RIP Test Rugby on the Gold Coast

[TOCC]

Tonights crowd was horrible, the Gold Coast has a terrible reputation for turning out and supporting teams, whatever the reason might be(stadium grievances, public transport, conflicting events) its not enough to justify having the flagship rugby union team play in front of the crowd which turned up tonight.

Gold Coast will be lucky to retain the 7's rights after tonight's performance, many ARU officials would have been very disappointed in the turnout and bar a near capacity crowd at the 7's tournament later in the year i expect a new city host to be found.

Canberra deserves another shot at Test Rugby, possibly even somewhere like Adelaide, perhaps give Perth the Argentinian test just to mix it up a little bit.

 

[kiap]

I believe that shortly after the GC stadium was built, a deal was done to stage some rugby events there.

So there might be one last dance for the Goldy yet. But after that I agree - there's no good reason to return.

BTW, the figure for tonight:

14,281.

 

[TOCC]

I believe the contract of the IRB 7's to be held on the Gold Coast expires this year, likewise with the deal negotiated to have Argentina vs Wallabies play on the Gold Coast, i believe this was the last year as well

 

[Melbourne Terrace]

This is a game that should be at Canberra or AAMI Park. The latter would sell out for sure. In fact anywhere that isn't in either the slums of Gold Coast or an AFL stadium would be far better suited for this game.


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[ACT Crusader]

Tonights crowd was horrible, the Gold Coast has a terrible reputation for turning out and supporting teams, whatever the reason might be(stadium grievances, public transport, conflicting events) its not enough to justify having the flagship rugby union team play in front of the crowd which turned up tonight.

Gold Coast will be lucky to retain the 7's rights after tonight's performance, many ARU officials would have been very disappointed in the turnout and bar a near capacity crowd at the 7's tournament later in the year i expect a new city host to be found.

Canberra deserves another shot at Test Rugby, possibly even somewhere like Adelaide, perhaps give Perth the Argentinian test just to mix it up a little bit.

The Wallabies played the Pumas in Perth last year and got a touch over 18,000 at the test match. Melbourne would probably get more, but with AFL finals and Storm usually being in the mix in the NRL, scheduling could be an issue.

 

[kiap]

I believe the contract of the IRB 7's to be held on the Gold Coast expires this year, likewise with the deal negotiated to have Argentina vs Wallabies play on the Gold Coast, i believe this was the last year as well

Well, that depends on who you believe. I suspect TRC won't return but there may yet be another Test.

Do you believe Jim Tucker?

Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie has urged Gold Coast fans to turn up at Cbus Super Stadium tonight to vote for playing Test rugby on the Gold Coast in the most tangible way.​

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There are agitated bean-counters at the Australian Rugby Union worried that tonight’s crowd may be the lowest turnout to a Test on home soil since the 15,438 fans who attended the Australia-Fiji clash in Canberra to open 2010.​

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Under a 10-year stadiums deal cut in 2011, Cbus Super Stadium still has one more Test beyond tonight locked in.​

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Hosting Italy, Fiji or Samoa might be the Gold Coast’s viewing future because an appealing Argentinian outfit deserves to draw closer to 20,000. Canberra is due such a Test.​

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There was not a Gold Coast Titans sellout at Cbus Super Stadium this year, with the 20,500 drawn to the April clash against the Brisbane Broncos the best of the NRL season there.​

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Argentina’s historic first visit to the Gold Coast in 2012 attracted 22,278 fans.​

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http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...es-on-gold-coast/story-fnii0ksb-1227057131683​

 

[RugbyFuture]

Take it to canberra and put the sevens at somewhere reachable by sydney. (my preference is parra stadium)

 

[kiap]

Possibly Canberra will get another go, although they don't produce awesomely great crowds either.

To be fair, attendances have been down for Rugby across the board.

 

[Badger]

I believe the contract of the IRB 7's to be held on the Gold Coast expires this year, likewise with the deal negotiated to have Argentina vs Wallabies play on the Gold Coast, i believe this was the last year as well

Sevens could be coming to the SFS.

Sydney vies for leg of rugby's world sevens series
21 August 2014
Georgina Robinson
Chief Rugby Reporter

Allianz Stadium and the SCG Trust are close to pulling off a big coup by luring Australia's leg of the sevens world series to Sydney next year.

Held on the Gold Coast every October or November, a new round of global bidding for the 2015-16 world series has led to Sydney and Melbourne throwing their hats in the ring.

The Breakdown understands Sydney is the favoured destination and Allianz Stadium is in the box seat with a proposal for a sevens festival in the well-appointed Moore Park precinct.

It sounds partly inspired by the festival concept pitched by then-ARU boss John O'Neill to the NRL for a cross-code sevens tournament with modified rules, which was planned to take place in January 2012.
O'Neill's idea was to field a sevens team from every Australian and New Zealand Super Rugby franchise and invite five or so NRL clubs to take part in the two-day event.

The ARU wanted to get it running for January 2012 and had secured the support of then-NRL boss David Gallop. It ran into trouble with the Australian Super Rugby franchises, after several head coaches said it would interrupt their pre-season preparations.

Moving the Australian leg of the sevens world series here in the lead-up to the Rio Olympics would be a canny strategic move for the ARU, which is still battling to raise the sport's profile despite the men's Commonwealth Games bronze medal and women's gold in the Youth Olympics just this week.

It would be a huge win with fans, too, who jump on any rare Moore Park Test match opportunities.

The Gold Coast has been a supportive host of the tournament for four years but it has never quite reached its entertainment potential in the same way as its Wellington or Hong Kong equivalents.

The Moore Park precinct could be a winner, and the pubs of Darlinghurst's Taylor Square, Paddington, Redfern and Surry Hills are perfectly positioned near the parkland and sporting facilities surrounding Allianz Stadium.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/sydney-vies-for-leg-of-rugbys-world-sevens-series-20140821-106jpf.html#ixzz3DCk0G2Rt

 

[Sully]

Fuckin shit crowd. Gold coasters and Brissbanites should be ashamed. Cbus is bloody easy to get to and an easy train ride from brisbane.

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[Ruggo]

I was harsh on Canberra but after tonight give it to them.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

The Wallabies played the Pumas in Perth last year and got a touch over 18,000 at the test match. Melbourne would probably get more, but with AFL finals and Storm usually being in the mix in the NRL, scheduling could be an issue.

The weather was the big factor last year -- it was bloody horrible. That and the fact that people are starting to rebel against the staging of games at Subi. A worse stadium for watching rugby you'd struggle to find.

 

[Melbourne Terrace]

Fuckin shit crowd. Gold coasters and Brissbanites should be ashamed. Cbus is bloody easy to get to and an easy train ride from brisbane.

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You're kidding right? Fucking Brisbane have nothing to do with it. It's easy if you live on a train line south of Roma st but it's still over an hour an twenty minutes from Roma street to robina. Add in travel time to get to the station etc and it's a 3 hour round trip. When the game kicks off on the wrong side of 8pm, it means I wouldn't have got home near UQ till very late and probably would have run the risk of missing the last bus.

Hold the game in the afternoon like it should be so people can get to and from the game in reasonable time then maybe you have an argument.

So no, Gold Coast and the ARU fucked this up on their own.


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[Sully]

You're kidding right? Fucking Brisbane have nothing to do with it. It's easy if you live on a train line south of Roma st but it's still over an hour an twenty minutes from Roma street to robina. Add in travel time to get to the station etc and it's a 3 hour round trip. When the game kicks off on the wrong side of 8pm, it means I wouldn't have got home near UQ till very late and probably would have run the risk of missing the last bus.

Hold the game in the afternoon like it should be so people can get to and from the game in reasonable time then maybe you have an argument.

So no, Gold Coast and the ARU fucked this up on their own.


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You poor dears. It's not like we go the opposite direction a dozen times a year. Harden the fuck up.

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[FilthRugby]

Below is a photo of the largest recorded soccer crowd at C-bus Stadium. I think the Wallabies fans JUST broke it tonight.

 

[FilthRugby]

I think Gold Coast Wallabies fans are loyal (like Sully and co.), but I really think games should be at Suncorp from now on, there's just not enough Rugby Union support down that way, unfortunately- Unless it's Kiwi support.

 

[Ruggo]

I wouldn't be quick to sing the praises of Brisbane after that piss poor crowd that rocked up for the French test.

 

[Melbourne Terrace]

You poor dears. It's not like we go the opposite direction a dozen times a year. Harden the fuck up.

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That's a reality of life of living in the Gold Coast favelas ffs. The place is smaller than Brisbane, thus you have to come up to Brisbane and not vice versa. People here don't see value in going there for a late rugby match, so they aren't going to go. Don't get mad that no one is in any rush to visit that cesspit if they could much easier watch it on tele for free. If Gold Coast can't turn up on their own then they don't deserve any events. It's not Brisbane's fault that Gold Coast sports fans are shite nor is their responsibility to supplement the numbers.


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[Ash]

Canberra deserves Test rugby again, but I heard stories of what a disaster the Lions game there was as the logistics and facilities of aging Bruce stadium came up short. They need the new stadium quickly, or to upgrade Bruce stadium. One of the Canberrans might be able to comment better.

Other options are Melbourne or Adelaide as well, both deserve it more than the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast is just not the right area for sports, being such a tourism economy.

 

[Omar Comin']

Canberra should get games when they get a new Dunedin style stadium.

For now I think Newcastle would be a better option.

And the Sevens should be in Sydney. If you think about the big sevens events in the series they're all in major cities. Sydney has the biggest population, the most rugby fans, and people from all the competing nations. It's a no brainer.