Except that each of those events has a >90% chance of selling out across all categories, and as such are priced accordingly.
And are, dare I say guaranteed entertainment for the respective fans.
Whereas for a wallabies supporter its more akin to ritualistic flagellation wearing a green and gold hessian bag.
Yep...........and it's not correct that 'all the premium tickets for Aus-based Bleds are selling out'.
Bled Tests are, sadly, by no means the 'premium' events they used to be.
For example, the October 2014 Bled at Suncorp had a 46,200 crowd and was not close to a sell-out (capacity 52,500). (I remember taking my son to the 2006 Bled there and you could not get a ticket at any price weeks before the game.). And that October 2014 Test had a huge QLD rugby favourite in Link coaching his first Bled there that day.
I remember clearly there were still 'A' tickets available on that October day and rusted-ons I know were declining to come via their view that ticket prices were just too high as they saw it, plus generally a declining and disillusioned conviction that the Wallabies might win.
I think there's a real risk that this year's Bled in Brisbane may see a 40,000 or less level crowd unless it's the 2017 BC decider.
We know that Bled crowds at ANZ in Sydney are now way under sell-out levels and falling year-on-year.
What the ARU should absolutely be doing is trying to seek an optimised combination of maximum crowds (to boost or at least preserve fan morale and encourage more positive media coverage vs the typical opposite) and maximum gross Test $ gate income and forget about historical pride and the theories of premium prices and premium BC events - those once-trustworthy golden days are gone for rugby in Australia.
