Crowds to rise in 2007?

[langpark]

In 2005 the average was around 8500, while this year reached just over 9000. So, is 9500-10,000 a realistic target for this year? Here's how i see it:

Positives:
- Wigan have already sold 8000 season tickets, likely to hit 10,000 by the start of the season
- Hull have sold 5000 so far
- two triple-headers in Cardiff, you would think would be positive
- Most clubs should experience steady crowd increases IMO
- The Hull derbies

Negatives
- I think Hull KR will have great support, but not as good as Cas IMO
- Les Catalans moving to a smaller stadium
- Leeds having a dodgy season last year

the last two were just there to make up numbers, I think 2007 will be huge and crowd averages will go close to 10,000 IMO.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

I think crowds are expected to drop a little but if everything goes right it might rise a little. HKR will be well supported but Cas had the potential to average 8000 plus themselves. Another reason why it would have been better if Wakey had gone down. No new stadiums this year so that won't help. This is how I see it:

St Helens - Should be about the same as this year. They will average over 10K thanks to games against Wire, Wigan, Leeds etc. but will only get 7 or 8k against Quins, Catalans etc.
Hull - Should rise a little after a great season this year, especially if they perform strongly again, which they should do. Two local derbies will help too.
Bradford - Will continue to fall most likely. They haven't got the side they used to and that huge upsurge of support that came 5 or 6 years ago has come to an end. They need a new stadium really.
Wire - Should crack 10K again, about the same as this year, depending on their performances.
Leeds - The capacity will be higher than this year so they should have a better average but if they are sitting outside the top two or three that will be a failure and the fans might not turn up in such great numbers.
Salford - Can't really grow much until they move to the new stadium.
Wigan - Will lead the way again, especially if they start better and are in the premiership mix.
Quins - I can't see them succeeding where all other London sides have failed.
Huddersfield - They're aiming high which is good but realistically a small rise in attendances is probably the best they can do and only if the side performs.
Wakey - Unlikely to see any major increase. If the side does much better on the field they might rise but really they need a new ground more than anything.
Catalans - A new stadium, better performances and another year to build the brand might help them acheive a small rise but on the other hand their numbers dropped off after a great start thsi year, the novelty for English fans might fall away and they might perform poorly again. Plus how muvh can they grow when the stadium is so small?
HKR - Should be well backed but their home ground is a bit of a worry. 6 or 7K would be a good result.

A lot of that is based on best case scenario and performance is a big key. Not every side can have a winning season.

 

[langpark]

I pretty much agree with all of that, and yes Leeds may be a worry.

I think for the 2005 season they reached 11,000 season ticket holders, which is probably higher than Brisbane or any other club, I hope they can build their crowds back up again. I still think Headingley is too small and their derby with Bradford should definitely be taken to Elland Rd. They were crazy not to in the last few seasons, when they were basically the top 2 clubs, and Leeds alone got 39,000 there when playing the Bulldogs.

I'm really excited about Wigan, I think they can average over 16,000 next year, which is enormous. When Wigan Athletic first got promoted i thought it'd hurt Wigan Warriors but it seems to have made them stronger.

I also think Hull KR are insane if they don't bite the bullet and take their home derby (or two) with Hull FC to the KC. Who cares if your supporters are outnumbered, you're probably not gonna win anyway, and think of all the cash it'll generate.

 

[bartman]

I think Harlequins will be looking for a slight increase this season, and I think overall the Superleague season average should at least be the same or slightly increased? It was the highest average since it started in '96, when things start to dip that's when it's all in big trouble.

 

[deluded pom?]

The engineering of the fixtures giving four rounds where some of the big derbies are done to death will be interesting.Will the interest still be there from the paying public or will they be bored with seeing the same teams too often and vote with their feet?

 

[Fairleigh Good!]

I think the ridiculous fixtures will kill the Cardiff fixture. Seriously I expect a ridiculously poor crowd for that.

Saints play Wigan at Cardiff. Now if that was one of only two derbies then fine I would go. But as we are playing them at home and twice away, it will most likely be Cardiff that I miss.

 

[deluded pom?]

You and thousands of others Fairleigh. Greed is beginning to ruin the game I love.

 

[bartman]

I'm quite looking forward to getting down to Cardiff for a weekend and a bit of the following week... Hoping I'll bump into that Gwen from Torchwood

 

[langpark]

I think it's a good innovation and shows the RFL's commitment to Wales, just like how the ARL gave Melbourne an Origin and a Test. I really hope the Cardiff matches are a huge success, and that a few Welsh go along and check it out. I'm sure the Crusaders will get a big crowd that weekend too.

 

[JonG]

Crowds will definitely rise in 2007.

Bradfords crowds will rise due to all non-sky games being played on sundays, instead of Fridays.

Leeds' will rise due to bigger stadium.

Hull's will rise due to the derby games

Huddersfields will rise due to CC final appearance

Wakeys/Salford will rise due to recent publicity over new stadiums, signings etc...

And I cant see any of the others will drop.

And beacuse of Cardiff we will have 6 games with a 75000 attendance ala Union. It will sell out, no problems with that, as 1/2 the people who watch the games on sky will never go to wigan/sts, leeds/bradford, hull/kr for a derby game as they live down south. This is their opportunity to see the games live, which is something they might never get to see again.

 

[JasonE]

I'd love to fly over to Wales for that weekend and watch 6 games in 2 days. Would be money well spent.

 

[langpark]

I think it will be a joke if they count that as being 6 x 75,000 crowds. it should be divided by 3 for each day, therefore being 25,000 each, which is still massive, especially for the likes of Wire/Salford, Quins/Cats, Giants/Wakey. I would even go one further and call it unethical.

 

[deluded pom?]

If they get one 75,000 crowd it will be a miracle. Jon, if half the people who watch the ESL on Sky are from down south then I'll eat my hat. If they can get to Cardiff then they can get to Twickenham. I'm assuming you're an Aussie who doesn't quite understand the game in England. If you aren't an Aussie then I apologise.

 

[JonG]

Sorry mate, but English born and bred, live in the Heartlands, played acadamy for one of the ESL teams before going to Uni. Played for Ireland Students against Queensland, and have many friends who love super league but don't live in the heartlands.

Despite its macho Northern profile rugby league is played in every English county. 50% of viewers who watch rugby league on Sky Sports live in the South of England. Over 40% of active rugby league supporters are female.

[3]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_league_in_England

http://www.therfl.co.uk/ABOUT/facts.php

I guess you are a flat cap wearing, whippet racing, bread and dripping eating traditionalist who hates the quins and cats and want the metropolitan places of Dewsbury and Batley in Superleague? Apologies if you're not.

This event will sell out. Its not designed for the people go to games week in week out - its for people who don't get to the games to experience Superleague. There is a world outside yorkshire/lancashire - you should see it sometime.

p.s. there is already 50 tickets sold via myself to 50 southerners who would never go to a SL game otherwise

 

[langpark]

I believe that statistic, because how much of England's population is in the northern heartland? 10, 20%? Therefore the other 80, 90% could fairly easily match their viewing figures

 

[bartman]

I'd assume the league will be trying to promote Cardiff as a party weekend around the town, with kind of a Cup Final atmoshpere, except that supporters of every team will have something to see on the field at some point. It's worth a try, and will get some coverage as a result.

75,000 divided by six teams per day is 12,500 supporters per team, probably a big ask of regular supporters given the extra cost of travel/acoomodation. But it would be a unique weekend, and some might purchse tickets to both days, helping cover that average per team needed for sell-outs.

The better half and I will be using it as a chance to take a week of our holidays, as if we were just going to see a bit of Wales/the South but getting to see some games as well. (Or at least we will provided we can find and book suitable accomodation etc this weekend.) Didn't pay to see any Tri-Nations games played in England this year, so just using the money that would have gone toward that for tickets.

 

[langpark]

i think a sellouts on both days are do-able, hopefully the welsh public get along to the games.

Does anyone know anything about a Celtic Crusaders match that weekend? I think they should schedule a match for 9pm Saturday night, hopefully the final match should be over by 8pm, then they should run about 50 buses to and from Bridgend where there would be a bumper crowd. Unlikely to happen, but here's hoping

 

[deluded pom?]

Celtic Crusader are looking to play a game on the preceding Friday night and a sevens tournament on the following Monday.

 

[deluded pom?]

Sorry mate, but English born and bred, live in the Heartlands, played acadamy for one of the ESL teams before going to Uni. Played for Ireland Students against Queensland, and have many friends who love super league but don't live in the heartlands.

[3]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_league_in_England

http://www.therfl.co.uk/ABOUT/facts.php

I guess you are a flat cap wearing, whippet racing, bread and dripping eating traditionalist who hates the quins and cats and want the metropolitan places of Dewsbury and Batley in Superleague? Apologies if you're not.

I'll accept your apology Jon.I still don't believe those figures. If they are true then why do the Quins struggle for support? Is it such a big effort to get to one or two games a season at the Stoop? The Quins gates very rarely increase year on year regardless of where they play. And yes I realise it takes just as long to cross London as it does to get from Hull to Leeds.Do the SL watching fans you know watch because you interested them in it in the first place? If so then great but would they have bothered if left to their own devices? Maybe we'll agree to disagree Jon.

 

[roughyed8]

i think a sellouts on both days are do-able, hopefully the welsh public get along to the games.

Does anyone know anything about a Celtic Crusaders match that weekend? I think they should schedule a match for 9pm Saturday night, hopefully the final match should be over by 8pm, then they should run about 50 buses to and from Bridgend where there would be a bumper crowd. Unlikely to happen, but here's hoping

The Crusaders are hosting Oldham on the friday night 4th May .
By the way according to the league express newspaper this week Bradford bulls are on course to sell 7,000 sason tickets before the start of Sl XII.