Crusaders likely to scratch Melbourne ties

[Darren]

Victorians are gonna have to do better if they hope to get a Super14 franchise...

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The Crusaders' days of playing in Melbourne are numbered.

With Saturday night's match against the Western Force at Olympic Park pulling a disappointing crowd of only about 7000 fans, it is unlikely the franchise will play pre-season matches in the Victorian capital.

Chief executive Hamish Riach said yesterday it was not expected the Crusaders would record a profit from the game.

"Probably not, I would say. We probably broke even. It's been hard to crack a really good crowd in Melbourne."

The weekend's match was the last in a three- year deal brokered between the Crusaders, the Force and the Victorian Rugby Union, which is desperate to promote the code in the Aussie Rules-mad city.

In 2006 11,500 fans watched the two teams play but that figure dipped to 7000 last year.

With the Crusaders paying for the bulk of the costs for hosting the match, the franchise was also entitled to the lion's share of any profits.

It will also earn a match fee, and possibly a bonus if there is a large crowd, from Thursday night's match against the Waratahs at Sydney's Aussie Stadium.

Riach said the Crusaders will now assess their options and whether it is worth the risk of playing in Melbourne.

With coach Robbie Deans set to leave New Zealand at the end of the Super 14, the relationship with Force coach John Mitchell is set to be severed.

The pair coached the All Blacks between 2001 and 2003 and hatched the plan to play in Melbourne.

The Crusaders will also be wary of taking games to Australia when they can pull bigger crowds in New Zealand for such pre- season matches.

On January 25, 10,000 people attended the match between the Crusaders and Hurricanes.

The Tasman union, which hosted the fixture, reaped a tidy profit.

The Crusaders are negotiating with the Sharks to play their 2009 round-robin match in London instead of Durban, with each franchise to share dividends.

Crusaders likely to scratch Melbourne ties - rugbyheaven07.com.au

[The InnFORCEr]

84,401 at the MCG the night before for the 20/20 would not have helped.

As Burgs will tell you they do love their sport in Melbourne.

This match is a great road trip and I would suggest RugbyWA come to the party to keep this fixture, if that is possible?

Seemed like more that 7000 there, or maybe it's just because we were on a rectangular ground!

[JediKnight]

Poor scheduling of other sports in Melbourne didn't help. The rugby coincided with the NZ v Vic (sorry, don't know the teams) in the basketball. Some in the crowd reckoned that the rugby would have been double if they'd had the basketball in the afternoon followed by the rugby. As it was a pre-season match with no TV coverage, there was probably no consultation regarding scheduling.

Or maybe the Crusaders don't want to play in a city where the 'local' Crusaders support was out-voiced by a hardy bunch of supporters who had traveled from the West..........

[Happy]

or at least advertise the game .. we spoke to many many people, crusaders AND force fans we met during the day and after the game, they didn't even know it was on???

[AndyS]

Well, I haven't seen much promoting Thursday either...has anyone else?

[GIGS20]

Only what I've received in Cut out Pass and here Andy

[Seldom]

Well, I haven't seen much promoting Thursday either...has anyone else?

I got a poster on my shop door and thats all i'v seen. Speaking to customers at our Karrinyup Stall Last week and people don't know about it. Stoked they could get general admission @ $20 at the gate.
Haven't seen any advertising for any rugby even our home game on the 9th March yet, not good got to get the non rugby crowd in not just rely on us fanatics to boost numbers.

[frontrow]

The new PR guy for rugby WA has gotta step up, advertising works you know....

[prop53]

right on there Frontrow, i suppose all of us at one time have been to other sporting events, good advertising as never stopped people attending events. Some of the big billboards around the place could be well used or even a run at the bus stops. Plenty of space there and a captive audience to.