Spoiler: Kiwis vs GB

[Fairleigh Good!]

1993
1st: Wembley 36,131 - GB 17-0 NZ
2nd: Wigan 16,502 - GB 29-12 NZ
3rd: Leeds 15,139 - GB 29-10 NZ

2007
1st: Huddersfield 16,500 - GB 24-18 NZ
2nd: Hull 20,000+ GB 44-0 NZ

That Wembley crowd warps it a little. Pretty similar I reckon as we'd get that crowd if we played a test there now.

If we played Australia there we could get a massive crowd.

 

[deluded pom?]

It will be interesting to see what the gate is next week considering it's a dead rubber. Going by the 1993 crowds, and as FG said the Wembley Test makes the stats a little lop sided, this series is probably better supported. Especially when you realise that not many of the names or faces in this Kiwi team are very recognisible to even the average G.B. supporter.

 

[nadera78]

NZ games have never pulled in big crowds over here, they're just not seen as a big draw. Partly because they have never been able to pick a stable side consisting of their best players - remember back in the day their best players played overseas so were inelligible for the Kiwis - it's not a new thing.

Until NZ find a scrum half and a hooker who can lead the team around the field then they won't be able to win anything on a consistent basis. They've got some really outstanding players but a ship with no rudder is just a floating bit of wood.

 

[Knight87]

That Wembley crowd warps it a little. Pretty similar I reckon as we'd get that crowd if we played a test there now.

If we played Australia there we could get a massive crowd.

Ok, with the Quad series (Australia, England, NZ and France) to take place in late 2009 in England (and possibly France), if the England vs Australia match was held at Wembley and was one of the first matches to take place in the tournament, approx how many ppl do you think could possibly turn out for that game (in the 90,000 seat stadium)?

I dont know what rugby league support is like over there in the UK, but would the test match be held in the afternoon or at night, and which would draw a higher attendance (or what day and time would draw the highest attendance)? You live in the UK, so as your username says, you'd have a "Fairleigh Good" idea has to how much that game could get. The two highest crowd attendances for a rugby league test match have both occured at Wembley: 73,761 (Great Britain vs Australia - 1992 World Cup Final) and 66,540 (England vs Australia: 1995 World Cup Final). Could the next test between the Poms and Aussies held at that ground surpass both of those crowd attendances and set a new world record in the process?

Also on the topic of other big grounds in the UK, the other one of concern would be Old Trafford. A fair while back, Old Trafford use to get sellouts (when it's capacity was only 45,000) when the Poms and Aussie took on each other. Now, that the capacity has been expanded quite substantially to 77,000, what attendance could possibly be obtained there (considering that in the 2004 Tri-Series, nearly 40,000 turned out at games at City of Manchester Stadium and Elland Road)?

But as I said (with both Wembley and Old Trafford scenarios), I don't live in the UK and hence don't know what the level of Rugby League support is like over there.

 

[Mr. Fahrenheit]

If England wins the RLWC, it will sell out IMO.

 

[deluded pom?]

Those two crowd figures were set in the days before the SL war and Sky began dictating when games would be played. As is happening at the moment a Test is usually scheduled for Saturday evening kickoff. This might be fine for Sky's viewing figures but it's not great for travelling supporters. It usually has an adverse affect on crowd numbers. This is another reason why the RFL tend to go for smaller stadia for Test matches. I reckon we might get forty thousand to an opening 4N game at Wembley. Although good it would look terrible in a 90,000 seater stadium.

 

[The Clan]

Last nights Test match would have been a lock out but a massive motorway crash had many fans turning around and going home. I'm talking about a one and a half hour journey taking six hours with no sign of movement anytime soon.

I don't know what planet some fans are living on but Leon Pryce is head and shoulders ahead of McGuire (in every sense).

IMO McGuire should'nt even be considered in the 17 and would only make the squad to cover injury.

Peacock is way better than Asotasi in every facet of the game!

 

[Knight87]

But, why doesn't Sky schedule games at 2:30pm-3pm (Saturday or Sunday arvo), when they know they can get more ppl at those games and get higher ratings in the process? They should take a page out of the English Premier League scrapbook (virtually, majority of their games are played in afternoon). Was watching the Arsenal vs Man Utd game this morning. Game was a sellout, and the kickoff was like at 12:45 in afternoon.

Also deluded pom, how long would it take 'travelling supporters' to get to a game in London? (dont know what public transport is like over there, if majority dont drive by car)

And what would the scenario be like at Old Trafford, considering that Manchester is in the north of UK and in the heartland of the majority of Super League sides? Surely they wouldn't have any problems getting a great crowd there, regardless over when the match was played at? Isn't the Challenge Cup televised on Sky (and also gets big crowd attendances, especially the final)?

 

[deluded pom?]

Recently for the first time ever only one match was scheduled for the traditional 3pm Saturday afternoon kick off in the Premier League. Public transport from the North to London would be virtually non existant if you're looking at straight there straight back for a 6.15pm kick off. All trains to the North would have stopped running and buses would have stopped also by the time you got back from Wembley to the relevant train/bus station. Take into account the expense of just rail fares and/or hotels then it becomes a very expensive exercise. As for OT. Well believe it or not the last train from Manchester to Hull via Huddersfield and Leeds is about 8pm. So I would have to leave the game at half time to get to the train station in good time to get back to Hull. The CC final is an annual pilgrimage for RL fans regardless of who they support and will always get great crowds.

 

[nadera78]

Sky use us to fill a time slot they know we can get good figures for. That's all they are interested in.

 

[Fairleigh Good!]

Ok, with the Quad series (Australia, England, NZ and France) to take place in late 2009 in England (and possibly France), if the England vs Australia match was held at Wembley and was one of the first matches to take place in the tournament, approx how many ppl do you think could possibly turn out for that game (in the 90,000 seat stadium)?

I dont know what rugby league support is like over there in the UK, but would the test match be held in the afternoon or at night, and which would draw a higher attendance (or what day and time would draw the highest attendance)? You live in the UK, so as your username says, you'd have a "Fairleigh Good" idea has to how much that game could get. The two highest crowd attendances for a rugby league test match have both occured at Wembley: 73,761 (Great Britain vs Australia - 1992 World Cup Final) and 66,540 (England vs Australia: 1995 World Cup Final). Could the next test between the Poms and Aussies held at that ground surpass both of those crowd attendances and set a new world record in the process?

Also on the topic of other big grounds in the UK, the other one of concern would be Old Trafford. A fair while back, Old Trafford use to get sellouts (when it's capacity was only 45,000) when the Poms and Aussie took on each other. Now, that the capacity has been expanded quite substantially to 77,000, what attendance could possibly be obtained there (considering that in the 2004 Tri-Series, nearly 40,000 turned out at games at City of Manchester Stadium and Elland Road)?

But as I said (with both Wembley and Old Trafford scenarios), I don't live in the UK and hence don't know what the level of Rugby League support is like over there.

It's hard to say given that it's 2 years away. If we did well at the World Cup and there was a genuine chance of GB winning the games and the timing etc was good enough they could get massive crowds.

But it's been so long since we've had anything to compare it to, the RFL have been ultra cautious about stadiums for internationals and haven't played them at any ground capable of holding more than 25,000 that I'm aware of.