Gold Coast 7's - 12 & 13 Oct

[TOCC]

the level of support offered by local tourism authorities is proportionate to the attractiveness of the event.. its easy to argue that the GC Council and Events QLD should pour in more funding(considering they already offer a significant amount) yet at the end of the day it doesn't rank very high in terms of bringing in the tourists..

Is it a case of the chicken or the egg in terms of additional funding to establish the popularity of the event, or is it purely an event that just doesn't appeal to the australian consumer?

In any case, the future of the event is far from assured on the Gold Coast, the Campbell Newman govt hasn't guaranteed funding for the future.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Campbell Newman is originally from the Rugby Powerhouse state of Tasmania.

He doesn't look like has has played any Rugby. Looks like a soccer or hockey sort of lad.

Hardly likely to be any "emotive" support for the 7's from him.

Best chance is to prove the economic benefits to appeal to his budget black hole. This is hard to do if no one goes to the tournament. No one will go to the tournament if they don't advertise the buggery out of it. Chicken and egg scenario.

 

[TOCC]

The buggers are not even showing the Test match live tonight on their main channel. Admittedly, there are extenuating circumstances. But if, for example, it was the NRL Grand Final tonight (unlikely, I know) that would be on live, no doubt about .

They might be interested in a late night slot for some highlights. Maybe, at a pinch, they might be interested in showing the final live (but only if Australia is in it). But a Sevens tournament has a lot of matches that the Australian non-rugby audience would just not be interested in. Kenya vs England? I don't think so.


Ratings is the name of the game. FTA needs a schedule that they can sell well in advance. They would not be able to sell even the final unless they were guaranteed that Australia would be in it. No advertiser would be interested. Netball had the advantage of guaranteeing an Australian team in every contest that was to be televised (except for the finals, I suppose). Also the netball was on during the late afternoon, IIRC, whereas the Sevens stretches right into prime, evening, time.

AFL has been bumped to the multichannel as well....
To be honest i actually have a little bit of faith restored in the broadcasters that the federal election takes priority over a sporting game...

Anyway, agree about FTA broadcasters having little interest in 7's, it just isn't an event which is appealing to the public and why would it? It has no sporting personalities or superstars to market, it has no nostalgic attachment for people to relate to and the the globetrotting nature of the event means that the irregular time-slots make it difficult to market to any level.

 

[TOCC]

Campbell Newman is originally from the Rugby Powerhouse state of Tasmania.

He doesn't look like has has played any Rugby. Looks like a soccer or hockey sort of lad.

Hardly likely to be any "emotive" support for the 7's from him.

Best chance is to prove the economic benefits to appeal to his budget black hole. This is hard to do if no one goes to the tournament. No one will go to the tournament if they don't advertise the buggery out of it. Chicken and egg scenario.

the Gold Coast 7's funding fell under the Tourism Queensland portfolio which had its funding slashed by 35% under the 2012/2013 budget.. If we look at it from a political stance, they state govt already secured the V8 event until 2016 meaning less pressure to retain a lower drawing event like the 7's.


I personally would like to see it go to Melbourne, they drew some good crowds to the 7's during the Commonwealth games and AAMI Park is the perfect facility for such an event.

 

[Brumby Jack]

Pools and draw have been announced.

POOL A
NZ
Kenya
USA
Tonga

POOL B
South Africa
England
France
Spain

POOL C
Fiji
Wales
Canada
Portugal

POOL D
Samoa
Australia
Argentina
Scotland

Full draw http://www.irbsevens.com/destination/edition=9/fixturesresults.html

 

[wamberal]

I personally would like to see it go to Melbourne, they drew some good crowds to the 7's during the Commonwealth games and AAMI Park is the perfect facility for such an event.

If AAMI Park wasn't in Melbourne, I would agree with you. But, until the Australian leg really builds up a head of steam and popularity, it really should be in Sydney (maybe Brisbane) - probably the most attractive destination in Australia, I would have thought, for an event like this.

 

[Zander]

Concord Oval

 

[Pfitzy]

Gods no! SFS is the perfect size for a properly promoted event. At least you know all the kiwis in the area would show up

 

[Zander]

Western Sydney will be the king of 7s in 2016.

 

[Hawko]

Western Sydney will be the king of 7s in 2016.

The only chance that you are correct in your prediction is if the ARU start building a whole program around schools competitions Australia wide, so that it begins to grow from the ground up. That would mean schools from all over Sydney and especially schools in the west where League is king, would be playing in sevens competitions, probably in the September to November period once League is finished.

It won't get to first base; primarily because the threat to the private school/ARU power base will never allow it to get off the ground.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

^^ Interesting point. The three schools representing NSW at National Schoolboy Sevens are Hills Sports High, Westfields Sports High, and St Gregorys Campbellotwn.

Where are they from? Are they part of the Private School/ARU powerbase?

There may be hope.

 

[wamberal]

^^ Interesting point. The three schools representing NSW at National Schoolboy Sevens are Hills Sports High, Westfields Sports High, and St Gregorys Campbellotwn.

Where are they from? Are they part of the Private School/ARU powerbase?

There may be hope.

Rugby league is by far the dominant code at all three. Not much hope, Hugh. We will get a few of the left-overs, the ones not good enough to play Jim Beam Cup.

 

[TheBigDog]

A couple of mates and I are looking at heading down the goldie to this tournament. Did anyone go last year? Any advice on where to book an apartment? None of us really know the goldie too well and everyone will be drinking so we're not really sure about the logistics of getting too and from the stadium each day.

 

[Chiefton]

If AAMI Park wasn't in Melbourne, I would agree with you. But, until the Australian leg really builds up a head of steam and popularity, it really should be in Sydney (maybe Brisbane) - probably the most attractive destination in Australia, I would have thought, for an event like this.

Melburnian's will be there with bells on.

 

[TOCC]

If AAMI Park wasn't in Melbourne, I would agree with you. But, until the Australian leg really builds up a head of steam and popularity, it really should be in Sydney (maybe Brisbane) - probably the most attractive destination in Australia, I would have thought, for an event like this.

True, maybe host the 7's at Parramatta Stadium, the simplicity of the rules and the rock-concert atmosphere is more suited to rugby league fans rather then the private school alumni you might find in inner-city Brisbane or the Eastern Suburbs/Northshore of Sydney.

The ARU will have to be careful, hosting a leg of the tournament is becoming increasingly attractive to national unions and the IRB wont have much more room for expanding the current circuit, the ARU might face a challenge to retain he right to host it in the future... half empty stadiums aren't a good look for the sponsors/broadcasters, the IRB wont put up with it forever.

 

[p.Tah]

One of the appeals of HK 7s is the night life afterwards. Hold the 7s at the SFS and Paddington and Surry Hills would be heaving. May have to get special dispensation to allow Mario Brothers and Chewbakker into the Paddington Inn.

Parramatta doesn't really have a great pub scene in comparison.

 

[TOCC]

One of the appeals of HK 7s is the night life afterwards. Hold the 7s at the SFS and Paddington and Surry Hills would be heaving. May have to get special dispensation to allow Mario Brothers and Chewbakker into the Paddington Inn.

Parramatta doesn't really have a great pub scene in comparison.

Hmm Sydney rugby fans are a fickle bunch though, Tahs fans barely turn up to the SFS and i'd argue that would be a bigger drawcard for rugby purists then 7's rugby would. I don't think its an automatic guarantee that it would be a capacity crowd if held at the SFS.

 

[p.Tah]

I think the party aspect would bring quite a few non-rugby purists. May not be a sell out initially but there would be more than the GC and Adelaide.

 

[Jets]

I was in Fiji over the weekend and there was a story in the paper about Fiji being in with a shot of hosting a leg of the IRB tour. Would be interesting if it was to fill the spot of the South America leg that never happened or take over from another tournament in the area, if the second option then an Australian leg may be in trouble.

 

[wamberal]

I was in Fiji over the weekend and there was a story in the paper about Fiji being in with a shot of hosting a leg of the IRB tour. Would be interesting if it was to fill the spot of the South America leg that never happened or take over from another tournament in the area, if the second option then an Australian leg may be in trouble.

Highly unlikely that Fiji would take Australia's gig, I would have thought. Apart from anything else, there is no commercial incentive to give them a leg, and they could not afford to pay much (if anything) for one.