With the positive reception of the return of afternoon Super Rugby to Sydney, it would be a good idea to consider scheduling the matches at Homebush for the afternoon. For better or worse, the Tahs are contracted to play two games out there for the next couple of years at least. So having those games played in the afternoon may reduce the reticence of fans from getting out to Homebush.
I reckon an afternoon Tahs vs Reds match would be an enticing day out for families. It would also allow fans plenty of time to return to the city to kick on if they so desire.
With a ground as big as Homebush, it would be an opportunity to experiment with ideas to drum up publicity for the Tahs and rugby in general.
In the lead up, the Tahs could have the players visit schools, community groups, make some appearances at local shopping centres etc to raise awareness of the game. If the game is scheduled during school holidays, then perhaps run a few training clinics in different parts of Sydney for kids during the week of the game and give attendees a free ticket to the match or a special family deal. They could run some clinics on the day like the Wallabies did last year before the Samoa Test, or like the Tahs did before the Sharks match this year.
They could also try something like offering a free ticket to people who have a season ticket to another sport, get some contact details as well to receive feedback on their experience.
No doubt there would be some challenges to staging afternoon games at Homebush (broadcast schedules, ground availability etc), but it maybe a worthwhile concept to make the matches out there more palatable.
