RLWC2017 Crowd Watch

[adamkungl]

Seriously I am going to get ripped apart....but...

Why would Australia fans pay to go watch England vs a majority based part-time Australian side....

Australian Union fans would show up.
League fans would rather bag their own game 16 schooners down at the pub.
Whoever said "Cultural cringe" the other day is spot on.

 

[Burns]

So here is a thing.

At the moment you can only buy single seats for Tonga v NZ across all available Bays.

So, has it either "sold out" or are Bays being held back for sale? Absolute madness if they are waiting for next week to put more on sale.

 

[RL The greatest game]

One thing that has surprised me re the crowds is what appears to be very few travelling English fans.

In 2008, there was a solid core of 10,000+ but this time around it seems it's barely a quarter of that.

Now I'm not blaming English fans here; who I blame again is the organisers for devising a schedule that, for any fans from England, following their team would mean travelling vast differences all around the country and abroad (Melb-Syd-Perth-Q/FinMelb-SemiNZ-FinalBRIS).

WHEREAS in 2008 fans didn't have to move as far.

Probably not many over from England due to 3 main factors, the UK economy being in melt down plus low wages and a weak pound.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

One thing that has surprised me re the crowds is what appears to be very few travelling English fans.

In 2008, there was a solid core of 10,000+ but this time around it seems it's barely a quarter of that.

Now I'm not blaming English fans here; who I blame again is the organisers for devising a schedule that, for any fans from England, following their team would mean travelling vast differences all around the country and abroad (Melb-Syd-Perth-Q/FinMelb-SemiNZ-FinalBRIS).

WHEREAS in 2008 fans didn't have to move as far.

There was never 10k in 2008. That was bandied around at the time but it was more like 4,000 at the most.

Even so there seems to be hardly any this time. They whinged about travel in 2008 because they had to do Townsville, Melbourne, Newcastle, Brisbane. This time it's Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, Auckland, Brisbane (maybe) with an extra game in total. If you're going to come to a WC here you a. Should be prepared for some long distances and b. Should want to see different places anyway. Seems like the days of 10k coming in 1992 to hardly any now is an indication of the decline over there.

 

[RL The greatest game]

There was never 10k in 2008. That was bandied around at the time but it was more like 4,000 at the most.

Even so there seems to be hardly any this time. They whinged about travel in 2008 because they had to do Townsville, Melbourne, Newcastle, Brisbane. This time it's Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, Auckland, Brisbane (maybe) with an extra game in total. If you're going to come to a WC here you a. Should be prepared for some long distances and b. Should want to see different places anyway. Seems like the days of 10k coming in 1992 to hardly any now is an indication of the decline over there.

Sadly we don't go in the numbers we use to for Kangaroo matches either.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

Sadly we don't go in the numbers we use to for Kangaroo matches either.

Obviously. When the governing body deems them unworthy of being part of the regular season or even playing at all some years it's hardly surprising people have no respect or interest in them.

 

[RL The greatest game]

Obviously. When the governing body deems them unworthy of being part of the regular season or even playing at all some years it's hardly surprising people have no respect or interest in them.

Sad but true.
If only the British would go back to playing September to May and then we could go back to Kangaroos and Lions tours, but i don't think they will switch back in the foreseeable future.

 

[kiwileaguefan]

Looks like the PNG game is sold out

 

[Jim from Oz]

So here is a thing.

At the moment you can only buy single seats for Tonga v NZ across all available Bays.

So, has it either "sold out" or are Bays being held back for sale? Absolute madness if they are waiting for next week to put more on sale.

As this is RLWC 2017, I’m guessing it is madness !

 

[taipan]

Again
a ridiculous analogy , the NRL is an annual domestic comp , not a once in a 8 to 12 year event.

People in here are asking why no ones turning up in Australia
agree with it or disagree I have given my opinion for why I think its occuring mainly based on a lot of people ive talked to about the world cup & are they attending or not. Govt's would have trumped up exactly the same amount of cash without us turning this into the NRL aussies pretending to be anything but aussies world cup & pretending ... pretending countries are improving in their playing standards.

Its a horse before the cart argument I know. But anyone who thinks there isn't something wrong when the games biggest nation couldn't give an F , is kidding themselves.

In your mind it may be.The point is decent crowds in PNG and NZ.If they were ordinary, then perhaps I could agree with you.

I've spelt out my reasons why crowds are not filling stadiums here.Hardly a startling observation.
Because the biggest nation has the bulk of the players in the RLWC playing here week in week out in the NRL.Watching Farah play for Lebanon,is not going to say to people.Havent't seen him play before"must go and watch".

If the RLWC makes $7m whatever, for future development work,so be it.

 

[Disinterested third party]

Yes the Samoa Tonga game was a full house. Saw it with my own eyes.

 

[deluded pom?]

I was at the game in Hamilton too and it was by far the greatest atmosphere I've been in... What about you? Have you been to a game with similar emotions and atmosphere like that before?

Definitely the best atmosphere I've ever experienced at a game Clark. I've been to Tests at home and in Australia, Challenge Cup finals, Grand Finals at home and Australia but nothing came close to last night for sustained energy and enthusiasm from the fans. It built up leading into the anthems and didn't stop until the game had ended but you know all this Clark . I feel privileged to have been there.

 

[deluded pom?]

Yes the Samoa Tonga game was a full house. Saw it with my own eyes.

Not quite. We were in the stand where the cameras were and it wasn't full at the back towards the corporate boxes. I'd still like to know where they could put another 7,000 fans though.

 

[deluded pom?]

Maybe they should have arranged for the Samoa v Tonga match to be the last game in the group? I can see the attendance threatening the capacity if it was a decider to see who finished where in the group.

 

[Burns]

Maybe they should have arranged for the Samoa v Tonga match to be the last game in the group? I can see the attendance threatening the capacity if it was a decider to see who finished where in the group.

At this moment, Tonga v NZ will 'sell out'.

 

[deluded pom?]

At this moment, Tonga v NZ will 'sell out'.

It deserves to. When Taumalolo and Fifita jumped ships I wasn't really impressed by their actions but now I've seen how it's galvanised the Tongan supporters I'm all for it.

 

[Burns]

Maybe 1,000 people in Townsville

Edit: Maybe 500 actually. There is no one there

 

[deluded pom?]

One thing that has surprised me re the crowds is what appears to be very few travelling English fans.

In 2008, there was a solid core of 10,000+ but this time around it seems it's barely a quarter of that.

Now I'm not blaming English fans here; who I blame again is the organisers for devising a schedule that, for any fans from England, following their team would mean travelling vast differences all around the country and abroad (Melb-Syd-Perth-Q/FinMelb-SemiNZ-FinalBRIS).

WHEREAS in 2008 fans didn't have to move as far.

When the schedule came out Jim I wasn't impressed by the travelling that England fans were being asked to do so I decided to go to NZ for the first time. The two games I had on my radar were NZ v Samoa and Samoa v Tonga. I think I made the right decision. When the 2021 WC comes around I'll definitely be making an effort to attend these two games again although I realise there won't be as many PI fans in attendance

 

[Burns]

Townsville can be added to the list of places to never get International footy again.

 

[Burns]

So, in attempting to actually buy tickets to Tonga v NZ, I cannot buy purchase tickets in Category B or Category C Seating - leaving a single seat in Category A, and general admission on the Embankment.