Where have all the Kiwi fans gone?

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26-06-11, 16:55
beige

Where have all the Kiwi fans gone?

It was with some dismay that we noted the alarming number of empty seats in this weekend's Super Rugby play-offs in New Zealand.

Why are stadiums in New Zealand never anywhere near full while South Africa's massive stadiums are routinely packed to the rafters? Even in Australia, where Rugby Union is supposedly struggling to compete with other football codes, attendance records are being broken - as illustrated by the 48,301 fans, who packed Suncorp Stadium for the Reds' clash with the Crusaders. Back in the Republic, the Stormers are averaging over 37,000 spectators this season.

Surely I'm missing something here...isn't the Land of the Long White Cloud supposed to be rugby mad? You'd be hard-pressed to find a Kiwi who wouldn't tell you that rugby is central the national psyche and the results of the New Zealand teams certainly suggest that the standard of game is as high as ever.

Why then did only 16,100 punters turn up at Eden Park on Friday for the Blues' Super Rugby play-off with the Waratahs in a ground that can hold 50,000?

Why was Trafalgar Park - with a capacity of just 18,000 - far from full for the Crusaders' clash with Sharks? We're talking about the most successfully, most exciting team in Super Rugby history playing a side packed with Springboks in a knock-out game. Even posterboy Fred Michalak's presence should have been good to sell a few tickets to the ladies. Yet a third of the ground was empty.

Read more: http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,2...004660,00.html
26-06-11, 17:08
brokendown gunfighter

perhaps because the games are played at night when its bloody freezing & also,often wet
26-06-11, 17:18
jono

cos all the kiwis are over here!
26-06-11, 17:41
James

I've been to Nelson- It's a pretty small town with nothing much bigger near by. Bit like Bunbury. Do you really expect to get that many people to a game in Bunbury? Plus Nelson is a lot more than a 2 hour drive from Christchurch. It'd be about 4 or 5 from memory. So you'd have to get about one in every three people in town to the game to fill the stadium. And those are probably people who've already paid for a Sky Sports subscription because they weren't going to be travelling to Christchurch for the games pre-earthquake.

Can't explain the Blues as easily. I don't think the Kiwis fans give their teams much hope because they have face two teams who have had a weeks rest and enjoy a home game. Or they are saving up for the World Cup which will probably be astronomically priced at Eden Park. I imagine that years of the Blues underperforming, given that they have arguably the best rugby talent pool to choose from in the world, has taken the passion away from some fans. Bit like the Waratahs really.
26-06-11, 20:38
Thequeerone

Bunbary races is packed
27-06-11, 05:38
shasta

Did a trip there a couple years back. Just talking to a few people - not a valid survey, I know - but I got the impression that a significant number of them have not taken to the amalgamation of provincial unions that comprise the S15 franchises. Maybe the NPC is still the most significant contest for the Kiwis. Maybe they are more interested when 2 Kiwi franchises are involved in S15?
The attendances at Waikato games have been especially terrible this year.
27-06-11, 05:38
WaterBoy

Where is Bunbary?
27-06-11, 08:33
The InnFORCEr

Quote:

Originally Posted by shasta

Did a trip there a couple years back. Just talking to a few people - not a valid survey, I know - but I got the impression that a significant number of them have not taken to the amalgamation of provincial unions that comprise the S15 franchises. Maybe the NPC is still the most significant contest for the Kiwis. Maybe they are more interested when 2 Kiwi franchises are involved in S15?
The attendances at Waikato games have been especially terrible this year.

Nail on the head Shasta.....watch the NPC attendances, may not be quiet as big, but certainly more consistant, they like watching the local lads in unzud :approve:
27-06-11, 08:54
jt12

nights games/NZ no brainer stay home, sky sports , warm
27-06-11, 09:36
jargan83

Quote:

Originally Posted by shasta

The attendances at Waikato games have been especially terrible this year.

The Chiefs form did not help either
27-06-11, 10:39
shasta

Quote:

Originally Posted by jargan83

The Chiefs form did not help either

Just like with nature, some things in sport are constants.

Pot, kettle, black. :S
27-06-11, 18:03
Hoolly Doolly

Super Ticket prices might be a bit much for the average punter in Nelson and travel inconvenience from christchurch. NPC tix might be significantly cheaper.
28-06-11, 11:37
normie

Quote:

Originally Posted by WaterBoy

Where is Bunbary?

Isn't it the home of the Bunbarians?
04-07-11, 13:55
hertryk

Price of the tickets? NZ reputation of watching the cents...:( Put as diplomatically as I can...:)