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THE grandest derby in Australian rugby, featuring the code’s biggest stars, will attract fewer than 25,000 fans when the Reds take on the Waratahs in Sydney on Saturday.
It will be a hostile contest in front of a docile crowd at ANZ Stadium.
The 82,000-seat Olympic stadium will be less than a third full for the biggest game on the Super Rugby calendar, further proving the Waratahs are Australian sport’s ugly stepchild.
The lack of atmosphere could favour the Waratahs, with Reds players yesterday insisting they thrive in the hostile environment the game usually provides.
Last year’s interstate derby at Suncorp Stadium attracted 35,801 fans in a city with half Sydney’s population.
A crowd of 25,000 would be an awful attendance for a contest featuring Israel Folau, Quade Cooper, Will Genia, James Horwill, Kurtley Beale and Michael Hooper.
The clash features 30 Wallabies and there are no NRL games to compete with.
Read more: http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/...-1226837583119
Australian sports ugly stepchild!
It's funny cos it's true, except in the eyes of the media and the ARU of course...
I don't find it particularly funny that the team representing Australia's biggest rugby market is drawing crowds like that, especially at ANZ - they should be aiming for double. The ugly stepchild comment on the other hand...
Why bother with going to ANZ? The SFS holds 44,000 and if they think they'll only get 25,000, why bother going to a larger stadium?
Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon
My understanding is that ANZ paid NSWRU to host the game
ANZ pay Souffs $100K a game to play at ANZ and I have read a similar deal for the Bulldogs.
I was more annoyed at this being touted as the (quote) Biggest game on the Super Rugby calendar
Chiefs - Sharks not bigger?
Chiefs - Crusaders?
Sharks - Bulls?
Anything between two FINALISTS from last year?
C'mon the![]()
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How about the ARU force them back to Concord if they don't get sufficient numbers elsewhere. Could save them a heap of $$ and also save the ARU having to bundle them out every other year!
80 Minutes, 15 Positions, No Protection, Wanna Ruck?
Ruck Me, Maul Me, Make Me Scrum!
Education is Important, but Rugby is Importanter!
My maths is the worst in the world, but would I be right in saying that, PER CAPITA, the crowd number we normally get at NiB for ALL Force games is higher than the 25k predicted for this 'blockbuster'?
NSW gets so many more bigger rugby games (bledisloe) that the fans can afford to be picky
Chuck Norris has the greatest Poker-Face of all time. He won the 1983 World Series of Poker, despite holding only a Joker, a Get out of Jail Free Monopoly card, a 2 of clubs, 7 of spades and a green #4 card from the game Uno.
Sydney's population is ~4.6 million (according to Wikipedia) with a total NSW population of 7.3 million. Even assuming no-one from outside Sydney comes to the Waratahs match, 25,000 is 1 per 184 (0.5% of the population).
Perth's population is ~1.9 million. If we got the same proportion of the population attending a Force game we'd get 10,325. I don't think we've ever had an attendance that low; even our stormy game against the Lions a couple of years ago got over 10,400. So our worst attendance is better than the Tah's biggest derby game!
Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon
Thanks Sheikh - very well analysed :-))
If you couple that with the fact that we are supposed to be a very strong AFL state and them a very strong rugby state, it's no wonder the ARU's coffers are empty!