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RLWC2017 Crowd Watch

Stallion

First Grade
Messages
7,467
Lame.

Hope one of the bright sparks at RLWC2017 is planning on upgrading Cat C ticket holders in the nose bleeds into Cat B tickets on game day. Least they can do is make the lower bowl look at capacity.

Just wandered down to the fan zone in King George square. Pretty sparsely populated apart from travelling England fans. No ticket booth, if they are handing out freebies that is the place to do it.

Fully agree with your sentiment. They are a lame bunch of marketing people and an even lamer bunch justifying their poor calls on pricing and other marketing strategies!
 

Stallion

First Grade
Messages
7,467
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/rugby-league-world-cup/discord-is-international-rugby-league-less-commercially-viable-than-it-was-two-months-ago-20171129-gzv5jz.html?promote_channel=edmail&mbnr=NTQ4NDg1MA&eid=email:nnn-13omn609-ret_newsl-membereng:nnn-04/11/2013-league_hq-dom-sport-nnn-smh-u&campaign_code=13ISP011&et_bid=29106947&list_name=10014_smh_leaguehq&instance=2017-11-30--21-37--UTC

Steve Mascord's take in today's SMH:

Discord: Is international rugby league less commercially viable than it was two months ago?

For all the positives of this World Cup, could it be that international rugby league is actually a weaker product in Australia than it was before the tournament started?

Discord makes the attendances for Australian matches heading into the final between Australia and England at Suncorp Stadium this Saturday as 165,656.

In Australia, we've always relied on Brisbane to save us when it comes to international rugby league at this time of year. At the start of the week, only 30,000 of 52,500 tickets had been sold for the World Cup final.
Because World Cup organisers managed to extract decent whacks from state governments, a profit of around $7 million will be returned to the Rugby League International Federation.

But the former ARLC chief executive, David Smith, reportedly promised $12 million to get a $10 million bid for this tournament from South Africa off the table.
No one is now predicting Smith's target will be reached.

Here's a sobering thought – the World Club Challenge on February 16 will likely sell out a venue that had 8000 empty seats for international rugby league's blue-chip event: Australia versus England.

Sure, ticket prices and myriad other factors are at play but surely there must be some credence to the idea that Australians consider rugby league club sport and that the international version just doesn't stack up, that its second-rate to other international sports.

They can go watch those sports. Rugby league has to battle on and try to make the most of international competition.

So while the emergence of Tonga and Fiji has been almost phenomenal in a footballing sense, getting a commercial benefit from these developments is going to be tricky.

We can't host world cups in those places because there is very little money to be made there – and the same goes for PNG.

On top of all this, the 2017 World Cup has eroded the draw of New Zealand in places where we can make money as a sport – Britain, Australia, New Zealand itself and possible "neutral" venues for events, like the United States, Canada, the UAE and Hong Kong.

The Kiwis admit their brand has been weakened and we didn't have many marketable international brands as it was.

So when we pore over the tournament on Sunday upon its completion, we have to ask ourselves one stark question: where can we stage international rugby league events that make money to boost the expansion of the sport?

We can only say, with any certainty: the north of England and Tonga and Samoa playing in New Zealand. If we get a full-house this weekend, we can keep Brisbane on the list.

That's it, right? Where else? Not good.

What it does tell us is that the 2025 World Cup must go to the United States because Australia pretty much does not want it back … unless we split the whole thing between, say, Darwin and Brisbane plus places that didn't get a shot this time like Wollongong, Newcastle, the Gold Coast and … Belmore.

Otherwise, how many state governments and event corporations got enough value this time to jump at the chance to do it again?

Bottom line: whatever Jason Taumalolo and Jarryd Hayne did on the field over the past six weeks, our administrators have to match and exceed those feats off it during the next eight years.

Absolutely dissagree. Placement of games and ticket pricing were the real Achilles heel of this world cup. The Kangaroos should have kicked off this tournament in Sydney against England. That was the first obvious mistake! The culprits that organised this farcical situation left the scene a month b4 the tournament started! Pretty obvious when u look at it objectively. However we have organisers choosing to have games away from major RL cities and towns like Newcastle? Astonishingly poor read. The pricing of tickets further illustrates the lack of feel for the rugby league public and the neutral fan. Disgracefully poor judgement. What I'd like to figure is whether this is by design or sheer stupidity!? Somehow the way things have panned out I suspect by design in a very sordid and deliberate way. You cannot f#ck up a world cup in this sort of manner and be that stupid!
 
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Emu01

Juniors
Messages
833
I will be fuming if we have over 40k at the ground but empty behind the posts like the semi final.

It looks really amateurish and bad on tv.. should only be $10 behind the posts $70 is ridiculous.
 

Burns

First Grade
Messages
6,037
I will be fuming if we have over 40k at the ground but empty behind the posts like the semi final.

It looks really amateurish and bad on tv.. should only be $10 behind the posts $70 is ridiculous.
There will be heaps of empty seats behind the goal posts. I’m not so certain on the third tiers either.
 

DlEHARD

Juniors
Messages
823
What a joke that we can't leverage the Broncos memberships, Maroons and throw in Titans and other clubs in SEQLD and sell just 50,000.

We should audit every club to see what they actually did on social media and email.
 

Springs09

Juniors
Messages
1,903
Apathy can not be the main cause when Australian RL fans haven't been nearly as apathetic in past international fixtures, even when the Kangaroos were far more dominant than now. 2008 was better, 2014 was great apart from Melbourne, ANZAC Tests and Pacific Tests have got much better crowds than this World Cup. Where was this almost total apathy when we got 47k for the opener of the 2014 4 Nations?

The organisers should have had the hype for this World Cup 10x more than those fixtures, but we haven't been near it.

And Kiwi fans are even worse than Aussies. If it weren't for Tonga and Samoa the NZ crowds would have been awful.

Finals fest at King George Square is alright. Mostly pommy fans though.
 

deluded pom?

Coach
Messages
10,897
Mate I was in NZ at the time. They were everywhere and if you went to the games (which all sold out) more than 50% of the crowds were Lions supporters. The packed out the bars, the streets everywhere.

Don't believe me, 25K was the quoted figure.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/94...nding-in-wellington-spikes-during-lions-visit
Union are notorious for their crowd calculator. The article says 25,000 visitors of which three quarters were international visitors. Not quite the 25,000 you are claiming.
 

Stallion

First Grade
Messages
7,467
Wonder if their will be a public protest about the non recogntion of rugby league as a sport by that international sports body?! Now that would be worthwhile exposure. So many people are unaware of this disgusting treatment of rugby league and this very real issue is not publicised anywhere near to the level it should be! It should be a public discourse and getting resolved asap. Not hidden under the carpet. I spoke to a female teacher today about this non recognition and she was visibly astounded at this information concerning rugby league. She had no idea of the struggles the game faces.
 

Stallion

First Grade
Messages
7,467
Speaking of the weather it may be a bit of justice but the weather is supposed to be pretty wet down Adelaide way so perhaps a washout may occur?This would be a bit of good luck for this "hijacked" tournament! Especially for tv ratings! In fact a godsend and some decent fortune for this poorly treated code that deserves so much more. PS: The sporting gods are not helping out as the weather is cloudy with minimal rain (20percent chance) tomorrow in Adelaide.
 
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Stallion

First Grade
Messages
7,467
>45k tipped on 7 Brisbane tonight.

It needs to be talked up. At least that is being done. They are giving tickets away so lets hope it looks like a full house tomorrow. I hope so. Otherwise another embarassment for this code that deserves better.
 
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Billythekid

First Grade
Messages
6,560
I always take reports like that with a grain of salt. At this point if it's 40K+ I'll be happy and if it gets 45K+ that'll be a great result. Let's hope the game delivers.

Speaking of the weather it may be a bit of justice but the weather is supposed to be pretty wet down Adelaide way so perhaps a washout may occur?This would be a bit of good luck for this "hijacked" tournament! Especially for tv ratings! In fact a godsend and some decent fortune for this poorly treated code that deserves so much more. PS: The sporting gods are not helping out as the weather is cloudy with minimal rain (20percent chance) tomorrow in Adelaide.

The test isn't supposed to be washed out tomorrow so I wouldn't get your hopes up.
 

Stallion

First Grade
Messages
7,467
I always take reports like that with a grain of salt. At this point if it's 40K+ I'll be happy and if it gets 45K+ that'll be a great result. Let's hope the game delivers.



The test isn't supposed to be washed out tomorrow so I wouldn't get your hopes up.

Yes. I noted that at the end of the comment. Dissappointingly enough though is that their seems to be a distinct lack of communication between the two sports on question? Surely a compromise could have been sorted out a long time ago!? However their are some rugby union types appointed within the high echelons of Australian cricket so perhaps not?
 

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