Super Rugby General Chat

[PhilClinton]

How many non-ticket holders attend Super Round? I doubt many.

Magic Round is so successful as a festival of sport because there are thousands of fans who attend the Caxton St and Suncorp Precinct just to watch the games on the big screens. I think it’s safe to assume lots of those fans are Brisbane/QLD locals and didn’t fly in from around Australia to stand in the Caxton carpark.

We won’t emulate that playing it out of Melbourne.

 

[Wallaby Man]

How many non-ticket holders attend Super Round? I doubt many.

Magic Round is so successful as a festival of sport because there are thousands of fans who attend the Caxton St and Suncorp Precinct just to watch the games on the big screens. I think it’s safe to assume lots of those fans are Brisbane/QLD locals and didn’t fly in from around Australia to stand in the Caxton carpark.

We won’t emulate that playing it out of Melbourne.

Just did some very quick research and apparently the first magic round attracted 24,000 fans from outside QLD.

If there was 3000 kiwis travelled, 2000 QLDers, 3000 NSW, 500 WA and 10000 locals then that’s pretty decent.

unfortunately it’s about 8000 locals, 300 kiwis, 300 NSW, 200 qld and 50 WA. That bother to make the commitment to their team

 

[Wilson]

I think the broader problem with super round in Melbourne is that it has largely been half-arsed and never really given a chance to succeed. With the first iteration having been this 3 year bloc sold on an ad hoc basis by the kiwi teams without really engaging the Rebels, the actual team based in the city they wanted to host it in, and all promotional responsibilities falling to a 3rd party there has never been a hell of a lot of vision or 'juice' behind it. Travelling numbers have been limited in no small part because there was little to no benefit in it for teams to invest in getting their fans there. The kiwi teams themselves seemed to be more interested in engaging there latent fan base in Melbourne and from what I've heard there wasn't even capacity for the other teams to be selling their merch at the venue. Why TEG didn't go harder on the promo I don't know. Possibly the deal they did meant the didn't need massive ticket sales to make money, they thought they could drive local ticket sales to hit their mark cheaper, or they just overestimated the desire of fans to travel and thought they could "Field of Dreams" it.

Going forward it needs to be managed by the Super Rugby commission itself, run with the engagement of all the teams, in a way where they actually stand to benefit. They may also mean taking a lesser bid from a host government intially, knowing that the city itself will be easier to engage and build the 'brand' of Super Round up into something people are interested in. That said, I don't think there's necesserily anything wrong with Melbourne as a host city, but people were never just going to turn up, not without significant prompting. That's meant lacklustre crowds each year have made it less appealing for interested fans to travel to the next. The way interested dropped off in my membership group over the 3 years was stark, and this is at a time when we had more people interested in Reds tickets year on year.

Properly engage the clubs and they'll engage their fans to bring them to the host city. Certainly there is appetite for teams to be organising these sort trips - the Reds have organised a charter flight and planned trip via their sponsor Alliance for the Crusaders game and sold it out in less than 24 hours of posting it to their socials.

 

[Wilson]

It's something like $300,000 guaranteed for each team who lose a home game

Tax payer funds Visit Victoria. VV pay TEG. TEG pay the teams via the unions.

All designed to increase tourism spend in Victoria.

TEG carries the risks on ticket sales

That's what the teams are getting, which at $1.8 million sounds like a steal. The real question is what did Visit Victoria pay TEG - I'd have to imagine it was significantly higher both based on it covering TEG's costs and the amounts state governments usually seem to bid for these things. For example QLD paid $8 million for a one off origin game in Townsville, a stadium half the size of AAMI, and Victoria was opening with a bid of $2 million for origin games way back in 2012. Given how week the promotion has been I'd have to guess TEG was paid enough to not really care about strong sales, otherwise they would've put a lot more effort into getting bums on seats.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^
3. Crusaders
7. Waratahs

Seriously?

 

[John S]

^
3. Crusaders
7. Waratahs

Seriously?

I can agree with Reds > Waratahs maybe, but Crusaders now lost two on the trot - must have been dreamt up by Razor - or a NZ Rugby apparatchik

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^ I'd also question 8. Highlanders 10. Drua & 11. Moana...

 

[zer0]

fr. The true objective power rankings are:

1. Chiefs
2. Blues
3 - 11. idk some lesser teams I care not about
12. Crusaders back where they started, buried in the table foundations @ 0-2

 

[Dismal Pillock]

1. Chiefs
2. Blues
3. Hurricanes
4. Reds
5 Waratahs
6. Highlanders
7. Drua
8. Brumbies
9. Moana
10. Rebels
11. Force
12. Onehunga Mallers Under 12's 3rd XV
13 Putaruru 100 kg+ Midwives 8th XV
14 Wollongong Under 5's Polio Clinic 12th XV
15 Cantabs

 

[Derpus]

Force are worse than I thought they'd be. No way Brumbies are in better shape than the Waratahs or Reds at this stage either. No shame in losing to the Chiefs generally, but the nature of it was pitiful. IMO, even though the Reds lost in extra time, they are still in the top four currently.

1. Chiefs
2. Blues
3. Hurricanes
4. Reds
5. Waratahs

The rest.

 

[Doritos Day]

That's what the teams are getting, which at $1.8 million sounds like a steal. The real question is what did Visit Victoria pay TEG - I'd have to imagine it was significantly higher both based on it covering TEG's costs and the amounts state governments usually seem to bid for these things. For example QLD paid $8 million for a one off origin game in Townsville, a stadium half the size of AAMI, and Victoria was opening with a bid of $2 million for origin games way back in 2012. Given how week the promotion has been I'd have to guess TEG was paid enough to not really care about strong sales, otherwise they would've put a lot more effort into getting bums on seats.

TEG have definitely phoned it in. I've been there all three years and nothing has changed/improved - from the on-field stuff (can't hear TMO, no card timers) to the off field (same fan "engagement", nothing to do outside, lack of merch)

They're probably happy with just sitting on the difference of VV's payments minus those to the clubs. Which sucks because Super Round is a good idea and it's been enjoyable as someone who only cares about watching the games; but it's irritating the same roughness around the edges persists.

Everyone complains about where it's being hosted but Melbourne is a great place for it with appropriately sized stadium and awesome city/precinct. Brisbane seems out of the picture given they're the incumbent host of Magic Round, Auckland would be awful given how far Eden Park is from the city, the Cake Tin means Wellington is no chance and Dunedin fits the bill but is at the end of the universe. Sydney could work I guess...

 

[Doritos Day]

Fans are enticed by not just watching their team, but also the atmosphere created.

I like the concept l, but the idea of paying $1500 for flights, accom and tickets to sit In a stadium that’s 80% empty is hard to justify.

Conversely, I’ve bought NRL magic round tickets this year because it’s an event now with critical mass that generates extra excitement through capacity crowds.

Tbf how much are you paying for Magic Round now (if not from Bris)? The prices are massively gouged compared to when it started, the same goes for Gather Round in Adelaide where flights and accom have doubled or more in the second year. I know plenty of groups that would head north annually but are now priced out.

Super Round's relative lack of interest actually works well from an affordability perspective lol

 

[KevinO]

The way Super Round has been run is a joke, I understand NZ teams are giving up a home game for this. But not once has the Rebels the Rebels held the Saturday time slot, and least this year the Saturday night game was worth watching. First year was Force v Drua.

1st thing, it should be later in the season, not the 2nd round. If your team is having a good season your more likely to go, hey lets go watch them away.

2nd, Merch was only available for NZ teams, Rebels had merch outside the ground Friday but no other Aussie sides had anything for sale.

If I was organizing this thing, I would have had it round 10.

Thursday 25th is Anzac Day - Storm v NZ - Have Goosh's paddock already set up for the following day, food trucks etc.

Friday 26th:
3pm: Drua v Pasifika
5:30: Highlanders v Force
8:15: Brumbies v Hurricans
Sat 27th:
12-2pm - Coaching clinic goosh paddock, all teams to send 3 players
2:30 - Reds v Blues
5:30 - Waratahs v Chiefs
8:15 - Rebels v Crusaders

 

[PhilClinton]

1st thing, it should be later in the season, not the 2nd round. If your team is having a good season your more likely to go, hey lets go watch them away.

Whilst I agree it being in 2nd round is weird, I think it's a telling sign about the overall lack of engagement for the competition. The organisers are probably hoping Super Round brings more eyes to the game and hopefully they can make some viewers sticky for the rest of the year.

If it's held later in the season there's a fair chance a lot of the Aussie teams would be going shit house and no one would care. It's a bit of a double edged sword in that respect.

That plus the fact I reckon the NZ teams don't want to give up a home game later in the season if they really need some Ws on the board.

 

[RugbyReg]

Interesting to see the tackle stats of the Aussie teams.

The Reds were outstanding the first week (91%) but dropped off big time this week against a hugely physical Canes (80%) so sit around 84%.

The Tahs are actually doing really well. Sitting at around 90% both games (and have also made the most tackles of the Aussie teams (about 30 more than the Force).

The Brumbies are the worst here with about 80% both games.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Storm probably get first call on the stadium as well, so they hold it before there are any Storm games to stuff up the weekend

 

[Dctarget]

Interesting to see the tackle stats of the Aussie teams.

The Reds were outstanding the first week (91%) but dropped off big time this week against a hugely physical Canes (80%) so sit around 84%.

The Tahs are actually doing really well. Sitting at around 90% both games (and have also made the most tackles of the Aussie teams (about 30 more than the Force).

The Brumbies are the worst here with about 80% both games.

Where are the other two teams?

 

[Braveheart81]

Where are the other two teams?

Rebels 82.7%
Force 80.2%

Brumbies are 78.5% which is last.

For reference, Hurricanes are first with 91.3%

 

[Marce]

How long is the contract of Super Round in Melbourne?

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

FWIW these are the Power Rankings according to stuff.co.nz:

1. Chiefs
2. Blues
3. Hurricanes
4. Reds
5. Waratahs
6. Highlanders
7. Moana
8. Drua
9. Brumbies
10. Crusaders
11. Rebels
12. Force

Seems pretty fair to me.

Fun fact for all the CruSadists non-fans out there: the only time they've been 0/3 was in 1996 when they finished stone dead motherless last. Didn't even get a participation certificate IIRC.