Lousy Turn Ups

[Fantasy King]

Did anybody notice how dismal the crowd turn ups were last week?

It may have been that only a few games are televised here - but there seemed to be far too many open seats in the stadiums for the Super 14 games, especially considering the new ELV's are supposed to make the rugby a more exciting spectacle.

I never got to see the Crusaders game, but with the weather as it was a few empty seats would make sense.
The Cheetah's stadium is undergoing some construction, so that can also be excused coupled with a relatively low hype game.

But for the Shark tank to have so many gaping seats at their opening game at home was astonishing to see. Especially considering they were finalists (and winning finalists up until the last minute) of last years comp. I figured there would be more support.

The Waratahs game also had a number of seats as well as the Blues Chiefs game.

Any suggestions/comments?

 

[Vambo]

WELLINGTON, Feb 20 AAP-NZPA - New Zealanders are supposed to be rugby-mad but research shows nearly a third of Kiwis are suffering from rugby fatigue.
It seems last year's latest Rugby World Cup disappointment for perennial favourites the All Blacks may have left a lingering hangover.
Research NZ director Emanuel Kalafatelis today said his company's poll found 29 per cent of New Zealanders reported they would be taking less interest in the Super 14 competition this season.
Only 14 per cent said they would be taking more interest in the Super 14, and 54 per cent said their interest would be the same as in 2007.
The poll showed little variation between males and females, but there was variation in opinion among age groups, Kalafatelis said.
"Younger people were the most likely to take a greater interest in the rugby. In the 15 to 29 age group 23 per cent said they were more interested than last year.
"While people aged between 30 and 39 were the least likely to take a greater interest in the Super 14 this season, nine per cent said they would take more interest in the competition.
"It seems there's still a bit of rugby fatigue around following the disappointment of the World Cup loss and the huge amount of coverage of rugby last year."
New Zealand were eliminated in the World Cup quarter-finals last year after being heavily tipped to win the ***le.
"People's interest may grow as we move deeper into this season, or this could signal that Kiwis are becoming more interested in sports other than rugby," Kalafatelis said.
Polling was conducted between February 12 and February 18, during the first week of the Super 14, which started last Friday.
The poll of 500 people aged 15 and over had a maximum margin of error of plus or minus 4.7 percent.

 

[Vambo]

More doom and gloom:

Rest and reconditioning doesn't work for fatigued viewers
By GREG FORD - Sunday Star Times | Sunday, 24 February 2008

A few weeks ago a nice chap here at work who makes sure our computers run smoothly blindsided me at the water cooler. "I can't wait till the Super 14 starts," he said.


For the record, I agreed. I'm the sort of rugby tragic who, when the wife isn't looking, tunes into the Rugby Channel to see if there's an old test on worth watching (there generally is).

But it did strike me that Sean and I might just be in a rather small minority. This week came confirmation: the AGB Nielsen TV ratings were released. If you decided to skip the opening rounds of the rugby season, you were not alone.

A dismal 148,000 viewers tuned in for the season opener between the Crusaders and Brumbies. Just two years ago, 323,000 watched the opening game, featuring the Blues and the Hurricanes. But by last February just 188,000 tuned in when the Blues played the Crusaders. There were extenuating circumstances: an early season start; Graham Henry's reconditioning absentees; and an upswell in cricket interest as the Black Caps swept Australia 3-0 in the Chappell-Hadlee series.

But this year the season started two weeks later than last year, all the big guns like Dan Carter, Richie McCaw and Mils Muliaina were back, and although the current cricket series against England has been compelling, it started slowly.

The numbers are a telling message to rugby's administrators. Ratings for key Friday and Saturday night games are in a tailspin.

Last Saturday's clash between the Chiefs and Blues, which, by the way, was an excellent game of rugby, was watched by 172,500, well down on previous years.

Probably the most dismal statistic to emerge was that 74,900 people chose to watch the Highlanders' opening match of the season, albeit at 10pm on the Friday against the lowly Reds.

Rugby-viewer fatigue has been growing in recent years "there's too much rugby on TV; we can't watch it all" but this time we've had a big break between seasons. Even so, a Research New Zealand poll shows a third of New Zealanders are still suffering from rugby fatigue.

In a survey of about 500 New Zealanders, 29% reported they would be taking less interest in the Super 14 this season. Only 14% said they would be taking more interest in the Super 14, and 54% said their interest would be the same as in 2007 (hardly a stellar year).

"Younger people were the most likely to take a greater interest in the rugby. In the 15 to 29 age group, 23% said they were more interested than last year," said pollster Emanuel Kalafatelis.

"While people aged between 30 and 39 were the least likely to take a greater interest in the Super 14.

"It seems there's still a bit of rugby fatigue around following the disappointment of the world cup loss and the huge amount of coverage of rugby last year."

So these are worrying times for the game's major stakeholders, including the likes of News Ltd, which pays millions every year to screen games on its pay TV networks.

If ever there was a time for rugby league to get its act together and start challenging their rival code it would be now. But league in this country, like many sports, is a shambles.

Rugby's new laws appear to have injected some much-needed verve into what was a pretty stale entertainment package.

There is some light at the end of the tunnel. But at the moment it appears miles away.

 

[Orcaral]

Those two are **** articles. While I'm not denying the fact that rugby viewing and interest is in decline, how can you accurately say 1/3 of New Zealanders are suffering from rugby fatigue when only 500 people were interviewed?

The ELVS are just being trialed to see how they'd go, they're not meant to be drawing into the crowds yet.

One reason the saffas have low turn outs might be because they're playing crap rugby?

Just my 2c.

 

[BLR]

when only 500 people were interviewed?
[/b]

That is the concept of random polling....

 

[Temana]

People are over paying big money to watch games that they can watch as easily at home for the same price. A month of sky tiv equates to the cost of going to one chiefs game its economics at the end of the day. No one wants to pay to see the games at the high prices. Parking all the hassles just watch it at home.

Thats my take anyway

 

[BLR]

People are over paying big money to watch games that they can watch as easily at home for the same price. A month of sky tiv equates to the cost of going to one chiefs game its economics at the end of the day. No one wants to pay to see the games at the high prices. Parking all the hassles just watch it at home.

Thats my take anyway
[/b]

You Kiwis get it easy, cheap as chips to get into games compared to over here...

 

[Boggle]

I dunno, Newlands had a good start with the match against the Bulls, I think there were about 40000+ atleast.



Personally I'd want to watch a game -at the venue- over a game on tellie any day of the week, thing is I don't get to do that very often as I live over here in Centurion, Gauteng whilst being a stormers supporter. Which kinda poses some logistical problems to say the least.

 

[Steve-o]

Yeah, you don't see the grand stand on the TV and they're normally packed.

Durban was mentioned but I know that in both matches the crowd was between 35000 - 40000.

Got tickets for the Bulls - Sharks game this weekend and it looks like it might be close to a sell out

 

[Orcaral]

<div class='quotemain'>
when only 500 people were interviewed?
[/b]

That is the concept of random polling....
[/b][/quote]

Random doesn't mean it's accurate. Not accurate enough for all this 'doom and gloom' anyway.

 

[Fantasy King]

Yeah, you don't see the grand stand on the TV and they're normally packed.

Durban was mentioned but I know that in both matches the crowd was between 35000 - 40000.
[/b]

Although those numbers there are pretty good, the Sharks faithful would normally pack that stadium out so that not a single empty seat is visible, and if there is it is because it's occupant is busy buying a beer or breaking the seal.

But in the opening game there were quite a few empty seats at the Shark tank.

The Newlands games have not been televised over here in the UK, but they are always one of the top crowds, so I am sure they were there in full force.

The fact of the matter is that the turn up has been relatively weak. I can fully understand that economic factors could come into it, but there is no comparison between watching a live game and watching on TV.

The fatigue excuse seems pretty random to me. The Super 14 is the greatest club rugby contest (now I am going to get grilled by all in the NH) around and deserves to have the spectators to ensure it stays that way. Surely it would be the domestic club rugby that would take a big hit from this (like the Curry Cup games in SA which have absolutely dismal turn outs :toss: ) rather than a spectacle such as S14

The ELV's cannot have had an affect in the opening stages as nobody knew what to expect. Now, however it is anybody's guess as to whether they have helped pull crowds or not.

I think people should get off their couch, breathe in some fresh air and go to the game. If I was in the right hemisphere I would!

 

[Steve-o]

Yes but Kings Park is huge dude. And it was about 2/3 full for both games, two weeks in a row. The Stormers game had a bigger attendence, even with the A1 Grand Prix being held in Durbs that weekend.

Fact is when an overseas club team plays here the attendence will drop. Unless it's an important game like a semi final.