The Game 2023 Crowd Watch

[SpaceMonkey]

That's brilliant. They are smashing the Auckland Blues at the moment.

I reckon since their inception the Warriors have always had a more loyal and enthusiastic fanbase than the Blues. It definitely grows and shrinks with the team’s fortunes and right now it’s at the best I’ve seen it since the debut season in 1995, but there’s a real buzz when the Warriors get on a roll that just doesn’t happen with the Blues. Other Super Rugby and the Phoenix seem to do it at times but Auckland is generally a hard sporting market to crack so it says something that the Warriors are doing so.

 

[SouthsCountry]

I dream of in 10 years time having 62k Iike the Melburnians get...we can do it!

 

[Brian potter]

Apparently the CC Final at Wembley has sold over 75k tickets

Don’t want to be a party pooper but from what I’m hearing there’s only 70k tickets being put on general sale and Leigh have something like 10k unsold tickets from their allocation.

probably looking at a crowd between 50-60k unfortunately.

 

[undertaker]

Don’t want to be a party pooper but from what I’m hearing there’s only 70k tickets being put on general sale and Leigh have something like 10k unsold tickets from their allocation.

probably looking at a crowd between 50-60k unfortunately.

why only 70k tickets put on general sale?

 

[Brian potter]

why only 70k tickets put on general sale?

I think either parts of or the entire upper bowl is closed off.

 

[Vee]

Brisbane Watch Update:

“We’ll be the biggest sport in that market in 5-10 years across most metrics. It is changing. Queensland is pumping and becoming an AFL state'' - Gillon McLachlan (AFL CEO)

Average Attendance By Club:

Broncos: 33,324
Dolphins: 31,373 (Suncorp games only)
Lions: 28,296
Dolphins: 23,375

Average Attendance by Code:

RL: 34,333 (Includes Origin)
NRL: 33,637 (NRL club games only)
AFL: 28,926

Top 10 Crowds in Brisbane in 2023 (NRL & AFL):

1. NRL: 53,433 - State of Origin 2:
2. NRL: 51,047 - Dolphins v Broncos
3. NRL: 50,183 - Magic Round Day 3
4. NRL: 50,077 - Magic Round Day 1
5. NRL: 46,835 - Magic Round Day 2
6. NRL: 43,162 - Broncos v Cowboys
7. NRL: 42,249 - Broncos v Titans
8. NRL: 40,102 - Broncos v Souths
9. NRL: 35,184 - Broncos v Newcastle
10. AFL: 33,565 - Lions v Collingwood

When were those quotes? Are you able to date them?

 

[SLRBRONCOS]

Got tickets to Broncos v Storm on 31st August at Sucorp PAX 19,016

Broncos aren’t including their ticketed members, suncorp members, and corporate packages in this.

PAX would be closer to 39,000 given the sections sold.

 

[Harry O]

I think either parts of or the entire upper bowl is closed off.

Don't you see a pattern here? Evertime a RL game is on something is bound to go wrong. Hmmmm

 

[mongoose]

Gold Coast Watch Update:

''We’ll be the biggest sport in that market in 5-10 years across most metrics. It is changing. Queensland is pumping and becoming an AFL state and the Gold Coast has done their bit'' - Gillon McLachlan (AFL CEO)

Average Attendance By Club:

Titans: 17,062
Suns: 13,965

Top 10 Crowds on the Gold Coast in 2023 (NRL & AFL):

1. NRL: 26,563 - Titans v Broncos
2. AFL: 22,483 - Suns v Collingwood
3. NRL: 20,877 – Titans v Warriors
4. NRL: 18,736 - Titans v Souths
5. NRL: 18,335 - Titans v Dolphins
6. NRL: 16,516 - Titans v Cowboys
7. NRL: 15,362 - Titans v Roosters
8. NRL: 14,483 - Titans v Storm
9. AFL: 14,242 - Suns v Hawthorn
10. AFL: 14,097 - Suns v Lions

what about one for Auckland?

Canberra would be interesting to see too including Giants and Brumbies - probably wont even be able to find crowd numbers for Brumbies lol

 

[SLRBRONCOS]

Way too early to be talking about it but Raiders vs Broncos in round 26 is selling very well. The Broncos supporter bay is basically sold out (This bay has only sold out for Parramatta and Warriors games so far) and reserved seats in all areas look to have already sold further than the Knights game which pulled 15k.

With favourable weather could this make 20k?

 

[SpaceMonkey]

what about one for Auckland?

With Super Rugby being very selective about published crowds it’s hard to be sure but I’d sa it’s just be a list of Warriors crowds with a few Blues crowds somewhere in list (when they play the other NZ sides). Blues vs Chiefs would draw big too but I don’t think they played in Auckland this year. Moana Pasifika crowds don’t even crack 10K so they wouldn’t feature.

edit: pretty sure it’d look like this:

Warriors vs Sharks (Mt Smart) - 24012
Blues vs Crusaders (Eden Park) - 23990
Warriors vs Cowboys (Mt Smart) - 23695
Warriors vs Dolphins (M Smart) - 23686
Warriors vs Rabbitohs (Mt Smart) - 22612
Blues vs Hurricanes (Eden Park) - 21000
Warriors vs Roosters (Mt Smart) - 20395
Warriors vs Raiders (Mt Smart) - 19112
Warriors vs Bulldogs (Mt Smart) - 18895
Blues vs Highlanders (Eden Park) - 17000
Blues vs Waratahs QF (Eden Park) - 12941

note: there are 3 Blues games against non-NZ opponents that didn’t have numbers available as well as all Moana Pasifika games which didn’t give numbers either but drew very small crowds. Given that even the Blues vs Tahs quarterfinal didn’t crack 13k its safe to assume they’d all be near the bottom of the list.
there are still two more Warriors home games to go plus a likely home semifinal - so it’s probable that the top ten crowds end up being 8 Warriors and 2 Blues. It should also be noted that the Warriors are regularly selling out Mt Smart so their potential crowds are actually higher.

The Warriors also have 3 games outside Auckland in NZ this year:

vs Knights (Wellington) 16676
vs Broncos (Napier) 15,600
Vs Tigers (Hamilton) TBA but announced as a 23000 sellout already

Mt Smart average 21772
NZ average 20520

assuming the last 3 games average 2300 the end of season averages should be over 22000 at Mt Smart and 21000 NZ wide, and that’s not accounting for a possible home final at Eden Park which could draw 40K+

 

[jim_57]

what about one for Auckland?

Canberra would be interesting to see too including Giants and Brumbies - probably wont even be able to find crowd numbers for Brumbies lol

Just did a quick check for Canberra.

- Top 9 is all Raiders from their 9 GIO home games so far. Highest 21,082, lowest 11,659, average 15,166.
- 10th is currently Brumbies at 10,575, a couple of their games are still TBA but I doubt that would be the case if they were good crowds.
- Giants best crowd is 10,461.
- Raiders 10,445 Wagga crowd beats all Giants’ & Brumbies’ crowds except those 2.

So it will finish top 10 all Raiders very comfortably with their 2 games left Vs Bulldogs & Broncos.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

In the spirit of Suns getting beaten in crowds, found something interesting the other day that surprised me a little. I stole your format btw.

Top Crowds in Darwin this decade 2020-2023 (NRL & AFL):
1. NRL: 12,056 - Eels v Broncos (2021)
2. NRL: 11,864 - Eels v Broncos (2023)
3. AFL: 10,772 - Suns v Crows (2023)
4. NRL: 10,017 - Eels v Cowboys (2022)
5. AFL: 9,316 - Suns v Bulldogs (2023)
6. AFL: 7,516 - Suns v Hawks (2022)
7. AFL: 5,523 - Suns v Kangaroos (2022)
8. AFL: 5,401 - Bombers v Tigers (2020)
9. AFL: 5,172 - Suns v Blues (2020)

Eels/NRL have outdrawn Suns/AFL home games at TIO in 2022 & 2023, 3 of the top 4 from 3 attempts. Plus they have the biggest crowd this decade and since 2017 (which was 13,473 for the RLWC. Some food for thought.

Nice one! I might do a Canberra version

 

[titoelcolombiano]

When were those quotes? Are you able to date them?

About two weeks ago I believe when he was being quizzed about the ungodly amount of money spent on the flop that is the Suns

 

[titoelcolombiano]

what about one for Auckland?

Canberra would be interesting to see too including Giants and Brumbies - probably wont even be able to find crowd numbers for Brumbies lol

Yeah Super Rugby Union crowds are inconsistently published. Can definitely do Canberra. I'll have a look a bit later

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Yeah Super Rugby Union crowds are inconsistently published. Can definitely do Canberra. I'll have a look a bit later

From what I can see they mostly only publish the numbers when they’re a decent crowd (generally over 13-15k).

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Canberra Watch:

Average Attendance By Club:

Raiders: 15,166
Giants: 10,175

Top 10 Crowds in Canberra in 2023 (NRL & AFL):

1. NRL: 21,082 Raiders v Warriors
2. NRL: 17,414 Raiders v Parramatta
3. NRL: 15,487 – Raiders v Newcastle
4. NRL: 15,334 - Raiders v Penrith
5. NRL: 14,730 - Raiders v Manly
6. NRL: 14,134 - Raiders v Cronulla
7. NRL: 13,817 - Raiders v Dragons
8. NRL: 11,659 - Raiders v Titans

^^All 8 Raiders games so far this year fill the top 8 positions

9. AFL: 10,461 - Giants v Lions
10. AFL: 10,039 - Giants v Bulldogs

 

[jim_57]

Canberra Watch:

Average Attendance By Club:

Raiders: 15,166
Giants: 10,175

Top 10 Crowds in Canberra in 2023 (NRL & AFL):

1. NRL: 21,082 Raiders v Warriors
2. NRL: 17,414 Raiders v Parramatta
3. NRL: 15,487 – Raiders v Newcastle
4. NRL: 15,334 - Raiders v Penrith
5. NRL: 14,730 - Raiders v Manly
6. NRL: 14,134 - Raiders v Cronulla
7. NRL: 13,817 - Raiders v Dragons
8. NRL: 11,659 - Raiders v Titans

^^All 8 Raiders games so far this year fill the top 8 positions

9. AFL: 10,461 - Giants v Lions
10. AFL: 10,039 - Giants v Bulldogs

Raiders v Tigers - 12,841 round 23. 2 Raiders have 2 GIO games left so should finish all top 11 from 11 games.

 

[Evil_Mush]

With Super Rugby being very selective about published crowds it’s hard to be sure but I’d sa it’s just be a list of Warriors crowds with a few Blues crowds somewhere in list (when they play the other NZ sides). Blues vs Chiefs would draw big too but I don’t think they played in Auckland this year. Moana Pasifika crowds don’t even crack 10K so they wouldn’t feature.

edit: pretty sure it’d look like this:

Warriors vs Sharks (Mt Smart) - 24012
Blues vs Crusaders (Eden Park) - 23990
Warriors vs Cowboys (Mt Smart) - 23695
Warriors vs Dolphins (M Smart) - 23686
Warriors vs Rabbitohs (Mt Smart) - 22612
Blues vs Hurricanes (Eden Park) - 21000
Warriors vs Roosters (Mt Smart) - 20395
Warriors vs Raiders (Mt Smart) - 19112
Warriors vs Bulldogs (Mt Smart) - 18895
Blues vs Highlanders (Eden Park) - 17000
Blues vs Waratahs QF (Eden Park) - 12941

note: there are 3 Blues games against non-NZ opponents that didn’t have numbers available as well as all Moana Pasifika games which didn’t give numbers either but drew very small crowds. Given that even the Blues vs Tahs quarterfinal didn’t crack 13k its safe to assume they’d all be near the bottom of the list.
there are still two more Warriors home games to go plus a likely home semifinal - so it’s probable that the top ten crowds end up being 8 Warriors and 2 Blues. It should also be noted that the Warriors are regularly selling out Mt Smart so their potential crowds are actually higher.

The Warriors also have 3 games outside Auckland in NZ this year:

vs Knights (Wellington) 16676
vs Broncos (Napier) 15,600
Vs Tigers (Hamilton) TBA but announced as a 23000 sellout already

Mt Smart average 21772
NZ average 20520

assuming the last 3 games average 2300 the end of season averages should be over 22000 at Mt Smart and 21000 NZ wide, and that’s not accounting for a possible home final at Eden Park which could draw 40K+

I wonder how many more we would have got at the Wellington game (stadium capacity around 33k) had it been partway through the season off the back of a string of exciting wins, rather than the first round following a terrible season in 2022 where we came second to last!

 

[SpaceMonkey]

I wonder how many more we would have got at the Wellington game (stadium capacity around 33k) had it been partway through the season off the back of a string of exciting wins, rather than the first round following a terrible season in 2022 where we came second to last!

Oh 100%, I was actually going to mention that. I reckon 5-10k extra easily.