it has to be at the MCG or Docklands

From 2018 the new Perth Stadium will also become an option, I wouldn't be surprised to see the WA Govt make an audacious bid for a Bledisloe as a means to celebrate its opening.

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[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^^^^^ & that's not only on the West Island: Forsyth Barr & AMI (CheeChee or what's left of it) have pretty much been told to forget about hosting a Bled (or the BIL) in the foreseeable.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Even for big events like the Lions test or the Bledisloe, the only way that Etihad or the MCG can possibly filled is relying on away supporters, which is just embarrassing. Play a game at the MCG if you want to throw away home advantage, you can guarantee there will be more Kiwis there than home supporters like in previous years.

If it's OK for Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, surely it's OK for Melbourne?

 

[Melbourne Terrace]

The Bledisloe won't be played at a 30'000 capacity ground. If Melbourne is to host another Bledisloe it has to be at the MCG or Docklands

From 2018 the new Perth Stadium will also become an option, I wouldn't be surprised to see the WA Govt make an audacious bid for a Bledisloe as a means to celebrate its opening.

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If that's the case then let Sydney or Brisbane keep it, I'll happily take another test match in Melbourne if it means keeping AAMI Park.

 

[qwerty51]

The Bledisloe won't be played at a 30'000 capacity ground. If Melbourne is to host another Bledisloe it has to be at the MCG or Docklands

From 2018 the new Perth Stadium will also become an option, I wouldn't be surprised to see the WA Govt make an audacious bid for a Bledisloe as a means to celebrate its opening.

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Isn't Sydney locked into a Bledisloe for 10 years (from 2013?). Maybe when Aus hosts 2 I guess.

 

[Highlander35]

For most tests, the Melbourne crowd is not likely to be more than 30-35k at any stadium, and consequently, should be held at AAMI Park, not only because it'll be packed, but because it's a good proper rugby ground.

Once you start losing out on 10k+ crowds, that's when it becomes stupid. Bledisloe should be held at docklands or MCG, and come the 2025 BILs, they should get the G based on the last tour.

 

[Train Without a Station]

Geez your a misery guts Melbourne Terrace. Funny how their aren't that many complaints out of Wellington despite the Cake Tin being an oval stadium and hosting super rugby games and test matches regularly.

 

[Lindommer]

The premier of Mexico rabbitted on about "Victorians enjoying sport", or whatever. M. Andrews me old mucker, let's be quite clear about this, there've been many instances of your local lads gathering for a few cheers and a disagreement over who's better at this or that, but this is rugby, it's different. There'll be a few of us from New South Wales (shock, horror!), and a cabfull or two from Brisabne. But, don't forget, there'll be shitloads from New Zealand, how're you going to cope with the passport processing in your comfortable domain? Let's not muck around here: your dealing with an international game with rugby, do you reckon you can handle it?

It's not going to be only "Victorians enjoying sport", are you up for it?

 

[Melbourne Terrace]

Geez your a misery guts Melbourne Terrace. Funny how their aren't that many complaints out of Wellington despite the Cake Tin being an oval stadium and hosting super rugby games and test matches regularly.

Did you know that Rugby is popular in Wellington and not in Melbourne? It must come as quite a shock to you to figure this out so late. It would also come as a shock to you that people aren't willing to go to a event that they don't really like in the first place, if the venue is inadequate.

What's also different about the two cities is that Wellington have only one stadium for all their sports, whilst Melbourne have multiple and AAMI Park is a purpose built Rugby Stadium.

Moaning about this is justified. When it comes to Venue selection, Melbourne Rugby fans have been treated like shit for the last 10 years by a Sydney administration that is utterly clueless about the limitations of the game here.

 

[Train Without a Station]

You're saying watching rugby is terrible at Etihad and the MCG. I'm commenting that there are not many complaints about the viewing at the Cake Tin. The popularity of the sport isn't relevant.

I'm almost certain that Wellington has rectangular grounds. They just aren't suitable for crowds over a certain size. In Wellington that's probably a couple of thousand. In Melbourne that happens to be 30,000. Which is less than almost every Melbourne test on history has been attended by. To me it seems fucking logical not to play at a Rectangular ground, if it holds less than you have had attend most of your recent tests. In fact there have been more tests in Melbourne with a greater attendance than AAMI Park's capacity than there have with an attendance that would fit in AAMI Park.

As always, you are lumping every issue you have with the ARU into one incident. How have Melbourne fans been treated like shit for 10 years. Because tests have been played at Etihad? Where did you expect them to play the tests prior to May 2010 (5 years ago) when AAMI Park was opened?

Your logic is it's acceptable for the cake tin to hold tests as there is no rectangular alternative, but your holding it against the ARU for the same thing for a long period.

Interested your view doesn't seem to be shared. From 2003 to 2013, Etihad stadium as enormous attendances for test matches.

In fact it's only been tests against France, Italy and Scotland that have struggled for attendance, which they have in all states.

 

[Train Without a Station]

In fact since AAMI Park opened there have been the following tests in Melbourne:
2010 vs All Blacks (51,409)
2012 vs Wales (33,888)
2013 vs British & Irish Lions (56,771)
2014 vs France (27,000)

So since AAMI Park opened, that's 1 of 4 test matches that would not have caused people to miss out if it went to AAMI Park (capacity 30,050).

Prior to that there was Olympic Park stadium with a capacity of 18,500.

I'm struggling to reconcile these crowds and these potential venues with your view that "when it comes to venue selection, Melbourne Rugby fans have been treated like shit for the last 10 years by a Sydney administration that is utterly clueless about the limitations of the game here."

Sounds more so like they have generally been on the money.