Rugby final ticket sales remain slow
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A lack of interest in Saturday night's Air New Zealand Cup final could result in the Canterbury Rugby Football Union losing money from the fixture.
Canterbury's administrators have estimated they need around 11,000 people to attend the final against Wellington at AMI Stadium to break even and by this afternoon had sold just over 8000 tickets.
Overheads and a requirement that their revenue must be shared with Wellington means the Canterbury union faces a nervous wait ahead of the kickoff. Last weekend's semifinal against Hawkes Bay at the Christchurch venue attracted fewer than 8000 fans.
Canterbury now face the prospect of hosting one of the smallest crowds for a national provincial final since the competition was formed in 1976. Not surprisingly, this is a concern for the union but Canterbury chief executive Hamish Riach defended the union's marketing campaign.
"We are very conscious of it, we don't want it to be an embarrassing occasion for Canterbury and Canterbury rugby. We are doing a whole range of things."
This included advertising the match in the media, getting the players to visit three malls this afternoon and employing mascot Larry the Lamb to hand out flyers in central Christchurch and at the Guy Fawkes fireworks display at New Brighton last night. A competition involving school classes decorating their rooms has also been launched.
A lack of interest in test, Super 14 and Air New Zealand Cup matches in Christchurch is nothing new and Riach acknowledged the union had "often" thought about giving away free tickets to bolster crowds and give patrons who would not usually attend matches an opportunity to experience the occasion.
"The trouble with free tickets is that if it is free, people do not see that the final of the national provincial championship has value.
"We want people to be there for all the right reasons, rather than throw away free tickets. But we think about it a lot."
High-profile matches have the potential to attract large crowds who will return to the central city to spend their money but the Christchurch City Council has not taken an obvious role in promoting the match.
However, Riach waltzed a careful line when discussing the council's relationship with his union.
"We generally have a strong relationship with the council," he said.
With the revamped AMI Stadium set to be completed later this year, Canterbury and the Crusaders face a massive challenge in attracting fans back to matches and Riach admitted the continued lack of interest was "certainly a concern".
Just how much the rebuilding of the Deans Stand at AMI Stadium has impacted on crowds over the last two years will be known when the Super 14 kicks off next year, and high hopes have been pinned on the completed venue attracting supporters who have turned their backs on rugby matches.
The New Zealand Rugby Union's decision to send the All Blacks on their end-of-year tour before the playoffs has also done Canterbury few favours, robbing the public of the opportunity to see stars such as Richie McCaw, Dan Carter and Brad Thorn in action.
"We would prefer that this competition finished prior to the All Blacks going on that tour, that's for sure," Riach said.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Will you be going to the game? If not, why not?
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I support Canterbury rugby enthusiastically, but don't got to every match, because it's beyond my budget.
The average return they get per seat (including the empty ones), must be less than $10 - they'd be better to charge $5-$10 and fill the place.
I am going to the final though - Casey Laulala's last game, it's good to support the players, and there's nothing better than watching it live.
It's lots of little things that keep people away though.
Confiscating umbrellas last year when it was cold. Giving members seats to touring Lions parties a few years ago. Having a Members privileges stand tour when members (my parents) couldn't bring grandchildren. MAking things too corporate. A replica jersey for a six year old is $120!!!!
I support Canterbury rugby, but somehow when you buy the tickets it becomes Canterbury Rugby Ltd.
Similarly, I love the All Blacks history but not the "Brand" or All Blacks TM. It's over corporatised, over-priced, over-hyped.
And who doesn't absolutely loathe Ticketek's fee policy - why can't they make the ticket price include the fee? It feels like a rip-off every time. Advertise the actual, honest, price, don't make it hard for me to be a customer and have that little negative association each time you buy a ticket.
I am interested in the rugby. I'd sooner watch TV coverage than attend the grounds.
Why not put the game on at a decent hour so young kids can go and enjoy the occasion, make it more a family affair. I took my 5 year old boy and his wee mate to the Semi final and they were really struggling by full time with the late night and the cold. We live outside of christchurch so by the time we were home and in bed it was after 11pm.
How often do we have to say it - Cantabs hate going to night rugby games.
I think rugby is a dying game, Invest in football also known as soccer. Rugby is a prehistori pasttime invented for neaderthals to stop them eating each other....Why do football clubs in europe make billions??players get paid millions....sort it out or change the national game to soccer....8000 people...theres more people at an average rave sucking on lollipops and inhaling baloons,listening to crappy trance music!!!
The game of Rugby is in fact very boring. One side tries t bash past the other all night. Who wants to watch that?? Even if entry was free, like the horse races, who would bother to go???
What's it going to be like to fill seats for the less important World Cup games when New Zealanders can't even support their own. The public need to get behind the clubs and support our players if they want to see them succeed and keep rugby at the top.
What's it going to be like to fill seats for the less important World Cup games when New Zealanders can't even support their own. The public need to get behind the clubs and support our players if they want to see them succeed and keep rugby at the top.
It's been over ten months since the rugby 'season' began. If we miss this match, don't worry, there'll be another really important, must win, ultra crucial match in two month's time labeled the 'warm-up' matches for the Super 14/15/whatever. I think over-saturation, over-promotion, and over-yelling has killed large portions of rugbys' following. I think limiting the season would drive up interest. It's called Supply and Demand. I'm absolutely positive the boffins at the Rugby Union have heard of this business model.
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Why not let kids in free? They are your future supporters. I would like to go and I am 3 hrs from there. Jon