2025 Crowd Watch

[Wb1234]

40k for Eden park is a push if it’s at 20k now ?

Tonga will be better for the game under their belt and if they win by more than 17 make the final

If it a Samoa / Tonga final is there any way to shift it to accor? Commbank will sell out in 5 mins

 

[undertaker]

Anyone remember this? I wonder what happened to the game in Russia these days!

Rugby league drew a large crowd of 35,000 in Russia for a 2002 international match between Russia and the USA. This attendance was a result of a period of significant rugby league development in Russia following the fall of the Soviet Union, which had generated considerable enthusiasm for the sport.

Ah yes, I remember that.

I remember Andrew Voss mentioning something about this on the old Boots 'N' All show.

 

[miguel de cervantes]

Ah yes, I remember that.

I remember Andrew Voss mentioning something about this on the old Boots 'N' All show.

I seem to recall that many people turned out because they were giving away a free car or something to a lucky attendee...

 

[undertaker]

Anyone remember this? I wonder what happened to the game in Russia these days!

Rugby league drew a large crowd of 35,000 in Russia for a 2002 international match between Russia and the USA. This attendance was a result of a period of significant rugby league development in Russia following the fall of the Soviet Union, which had generated considerable enthusiasm for the sport.

That game also gets mentioned in this article (re: largest RL attendances in various countries. Since the publication of this article, USA's figure
needs to be updated to 45,209 from this year's Las Vegas event):

The biggest rugby league attendances by nation

There are plenty you might not expect. 👇

www.zerotackle.com

 

[jolly boys outing]

Anyone remember this? I wonder what happened to the game in Russia these days!

Rugby league drew a large crowd of 35,000 in Russia for a 2002 international match between Russia and the USA. This attendance was a result of a period of significant rugby league development in Russia following the fall of the Soviet Union, which had generated considerable enthusiasm for the sport.

Was that the victory cup tournament?

 

[Burns]

40k for Eden park is a push if it’s at 20k now ?

Tonga will be better for the game under their belt and if they win by more than 17 make the final

If it a Samoa / Tonga final is there any way to shift it to accor? Commbank will sell out in 5 mins

The lower bowl (bar the Western side) is essentially sold out.

There is very roughly maybe 2,000 seats remaining on the bronze category Upper Western side.
There is only those two Bays of the gold category for sale on Level 6 of the Southern side.

Not knowing enough about NZRL approach their strategy (Gold tickets are $85 NZD across the board, while is $30 NZD e.g.); they'll have to open the Upper Eastern side you would imagine as there is more or less no Silver ($65 NZD) tickets available to sell.

Would perhaps prefer they open the Eastern side as Bronze category as well to at least fully have Eden Park covered.

Finally - we don't have a great record for crowds at Eden Park.

Kiwis v Samoa (as part of a triple header) got 23,269 for the 2023 Pacific Championship; and the Aus v Samoa (as part of triple header that had NZ v Great Britain got 25,257 in 2019. These two only had the crowd in the lower bowl + western grandstand.

You need to go back to 2010/2012 for the NZ v AUS games where we have got 35,000/44,000.

 

[yakstorm]

I really don't get the NZRL's sales approach for this game. Silver has been down to single seats since early yesterday, yet they haven't opened up anywhere else for people who are happy to buy into that category, they also opened up Level 6 on the south side, rather than level 5 on the north.

 

[eels4lifee]

I really don't get the NZRL's sales approach for this game. Silver has been down to single seats since early yesterday, yet they haven't opened up anywhere else for people who are happy to buy into that category, they also opened up Level 6 on the south side, rather than level 5 on the north.

View attachment 107432

Why cant they just open every section of the ground? The main purpose is to sell tickets right? Having the bottom.sections open but not the top is beyond stupidity. I suppose they wouldn't do it if it was the ABs were playing? so why should the Kiwis be disadvantaged for? oh that's right because its Rugby League they like to put sh1t on us

Its probaby Eden park who tells them what to do?

 

[yakstorm]

Why cant they just open every section of the ground? The main purpose is to sell tickets right? Having the bottom.sections open but not the top is beyond stupidity. I suppose they wouldn't do it if it was the ABs were playing? so why should the Kiwis be disadvantaged for? oh that's right because its Rugby League they like to put sh1t on us

I very much doubt the Eden Park Trust is preventing the NZRL from opening up the entire ground (or at least the majority of it), it would be more a case that the NZRL are trying to keep their costs down and not pay to open up any areas unless 'demand' warrants it.

 

[Wb1234]

Why cant they just open every section of the ground? The main purpose is to sell tickets right? Having the bottom.sections open but not the top is beyond stupidity. I suppose they wouldn't do it if it was the ABs were playing? so why should the Kiwis be disadvantaged for? oh that's right because its Rugby League they like to put sh1t on us

Costs more money to open up parts of the ground

Nzrl choice not to open up parts of stadium

 

[Burns]

For what it is worth, the Final to be played next week looks as if it the bottom tier is sold out; and sales decent up top. Would appear only the front half of Bays are available anyway.

 

[yakstorm]

They've opened up another six bays on Level 6 on the southern stand at Eden Park. Eastern upper is really getting a move along today which is encouraging.

 

[jolly boys outing]

What was the thinking behind playing Tonga at the much bigger venue of Eden park as opposed to Samoa?

is the Tongan diaspora in the Auckland region and whole of New Zealand bigger than the Samoan diaspora or do they believe that Tonga is currently the bigger draw?

 

[yakstorm]

What was the thinking behind playing Tonga at the much bigger venue of Eden park as opposed to Samoa?

is the Tongan diaspora in the Auckland region and whole of New Zealand bigger than the Samoan diaspora or do they believe that Tonga is currently the bigger draw?

On census numbers, there are double the number of Samoans in Auckland than Tongans.

Regarding why the NZRL took the Tonga game to Eden Park versus Samoa game, I think there are two reasons. First is the Tongan supporter base is a lot more activated than the Samoan equivalent. This is partially because the Tonga movement has been going for longer (started in 2017, versus Samoa was 2022) and secondly Tonga has picked up some big scalps along the way to keep the team engaged (NZ x2, GB x1, Australia x1).

Second reason would just be the order of the games. Week 1 of the Pacific Championship has generally been a hard sell, regardless of who's hosting, versus by Round 3, regardless of the results of the other games, there was always going to be something on the line in this game.

 

[yakstorm]

Less than 400 seats left in the upper east wing, I'd be expecting this area to sell out by tomorrow, which will hopefully mean the western bays will be put on sale at worse case by Thursday.

 

[bazza]

I very much doubt the Eden Park Trust is preventing the NZRL from opening up the entire ground (or at least the majority of it), it would be more a case that the NZRL are trying to keep their costs down and not pay to open up any areas unless 'demand' warrants it.

why choose Eden Park if they aren't confident of getting 35k+
Mt Smart at 22k would have been a better option if they don't think they can get much more

 

[jolly boys outing]

On census numbers, there are double the number of Samoans in Auckland than Tongans.

Regarding why the NZRL took the Tonga game to Eden Park versus Samoa game, I think there are two reasons. First is the Tongan supporter base is a lot more activated than the Samoan equivalent. This is partially because the Tonga movement has been going for longer (started in 2017, versus Samoa was 2022) and secondly Tonga has picked up some big scalps along the way to keep the team engaged (NZ x2, GB x1, Australia x1).

Second reason would just be the order of the games. Week 1 of the Pacific Championship has generally been a hard sell, regardless of who's hosting, versus by Round 3, regardless of the results of the other games, there was always going to be something on the line in this game.

I was also under the impression that there was a larger Samoan diaspora in the greater Auckland region compared to the Tongan diaspora but like you say it has been the Tongan fans in recent history who have shown up in bigger numbers out of the 2.

this round 3 clash should really be a promoters dream with it all to play for as technically both NZ and Tonga have a chance of either reaching the final or going out of the tournament.

 

[jolly boys outing]

Less than 400 seats left in the upper east wing, I'd be expecting this area to sell out by tomorrow, which will hopefully mean the western bays will be put on sale at worse case by Thursday.

View attachment 107444

Are we looking at anything between 25k-35k this weekend?

 

[Perth Red]

Should be looking at a total of around 135k for the Ashes series which is great result.

 

[Burns]

Bit preemptive doom posting here. It’s Wednesday morning in Auckland and the amount of tickets sold is likely just above or on whatever Mt Smart holds these days (which seems less now for league game).