RLWC2017 Crowd Watch

[DC80]

How good is today going to be?

Haven't looked forward to a match as much as this in years, perhaps even exceeding the anticipation for the 2013 semi against NZ. The prospect of Aussies in the final looms.

 

[DC80]

This is why the pricing of tickets should have been commensurate with the comparative infancy stage rugby league is internationally at this point in time. This isn't to say this well hidden and underated code will not increase its worth. I believe out of all codes rugby league has the most potential to capture new markets and grow existing ones. It will happen as it has not been given the chance to do so to date. Sporting Justice and decency should prevail one day.

That's exactly it. A big time event the prices could literally be almost anything, people will pay regardless. An event that isn't deemed 'must see' people won't pay beyond a certain amount. The greater the demand the higher the prices can go, very basic economics. Rugby league being huge in Brisbane the Aussie game would have sold out had prices been deemed acceptable.

 

[kiwileaguefan]

This is why the pricing of tickets should have been commensurate with the comparative infancy stage rugby league is internationally at this point in time. This isn't to say this well hidden and underated code will not increase its worth. I believe out of all codes rugby league has the most potential to capture new markets and grow existing ones. It will happen as it has not been given the chance to do so to date. Sporting Justice and decency should prevail one day.

Boom! You hit the nail on the head....

I would have rather big crowds at $30 tickets and less profit then what we have done this RLWC (granted they may get the $10 mil profit).

It's about creating a market place...and Iike everyone else has said (myself included for the NZ vs Samoa game), the atmosphere was on another whole level from what I have experienced at an NRL game. That is what will turn the International game into an attractive market.

Less Hamilton, if they were to hold the next RLWC in Aus and NZ, how many of the local governments would actually bid on games based on what we have seen in 2017?

 

[morningstar]

Competition, or lack of it, is the main issue though.

The secondary points about location, population density and prices do have an effect. I've heard prices have been extortionate for this tournament. A game on your doorstep that's cheap to go to, I'm sure would have seen more attend.

Had the competition been there with stellar opposition in the tournament, with the media all over it, wall to wall coverage, and hoards of travelling fans from every country, these stadiums would be packed out. The RUWC in Australia had much of this. 54,000 watched Australia vs Ireland, a match Ireland lost by a point. Serious competition, the profile of the tournament raised as a result, and hoards of opposition fans. Australia has barely had any of this. 45,000 watched England vs Wales in Brisbane in 2003. How many would attend the equivalent game in this RLWC? Lucky to get 10k id guess.

You're missing the point I am making.

If you were promoting the Kangaroos world cup campaign knowing all the affore mentioned gripes Aussie fans have with intl football.

Would you market based on the strength of the opposition? The ticket prices? The location?

No you say. Hey Australia this is your team, they are the best in the world and have been consistently the most successful international Australian sporting team for the past 50 years. Come see three future immortals play some of the most clinical, champagne play in your favourite sport.

The ARLC seem to be embarrassed that the Kangaroos are so good, when it should be their greatest selling point.

 

[Billythekid]

Boom! You hit the nail on the head....

I would have rather big crowds at $30 tickets and less profit then what we have done this RLWC (granted they may get the $10 mil profit).

It's about creating a market place...and Iike everyone else has said (myself included for the NZ vs Samoa game), the atmosphere was on another whole level from what I have experienced at an NRL game. That is what will turn the International game into an attractive market.

Less Hamilton, if they were to hold the next RLWC in Aus and NZ, how many of the local governments would actually bid on games based on what we have seen in 2017?

I'm not convinced the more expensive tickets actually means more profit. For a start it slashes thousands off the final crowd number which could have potentially meant far greater sale of merchandise (just look how much there is on display today to get an idea of what selling more tickets can achieve in that regard).

But yes I totally agree. Even if cheaper tickets were less profitable we still should have went for that.

Edit: Depends what happens between now and then. There is likely going to be 12 years before the next World Cup here. Hopefully there will have been plenty of international league played here between now and then to show the value of hosting matches.

 

[Perth Red]

17500

Australia

142–0

Namibia
Try: Latham (5), Lyons, Mortlock, Tuqiri(3), Penalty try, Rogers (2), Paul, Giteau(3), Grey, Turinui (2), Burke, Roe
Con: Rogers (16)
Adelaide Oval
Attendance: 28,196

Australia

90–8

Romania
Try: Flatley, Rogers (3), Burke (2), Larkham (2), Mortlock, Roff, Giteau, Tuqiri, Smith
Con: Flatley (11)
Pen: Flatley
Try: Toderasc
Pen: Tofan
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Attendance: 48,778

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_Rugby_World_Cup

 

[Perth Red]

Amazing! You still are defending the ridiculous prices! $155 for catA seats in the opener with a 2/3 full stadium! Over $70 for behind the goal seats along with over $100 for sideline seats for last night's semi final against a minow /developing rugby league nation with a 2/5 full stadium on free to air tv? If you don't think such prices were over the top then you are deluded PR or drunk whilst creating your dismissive ticket price rants. I have repeatedly mentioned the high ticket prices for this tournament as they were clearly inappropriate for the market. Instead of appealing to the masses the rugby league world cup ticket pricing has failed in making this world cup a highly attended event. Simple as that. Had the crowds been high I would have gladly ate humble pie and agreed that the ticket prices were appropriate . However this has clearly not happened! Take the medicine and cop it on the chin PR. I take no joy in many of us clearly identifying a major issue for this world cup in inappropriate ticket pricing but it has occured and the code needs to learn from this or the same mistake will be repeated again and again till the enbarassment leads to continued rudicule and embarrassment of this great code.

Like I have said a dozen times what they have paid for in attendance they have more than made up for in profit!

Do the maths!

20kx$100
Or
40kx$20

 

[Springs09]

Home of rugby league my arse

Pisses you off when you can spend thousands on travelling to the other side of the world to support our great sport in 2013 but in 2017 the supposedly most passionate league fans in the country (QLDers pffft) don't turn up to see the best rugby team in the world.

Boom! You hit the nail on the head....

I would have rather big crowds at $30 tickets and less profit then what we have done this RLWC (granted they may get the $10 mil profit).

It's about creating a market place...and Iike everyone else has said (myself included for the NZ vs Samoa game), the atmosphere was on another whole level from what I have experienced at an NRL game. That is what will turn the International game into an attractive market.

Less Hamilton, if they were to hold the next RLWC in Aus and NZ, how many of the local governments would actually bid on games based on what we have seen in 2017?

We tried to run before we could walk. Our World Cup isn't a world-class event yet. At the moment it's a simple celebration of our sport. Instead of promoting and pricing games like we did in 2013 to pack out grounds and put on a good show, we tried selling it as an event like the RUWC and priced it accordingly.

We have to create this event atmosphere first. We need to sell it through sold-out stadiums and entertaining footy. If we didn't have Tonga this time round, we wouldn't have had either. Origin didn't start off as big, neither did the Union World Cup. They didn't hold one and then decide we should charge a shitload for tickets. Non-sports fans now go to those events, and pay a lot for it, because their status. We're not at that level yet and we aren't going to be if we charge twice as much as we should and then have 3/4 empty stadiums to sell to the world. Doesn't help of course when we're trying to sell it to insular footy fans who barely care enough to watch their own club live, let alone anything outside of it.

It's the same mistake as 2000 where we had a successful 1995 World Cup then went all out too quickly. This time we looked at 2013 and thought we are a success now so let's ramp up prices. Focus should have been on selling out the big games before the tournament had started. Too be fair it's not just the World Cup that has this problem, NRL prices are rubbish and we had trouble selling out Origin 1 in Brisbane and the Grand Final.

 

[Springs09]

Like I have said a dozen times what they have paid for in attendance they have more than made up for in profit!

Do the maths!

20kx$100
Or
40kx$20

Silly argument.

Maybe we should have 5k @ $500 then.

 

[Stallion]

Like I have said a dozen times what they have paid for in attendance they have more than made up for in profit!

Do the maths!

20kx$100
Or
40kx$20

It's so disturbing that you have missed the point. Other contributors have already mentioned the added revenue from merchandise sales with a much bigger attendance. Your maths is questionable in that many forked out $75 for end of ground seating. It was a total sham. A poor crowd equals a poor image and a negative flow on for future host city considerations. Much more would have been gained from overall cheaper tickets. Simple as that!

 

[Stallion]

Home of rugby league my arse

Pisses you off when you can spend thousands on travelling to the other side of the world to support our great sport in 2013 but in 2017 the supposedly most passionate league fans in the country (QLDers pffft) don't turn up to see the best rugby team in the world.



We tried to run before we could walk. Our World Cup isn't a world-class event yet. At the moment it's a simple celebration of our sport. Instead of promoting and pricing games like we did in 2013 to pack out grounds and put on a good show, we tried selling it as an event like the RUWC and priced it accordingly.

We have to create this event atmosphere first. We need to sell it through sold-out stadiums and entertaining footy. If we didn't have Tonga this time round, we wouldn't have had either. Origin didn't start off as big, neither did the Union World Cup. They didn't hold one and then decide we should charge a shitload for tickets. Non-sports fans now go to those events, and pay a lot for it, because their status. We're not at that level yet and we aren't going to be if we charge twice as much as we should and then have 3/4 empty stadiums to sell to the world. Doesn't help of course when we're trying to sell it to insular footy fans who barely care enough to watch their own club live, let alone anything outside of it.

It's the same mistake as 2000 where we had a successful 1995 World Cup then went all out too quickly. This time we looked at 2013 and thought we are a success now so let's ramp up prices. Focus should have been on selling out the big games before the tournament had started. Too be fair it's not just the World Cup that has this problem, NRL prices are rubbish and we had trouble selling out Origin 1 in Brisbane and the Grand Final.

Absolutely spot on! But try getting that logic prevailing to some on this forum!?

 

[Front-Rower]

Silly argument.

Maybe we should have 5k @ $500 then.

That would generate a heck of a lot of profit.

What people need to remember is that the more people who show up mean more cost on overheads for the organizers. By this I mean more staff at events, security, contractors selling food etc

It would possibly be economically unviable to charge $20 per ticket to 50, 000 people compared to $50 per ticket to 20, 000 people.

 

[Perth Red]

Silly argument.

Maybe we should have 5k @ $500 then.

If you could sell them then sure if your main goal is to make as much profit for the rlif to invest back in the game over the next 4 years as poosbile.

You might think filling big stadiums should have been the number one priority but clearly the rlif didn’t and have taken revenue over full stadiums. Not that I think if you made every ticklet $20 you would have had more than maybe a 20-30% increase on the crowds we got. Like I said every pool game except the opener you could get in cheaply, and people didn’t sell out those cheap tickets so clearly price wasn’t the key issue.

Tickets to today’s semi are expensive, yet it’s sold out. This should tell you that media, hype and interst are by far the biggest precursor to selling an event, not ticket prices.

In two years when the rlif is supporting the likes of Jamaica and serbia with the profits from this World Cup which do you think would have been more important, a semi in Sydney in front of 35k that made $1mill revenue or a semi in Brisbane In Front of 22k that made $3million revenue?

 

[Stallion]

If you could sell them then sure if your main goal is to make as much profit for the rlif to invest back in the game over the next 4 years as poosbile.

You might think filling big stadiums should have been the number one priority but clearly the rlif didn’t and have taken revenue over full stadiums. Not that I think if you made every ticklet $20 you would have had more than maybe a 20-30% increase on the crowds we got. Like I said every pool game except the opener you could get in cheaply, and people didn’t sell out those cheap tickets so clearly price wasn’t the key issue.

Tickets to today’s semi are expensive, yet it’s sold out. This should tell you that media, hype and interst are by far the biggest precursor to selling an event, not ticket prices.

In two years when the rlif is supporting the likes of Jamaica and serbia with the profits from this World Cup which do you think would have been more important, a semi in Sydney in front of 35k that made $1mill revenue or a semi in Brisbane In Front of 22k that made $3million revenue?

That would generate a heck of a lot of profit.

What people need to remember is that the more people who show up mean more cost on overheads for the organizers. By this I mean more staff at events, security, contractors selling food etc

It would possibly be economically unviable to charge $20 per ticket to 50, 000 people compared to $50 per ticket to 20, 000 people.

Agree. The $20 figure is a guess figure. Probably $20,30 & $40 spread would have been feasible. Definitely not what was actually offered! For an organisation trying to cement an ongoing successful/popular tournament the ticket prices were unnacceptable. This, clearly proven by the amount of people that stayed home!

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Just an observation from last night on the crowd. The Fijians were amazing, ones near me didn't sit down or stop cheering their team all game - even when they were down by 40-odd. They looked like they won the WC when Suli scored their only try. Fantastic!

Oh and watching the pre-game hymn from the Fijian players live gave me goose-bumps. TV doesnt do it justice.

 

[Stallion]

Just an observation from last night on the crowd. The Fijians were amazing, ones near me didn't sit down or stop cheering their team all game - even when they were down by 40-odd. They looked like they won the WC when Suli scored their only try. Fantastic!

Oh and watching the pre-game hymn from the Fijian players live gave me goose-bumps. TV doesnt do it justice.

Yes its a real shame more were not there to share such moments! We know why but try getting that thru to others on this thread! ? No wonder RL struggles! Their are dudes who follow this game that don't know what, when, where, how and why this game ticks.

 

[Hardcore_Fan]

Sell out. Looks great

 

[Burns]

 

[Billythekid]

Hard to disagree with that. Surely someone must be looking at getting Tonga playing in NZ again as soon as possible.

 

[Stallion]

Campbelltown will be sold out! ? However the Auckland ground holds more people. Maybe its giving Sydney fans a bit more of a taste of international footy?