Pacific Championships 2024

[undertaker]

I understand the rationale of the tournament organisers wanting to take games to various places.

However, this particular match (New Zealand vs Australia) deserved to be played at a venue with a capacity larger than 18,000.

 

[Coastbloke]

The International game is doomed. This should have been played last night at Eden Park with at least, least 40,000..

When are followers of the International game going to get their heads out of this sand and acknowledge that the NRL is managing the International game so it doesn’t surpass Origin..

Aaaagggghhhhhhhhh!!!!

 

[taste2taste]

Good effort by NZ, very clunky but were in it up until the 70th minute.

will be much better in the final … assuming they can beat Tonga.

 

[taste2taste]

I understand the rationale of the tournament organisers wanting to take games to various places.

However, this particular match (New Zealand vs Australia) deserved to be played at a venue with a capacity larger than 18,000.

Did you see the crowds last year ?
18k stadium was the right choice.

maybe next year they can look at a bigger stadium

 

[Last Week]

I understand the rationale of the tournament organisers wanting to take games to various places.

However, this particular match (New Zealand vs Australia) deserved to be played at a venue with a capacity larger than 18,000.

I agree, but the stadium the game was played at is owned by the Canterbury Rugby League.

Playing the game there directly funds local rugby league.

Great decision.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Wow! 33k week1, sold out in Christchurch week 2, sold out Mt Smart week 3 and most likely a sold out Final as you'll have the Tonga, NZ and Aus fan bases in the house (great idea to hold the P/R game there) and people are still whinging.

It's fantastic that the crowds are big and the ratings are high. It means next year they'll have the confidence to push a little bigger.

Maybe a NZ based tournament because it will be NZ, Samoa, Tonga, with the final at Eden Park (as again, you'll have the three fan bases there).

Aus v England hopefully are ambitious and go for Suncorp, Allianz and AAMI. Three cities and three of the best rectangular venues in the country.

 

[Bobby DIGital]

Every game of professional rugby league played in NZ this year has sold out

 

[mikail-eagle]

Interesting Vlog from Nene Macdonald from Fiji 2 weeks ago.

 

[MRN]

 

[taste2taste]

Every game of professional rugby league played in NZ this year has sold out

Incredible stat, sold out all their trail games too, imagine if the warriors were actually good.

nz v Tonga is heading for a sell out.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Record RL International Tournament average crowd excluding World Cups is 26,041 for the 2004 Tri Nations.

This tournament (Cup) so far is averaging 25,101 with a sold out Mt Smart and a hopefully sold out Commbank to come. Could break the record here.

Regardless, we are well up on last season. After week 2 we were averaging 20,707 and we ended up on 18,817.

 

[Jim from Oz]

What was the 2023 Pac Champs average? Cheers

 

[Perth Red]

What was the 2023 Pac Champs average? Cheers

Cup
Aus v Samoa 18,144
Nz v Samoa 23,269
Aus v NZ 20,584
Final NZ v Aus 13,269
Avg 18,816

Bowl
PNG v Cok 7,133
Fij v Cok 7,001
PNG v Fij 14,546
Final Fij v PNG 14,809
Avg 10,872

 

[Matua]

Incredible stat, sold out all their trail games too, imagine if the warriors were actually good.

nz v Tonga is heading for a sell out.

The ticket sales would have been the same, but more people would have actually turned up.

 

[taste2taste]

Regardless, we are well up on last season. After week 2 we were averaging 20,707 and we ended up on 18,817.

Very encouraging, this tournament has potential and the growth in crowds and tv audience ( up 30% on last year so far ) shows it’s trending in the right direction.

imagine if the Roos and kiwis were full strength, would be bigger still.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Very encouraging, this tournament has potential and the growth in crowds and tv audience ( up 30% on last year so far ) shows it’s trending in the right direction.

imagine if the Roos and kiwis were full strength, would be bigger still.

Yeah plus we need to schedule these marquee fixtures in marquee timeslots. Roos v Kiwis should be Friday or Saturday night

 

[undertaker]

Yeah plus we need to schedule these marquee fixtures in marquee timeslots. Roos v Kiwis should be Friday or Saturday night

Between those two, Saturday night (approx. 8pm) is the more preferable primetime slot for tests in Australia (Friday night, you have the issue of people coming back from work during peak hour, so harder to attract fans to the game)

However, with games in NZ, Channel 9 has always had this obsession with not wanting to have games clash with their 6pm news bulletin. So, even if coverage began at 6:30pm AEDST, that's already 8:30pm in New Zealand, with kickoff getting close to 9pm after the pre-game show (fans complained about this during the 2014 Four Nations Final in Wellington)

 

[Coastbloke]

Nobody seems to have an issue with Wednesday @ 8:20pm for a certain game? Maybe it’s got to do with promotion and care factor (thanks to media and the ARLC/NRL rather than time slot.

 

[Jim from Oz]

Any updates on NZ v Tonga ticket sales?

IF it sells out it will mean all 16 games of professional Rugby League in NZ in 2024 will have sold out:

Two trials in Feb in Christchurch and Auckland
12 NRL club games, 11 in Auckland and 1 in Christchurch

Two internationals: 1 in Christchurch and 1 in Auckland (presuming NZ v Tonga sells out)

Quite an achievement in a country where yawnion is a religion !

 

[yakstorm]

Any updates on NZ v Tonga ticket sales?

IF it sells out it will mean all 16 games of professional Rugby League in NZ in 2024 will have sold out:

Two trials in Feb in Christchurch and Auckland
12 NRL club games, 11 in Auckland and 1 in Christchurch

Two internationals: 1 in Christchurch and 1 in Auckland (presuming NZ v Tonga sells out)

Quite an achievement in a country where yawnion is a religion !

At the moment it is looking like it won't sell out, there are still entire bays which haven't been released. Sitting around 18K sold at the moment.