The dying - perhaps death - of Rugby in Australia.

[gel]

Just on the crowds thing from last night in Brisbane...

The weeks weather was terrible. The week's traffic was terrible.

Friday's traffic and weather was worse than terrible. By the time I got home after a two hour horror experience, I was pretty much ready to tell the wife that we could bloody well stay home even though we have memberships. I wouldn't be surprised if people decided not to go even though they were stadium members, reds members, or just frequent fans.

Caxton street was the deadest I had ever seen it - indicating that people in Brisbane were just ready to stay at home.

Nothing dulls a Queenslander's enthusiasm more than a month of friggen rain.

Just saying that I think last night's figures *could* have mitigating circumstances.

If there is a definite trend in forth coming games, then maybe that is more meaningful and a true indicator.

 

[qwerty51]

I took a work colleague from the US to the tahs last night. He mentioned that grid iron games are blacked out in the city which they are played unless the game is a sell out. Blacked out means the game is not on live tv at all in that city. They sell out most games as a result. Maybe aus rugby needs to think about something drastic like this to get attendances up, say have a blackout if the stadium is less than half full. Alternatively, maybe they should offer ticket discounts for fox subscribers, maybe even something like a free ticket to one game a year.

Someone from Perth could tell us but don't C9 do this when the cricket is at the WACA?

 

[GaffaCHinO]

Someone from Perth could tell us but don't C9 do this when the cricket is at the WACA?

They put it on delay most times 2-3 hours unless its sold out.

Sent from my GT-I9300T using Tapatalk 2

 

[No4918]

Foxtel would never allow it.

 

[JSRF10]

Agreed Fox haven't paid all this cash to the ARU only for them to turn around and tell them they can't show it live because the Tahs marketing isn't up to scratch and the tickets couldn't be shifted.

 

[Braveheart81]

Someone from Perth could tell us but don't C9 do this when the cricket is at the WACA?

This used to be the case in other cities but they stopped doing that several years ago (probably 10 years ago in Sydney).

I think the difference it would make to viewing numbers is so minimal. I have certainly never made the choice to go to a live sporting event because I couldn't watch it on TV. The decisions are completely separate.

Whilst the ability to watch Friday's Super Rugby game on TV probably did cause a few viewers who had tickets to stay home, the overall impact would have been minimal if the game wasn't shown live.

 

[Bowside]

I don't think rugby is dying but I think it is at a point where failure is not an option.

If in 2 years time we have a third tier, a proper 7's circuit over the summer, 5 stable club comps, and the clusterfuck that is schoolboy rugby has been sorted out; then results at the top will start to follow, and the ratings and fans that have been lost over the last 10 years will begin to flow back.

 

[No4918]

Bit of a chicken vs egg debate. I tend to think success will be needed before there is a return of fans and rugby to the sporting mainstream. At least in the short term winning a Bledisloe series or 2 will have a big effect. If the Wallabies aren't winning anything of note and playing crap rugby it will be fighting an uphill battle despite the best efforts to sort out the other, very important areas of concern that you mentioned.

 

[Bowside]

Bit of a chicken vs egg debate. I tend to think success will be needed before there is a return of fans and rugby to the sporting mainstream. At least in the short term winning a Bledisloe series or 2 will have a big effect. If the Wallabies aren't winning anything of note and playing crap rugby it will be fighting an uphill battle despite the best efforts to sort out the other, very important areas of concern that you mentioned.

Without a doubt wallaby success is crucial. But to sustain wallaby success in the long term, you need get the house in order.

 

[I like to watch]

Getting back to the crowds,
Tah's on Friday night drew 11,000 ish punters(how many were SCG members that don't pay a cent?).
Central Coast Mariners(at Gosford) on Saturday nigh drew 18,700.
50% more spectators to a comp that almost collapsed less than a year ago!

 

[barbarian]

Getting back to the crowds,
Tah's on Friday night drew 11,000 ish punters(how many were SCG members that don't pay a cent?).
Central Coast Mariners(at Gosford) on Saturday nigh drew 18,700.
50% more spectators to a comp that almost collapsed less than a year ago!

But this is another misleading comparison. The CCM/Wanderers game was a top of the table clash, late in the season with quite a bit riding on the result. The Tahs/Rebs contained two teams with losing records coming off lean 2012s, and it was round 2 in a non-traditional playing month.

If you had an equivalent rugby game I reckon you would have got 25+.
.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Getting back to the crowds,
Tah's on Friday night drew 11,000 ish punters(how many were SCG members that don't pay a cent?).
Central Coast Mariners(at Gosford) on Saturday nigh drew 18,700.
50% more spectators to a comp that almost collapsed less than a year ago!

in addition to barbarian comment its a lot easier/cheaper/quicker to get from western sydney to gosford than it is to get from melbourne to sydney

 

[I like to watch]

But this is another misleading comparison. The CCM/Wanderers game was a top of the table clash, late in the season with quite a bit riding on the result. The Tahs/Rebs contained two teams with losing records coming off lean 2012s, and it was round 2 in a non-traditional playing month.

If you had an equivalent rugby game I reckon you would have got 25+.
.

My perception of the A league is obviously wrong. I am flabbergasted that they could outdraw a Tahs game against anyone, at anytime.
But your point about non traditional dates is silly, they have been playing Super Rugby in late Feb longer than the A League has been in existence.
As to the Tahs drawing a crowd of 25k for a top of the table clash, that equates to around 15k of paying customers after freebies, SCG members and corporates.
That is a poor crowd, given 4 A League teams, and 9 NRL teams regularly draw larger crowds all season.

 

[Braveheart81]

My perception of the A league is obviously wrong. I am flabbergasted that they could outdraw a Tahs game against anyone, at anytime.

The Wanderers in their first A-League season beat the leading side in the competition to win their 8th game in a row (equaling the A-League record) to move to the top of the table.

You couldn't write a better script for a match that would draw a big crowd.

 

[I like to watch]

Maybe the Tahs,should poach their management. Pretty impressive for a start up,even if it is in the A league.
Was it made easier for them cos of the dissolution of the Gold coast franchise?

 

[Rob42]

Sydney fans love following the buzz - and it is undoubtedly the Wanderers who have that buzz at the moment, a new team going into the season with low expectations, success against the odds, etc. Let's see if they can keep it going for several seasons - Sydney FC had that kind of buzz when they started up, but it hasn't lasted. The Swans capture it from time to time. The Tahs had it when Bob Dwyer's young team was on fire and made their first semi in the Super 12.

If the Tahs can keep winning with some character, the crowds will return in time. But it won't happen overnight - too many hearts that have been broken time and again.

 

[Lindommer]

Just face the facts. The Tahs changed the schedule, this is why there is no game on prime time tonight.

FOR THE LAST TIME: some goose at SANZAR is obviously unaware the Mardi Gras parade is ALWAYS on the first Saturday in March in Sydney. He/she (stupidly) set down the Rebels match at the SFS for that night. The match had to be moved to Friday. There should never be rugby scheduled in Sydney on that weekend. Never. Take note, SANZAR.

Get off the Tahs back, boys, the fuckup had nothing to do with them. The NSW Police/Tahs' management/SCG Trust did the best they could moving it so's SANZAR's commitments to Foxtel were met. Any further grizzling, refer your complaints to SANZAR.

 

[barbarian]

My perception of the A league is obviously wrong. I am flabbergasted that they could outdraw a Tahs game against anyone, at anytime.
But your point about non traditional dates is silly, they have been playing Super Rugby in late Feb longer than the A League has been in existence.
As to the Tahs drawing a crowd of 25k for a top of the table clash, that equates to around 15k of paying customers after freebies, SCG members and corporates.
That is a poor crowd, given 4 A League teams, and 9 NRL teams regularly draw larger crowds all season.

I'm not arguing that Friday wasn't a poor crowd. It was, although there are a few excuses.

Your point about 'freebies' is also invalid IMO. The SCG members still have to pay a bucketload each year, there is nothing free about those seats. Corporates are also charged plenty. I'm not sure why you think those seats are free, and that the Tahs see no benefit from them.
.

 

[Lindommer]

If in 2 years' time.....the clusterfuck that is schoolboy rugby has been sorted out.....

I doubt if any of us here on G&GR will be alive to see that.

 

[No.8]

Major problems that need to be addressed within the next 12-24 months:

- We need Super rugby/all tests back on Free-to-air tv (major fuck up by aru going with fox - prob one of the worse moves in Rugby history in Aus)

- We need a semi-professional 3rd teir comp (either a make up of current clubs or made up of state rep sides - not going to go into detail)

- More marketing/Advertising around the game - this comes back to foxtel though as how can they market or advertise to main-stream public while they are watching their My kitchen rules or The block when everything is on foxtel

- Strength Junior and school boy rugby - inject more money into this

- Stop contracting players from NZ, SA, Japan etc etc etc - look in your own backyard - with have a FANTASTIC player base - the AUS rugby conference is looking like a Barbarians conference

- Get rid of Robbie Deans and some of the coaching staff on a Wallabies level...5 yrs is enough...should of been gone 2-3 years ago...

In 5-10 years if we stay on the same track I predict we will prob be 5th,6th maybe 7th in the world in IRB overall standings...

Its is so sad to see how Aus rugby is going....the next 12-24 months will really show what will happen...