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We can beat Origin: Sailor
By Jim Tucker
March 17, 2004
CODE-JUMPER Wendell Sailor is convinced that rugby union's interstate clash can rival State of Origin's crowd-pulling power and fill 50,000 seats at Suncorp Stadium.
The Wallaby winger's bold declaration came just hours after yesterday's confirmation that the Queensland Reds will host NSW there in a Super 12 blockbuster on May 8.
"We can sell it out. Playing NSW for just one spot in the semi-finals would be perfect," Sailor said of the dream script he has penned for the last round.
Queensland Rugby Union chief executive Theo Psaros finalised nearly two years of haggling over whether the code could uproot its most traditional fixture from Ballymore. His contention that the interstate match is "too big for Ballymore" and its 20,000-strong capacity is spot on.
"How much bigger?" is the real question that will decide whether the QRU posts a profit on this one-off, considers moving two or three selected matches to Suncorp every year or bites the bullet on a full-time switch.
The Ballymore-Suncorp Stadium issue is only just hotting up. Loyal eight-year naming rights sponsor Bank of Queensland is supporting the Reds' move to a stadium carrying the brand of an industry rival as a one-off.
"Like the Reds, we can make longer term judgments after this game," Bank of Queensland corporate affairs head Paul Turner said yesterday.
Merely matching the NRL crowd of 28,548 lured to Suncorp Stadium by the Brisbane Broncos last Sunday won't be good enough for Queensland rugby.
That would mean a loss for the QRU on the Suncorp Stadium switch because car parking, corporate hospitality, Queensland Rugby Club spin-offs and no ground rental all factor into a full-house at Ballymore.
"We're extremely confident we can set an Australian Super 12 record crowd," Psaros said of topping the 41,645 fans at a NSW-ACT Brumbies match in Sydney in 2002.
The QRU has realised it had to gauge how big the Reds could be on the back of the rousing endorsement for the stadium from fans during last year's World Cup.
Psaros said 16,000 of the seats for the interstate game would be at the "reasonably priced" $22-$25-$30 level. The top-priced tickets are $55 for the April 5 on-sale date.
Tickets for June's Origin rugby league spectacle are framed between $37 and $82.
If Sports Minister Terry Mackenroth's private feelings are that the Reds will become a full-time tenant at Suncorp Stadium, he was not revealing them yesterday.
"We are delighted with the Reds staging the interstate clash at Suncorp," Mackenroth said.
Skipper Elton Flatley said the Reds wouldn't be giving up a home ground advantage when they faced the NSW Waratahs.
"The Suncorp crowd was probably the noisiest behind the Wallabies at the World Cup," Flatley said.
"Those same voices will be in red shirts cheering for the Reds. Ballymore will always be special but as a player you want to play in front of the big crowds and 50,000 would be awesome."
The Courier-Mail
:lol: :lol: What is Wendell on???
By Jim Tucker
March 17, 2004
CODE-JUMPER Wendell Sailor is convinced that rugby union's interstate clash can rival State of Origin's crowd-pulling power and fill 50,000 seats at Suncorp Stadium.
The Wallaby winger's bold declaration came just hours after yesterday's confirmation that the Queensland Reds will host NSW there in a Super 12 blockbuster on May 8.
"We can sell it out. Playing NSW for just one spot in the semi-finals would be perfect," Sailor said of the dream script he has penned for the last round.
Queensland Rugby Union chief executive Theo Psaros finalised nearly two years of haggling over whether the code could uproot its most traditional fixture from Ballymore. His contention that the interstate match is "too big for Ballymore" and its 20,000-strong capacity is spot on.
"How much bigger?" is the real question that will decide whether the QRU posts a profit on this one-off, considers moving two or three selected matches to Suncorp every year or bites the bullet on a full-time switch.
The Ballymore-Suncorp Stadium issue is only just hotting up. Loyal eight-year naming rights sponsor Bank of Queensland is supporting the Reds' move to a stadium carrying the brand of an industry rival as a one-off.
"Like the Reds, we can make longer term judgments after this game," Bank of Queensland corporate affairs head Paul Turner said yesterday.
Merely matching the NRL crowd of 28,548 lured to Suncorp Stadium by the Brisbane Broncos last Sunday won't be good enough for Queensland rugby.
That would mean a loss for the QRU on the Suncorp Stadium switch because car parking, corporate hospitality, Queensland Rugby Club spin-offs and no ground rental all factor into a full-house at Ballymore.
"We're extremely confident we can set an Australian Super 12 record crowd," Psaros said of topping the 41,645 fans at a NSW-ACT Brumbies match in Sydney in 2002.
The QRU has realised it had to gauge how big the Reds could be on the back of the rousing endorsement for the stadium from fans during last year's World Cup.
Psaros said 16,000 of the seats for the interstate game would be at the "reasonably priced" $22-$25-$30 level. The top-priced tickets are $55 for the April 5 on-sale date.
Tickets for June's Origin rugby league spectacle are framed between $37 and $82.
If Sports Minister Terry Mackenroth's private feelings are that the Reds will become a full-time tenant at Suncorp Stadium, he was not revealing them yesterday.
"We are delighted with the Reds staging the interstate clash at Suncorp," Mackenroth said.
Skipper Elton Flatley said the Reds wouldn't be giving up a home ground advantage when they faced the NSW Waratahs.
"The Suncorp crowd was probably the noisiest behind the Wallabies at the World Cup," Flatley said.
"Those same voices will be in red shirts cheering for the Reds. Ballymore will always be special but as a player you want to play in front of the big crowds and 50,000 would be awesome."
The Courier-Mail
:lol: :lol: What is Wendell on???
