What's new
The Front Row Forums

Register a free account today to become a member of the world's largest Rugby League discussion forum! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

2024 Crowd Watch

Dark Corner

Juniors
Messages
1,584
Their super rugby team just moved to play games in Fiji

Fiji isn’t a high priority for the nrl now
I got faith in the NRL more so then RFL back in blighty but was watching a YouTube clip today of a world cup game in from Wales when it was a dark time in British Rugby League and was suprised how good the crowd was in Swansea back in the day when Swansea was Rugby mad unlike now.
 

Iamback

Referee
Messages
20,262
Test match crowds at Suncorp Stadium have come a long way since the SL-war.

Post SL-war, Australia vs NZ in 1998 and Australia vs Great Britain in the 1999 both got sub-20k at Suncorp. In fact, that 1999 tri-series match barely got over 12k and looked a ghost town on tv. Shows you just how much of a negative impact the SL-war had on international RL.

Since 2003 - when the redevelopment at Suncorp was complete, with a capacity of 52,500 - tonight's crowd of 33,196 surpassed the 2017 RLWC semi-final (22,073), the rescheduled 2015 ANZAC test (32,681), and is narrowly behind the 2007 ANZAC test (35,241), as well as the 2010 Four-Nations final (36,299).

So, putting that all into perspective, tonight's crowd is definitely a success and shows that international RL has a lot of potential

These games should be in Brisbane or Sydney due to the high Islander population.

Kiwis, Poms etc are the games to play elsewhere
 

yakstorm

First Grade
Messages
6,027
Grandstand sales are looking ok, even with the two edge bays being taken off sale.

We should beat 3K, I think we'll get to 5K after some of the promotions they've done this week.

Will hopefully look ok on TV with fans usually congregating on the concrete concourse. Weather looks amazing.

1000030733.jpg
 

Iamback

Referee
Messages
20,262
So if greater Sydney is 5M, it would be the same as a 250,000 crowd here. I know it doesn't work like that exactly, but it's still an interesting thought.

pretty much. I am sure people travelled for the game but it puts it into perspective but also shows the difficulty with having games played on the islands
 

yakstorm

First Grade
Messages
6,027
A great crowd in Fiji and an improvement on what the Pacific Bowl drew for the opening game last year.

Hopefully Fiji can draw a comparable crowd next week for their clash against the Cook Islands.

2023:
PNG v CI - 7,133
Fiji v CI - 7,001
PNG v Fiji - 14,546

Final - 14,809
 

PARRA_FAN

Coach
Messages
17,672
Test match crowds at Suncorp Stadium have come a long way since the SL-war.

Post SL-war, Australia vs NZ in 1998 and Australia vs Great Britain in the 1999 both got sub-20k at Suncorp. In fact, that 1999 tri-series match barely got over 12k and looked a ghost town on tv. Shows you just how much of a negative impact the SL-war had on international RL.

Since 2003 - when the redevelopment at Suncorp was complete, with a capacity of 52,500 - tonight's crowd of 33,196 surpassed the 2017 RLWC semi-final (22,073), the rescheduled 2015 ANZAC test (32,681), and is narrowly behind the 2007 ANZAC test (35,241), as well as the 2010 Four-Nations final (36,299).

So, putting that all into perspective, tonight's crowd is definitely a success and shows that international RL has a lot of potential

Interesting you mention those games, even though SL and ARL made peace there were still a lot of scars healing and the game didnt really care too much for the International game.

Those two games barely got any publicity. The game in 1998 was raining heavy and was very rare back then that a home test match was played after the season. As for 1999 there was supposedly a bit of hype about the Poms touring for the first time in 7 years but that was overshadowed by the future of RL clubs. I'm pretty sure that week, Souths were kicked out of the comp which left a lot of people p1ssed off about the game. In fact I think the Kangaroos Vs the Rest of the World in 97 wouldve been a bigger crowd than the GB game.

You're right about the International crowds since 2003. There's hardly been a poor crowd, although we hoped they got more for the WC final in 17, the final in 08 wouldve been an amazing atmosphere.
 

Latest posts

Top