Bledisloe Cup 2019 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground?

[Braveheart81]

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.

You make it sound like far more of the crowd would be supporting the Wallabies if it was played at a smaller stadium. What's your logic? Are Aussies better at using Ticketek so can snap up the tickets faster than the away team supporters?

 

[Braveheart81]

I went to the Bledisloe at the MCG in 2007. I was right up the very top of the stadium but it was still pretty good viewing. The stadium is just so steep that you still don't feel like you're that far from the action even though it's not a rectangular stadium.

I'd definitely go back for another Bledisloe there.

 

[Highlander35]

Next Lions game needs to be at the G. 56.6k in 2001, 56.7k in 2013.

According to ESPN, biggest ever Lions crowd was 90k at Ellis park in the 50s.

I reckon you could break that.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I went to the 1998 Bleddy at the G and it was pretty great, even well before current improvements. From memory there were about 80,000 there and the atmosphere was fantastic. I was there to watch Carlton v Crows a couple of weeks ago and even with a lot fewer in there it was still good. Boxing Day 2013 was the best of all, but a completely different type of event.

 

[qwerty51]

Ah only 84k in 2001 at ANZ. Pretty disappointing, I think it was still at 95k~ capacity around then.

 

[Lindommer]

THIS MUST BE STOPPED! The Mexican premier, Daniel Andrews, was rabbitting on about "The Victorian people love sport and they'll come out in really strong numbers to support major events." after the SoO crowd last week. Got news for you, Dan, PEOPLE OTHER THAN VICTORIANS WANT TO WATCH THE BLEDISLOE CUP. Dunno how they're factor in a large influx of New South Welshmen and Queenslanders as well as a healthy contingent of Kiwis. And some others.

This really pisses me off about the insularity of (some) Victorians on matters sport. Dean Jones ALWAYS makes a point of how good the "Victorian" crowd is at the Boxing Day test. Last time I looked it was Australia playing with quite a healthy number of spectators (including me one year) from parts of Australia some distance from Melbourne. At the cricket, and rugby, it's not a "Victorian crowd", it's an "Australian crowd". Next thing we know those blighters'll have passport controls on the Murray.

 

[Dctarget]

THIS MUST BE STOPPED! The Mexican premier, Daniel Andrews, was rabbitting on about "The Victorian people love sport and they'll come out in really strong numbers to support major events." after the SoO crowd last week. Got news for you, Dan, PEOPLE OTHER THAN VICTORIANS WANT TO WATCH THE BLEDISLOE CUP. Dunno how they're factor in a large influx of New South Welshmen and Queenslanders as well as a healthy contingent of Kiwis. And some others.

This really pisses me off about the insularity of (some) Victorians on matters sport. Dean Jones ALWAYS makes a point of how good the "Victorian" crowd is at the Boxing Day test. Last time I looked it was Australia playing with quite a healthy number of spectators (including me one year) from parts of Australia some distance from Melbourne. At the cricket, and rugby, it's not a "Victorian crowd", it's an "Australian crowd". Next thing we know those blighters'll have passport controls on the Murray.

I don't think for a minute that he reckons it's a purely Victorian crowd. Sure it's an Australian crowd, but he's the Victorian Premier, it's his job to advertise his state.

Moreover, there's a large influx of inter-state supporters at any venue around Australia, so shouldn't the same logic apply to them? Then we'd be seeing equal crowd figures for the same event around the country. But we don't, for what ever reason, Victoria breaks crowd records constantly and they should be rewarded for that and it is something to be proud of/advertise.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

As much as I don't want to support anything that Daniel Andrews says, I'll be the first to admit that Melbourne does a great job putting on sporting events and the people there get behind them, more so than any other state I can think of.

 

[Melbourne Terrace]

You make it sound like far more of the crowd would be supporting the Wallabies if it was played at a smaller stadium. What's your logic? Are Aussies better at using Ticketek so can snap up the tickets faster than the away team supporters?

Well having games at smaller grounds means you can allocate priority access to Super Rugby members or other ARU priority groups.

I don't know if the ARU have an equivalent to to CA's Australian Cricket Family or the FFA's Football Family which includes A-League Club members, grassroots participants and anyone else who registers. These people are more than likely than not to be Australia Supporters and giving them priority access increases the chance of a dominant home support. It's not perfect given how many Kiwis play here but it helps to stop the once a season kiwi turning up.

Systems like this are why it's very hard for away fans to get tickets in European Internationals, even in big stadiums like Twickenham and Stade de France, which results in dominant atmosphere. The priority access system means home supporters snap up the tickets well in advance.

 

[TOCC]

Sure Melbourne Terrace, lets deny rugby union fans the opportunity to spend their money and watch rugby union in this country... Who cares if they are New Zealand fans, thats the nature of rugby union, South East Queensland has close to 180'000 kiwis living there, thats more kiwis living in South East Queensland then the population of Dunedin. Of course there are going to be strong kiwi influences at All Blacks games, Kiwi-Australians in SEQ only get to watch the All Blacks live once every 3 years. Likewise in Victoria where there are close to 100'000 kiwis living.

I bet you many of those 180'000 kiwis living in SEQ are part of the rugby community somehow, they are playing, volunteering and probably attending Reds games if only to cheer on the kiwi teams. Why should they be denied the opportunity to go watch their team play? just because Australian fans feel that more Australians should be at the game..

Rather then denying kiwis the opportunity to attend the game, how about we focus on attracting more 'aussies' to turn up and cheer the Wallabies on... That would seem like the more progressive option.

 

[Tex]

THIS MUST BE STOPPED! The Mexican premier, Daniel Andrews, was rabbitting on about "The Victorian people love sport and they'll come out in really strong numbers to support major events." after the SoO crowd last week. Got news for you, Dan, PEOPLE OTHER THAN VICTORIANS WANT TO WATCH THE BLEDISLOE CUP. Dunno how they're factor in a large influx of New South Welshmen and Queenslanders as well as a healthy contingent of Kiwis. And some others.

This really pisses me off about the insularity of (some) Victorians on matters sport. Dean Jones ALWAYS makes a point of how good the "Victorian" crowd is at the Boxing Day test. Last time I looked it was Australia playing with quite a healthy number of spectators (including me one year) from parts of Australia some distance from Melbourne. At the cricket, and rugby, it's not a "Victorian crowd", it's an "Australian crowd". Next thing we know those blighters'll have passport controls on the Murray.

Mate it's politics - he's an actor on stage playing to his voters.

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk

 

[Average Outside Center]

This is a good thing for Australian rugby no matter which way you look at it, 90,000 people watching rugby in a 'non-rugby state' would do wonders for exposure to the sport. If we could get 1,000 new kids interested in rugby in the state it will have been a success. Not to mention the much needed economic benefit to the ARU. 90,000 x $30 = 2,700,000 most of that profit would go back into growing the game in Aus compared to 30,000 x $30 = 90,000. To anyone complaining about the viewing, suck it up. Its not about you its about the game and if you are that selfish don't go, your ticket will be snapped up by someone more deserving of seeing the spectacle that is the Bledisloe Cup.

 

[Brumby Runner]

This is a good thing for Australian rugby no matter which way you look at it, 90,000 people watching rugby in a 'non-rugby state' would do wonders for exposure to the sport. If we could get 1,000 new kids interested in rugby in the state it will have been a success. Not to mention the much needed economic benefit to the ARU. 90,000 x $30 = 2,700,000 most of that profit would go back into growing the game in Aus compared to 30,000 x $30 = 900,000. To anyone complaining about the viewing, suck it up. Its not about you its about the game and if you are that selfish don't go, your ticket will be snapped up by someone more deserving of seeing the spectacle that is the Bledisloe Cup.

Fixed. But your point probably still stands.