Fans’ no-show for Boks
1 Jun 2006
The Springboks could open the international season in front of a half empty stadium on Saturday.
This embarrassing scenario is a distinct possibility after Ellis Park officials confirmed that sale of tickets had been “far worse than expected.”
By late on Thursday afternoon less than half of the tickets for the Springbok XV v World XV match at Ellis Park had been sold. Usually at this stage – approximately 48 hours before kick-off – of the build-up to a real Test match, Ellis Park officials are preparing to put up the “Sold Out” sign.
Instead less than 30,000 tickets for the 65,000 capacity stadium have been sold. Ticket prices range from R250 to R300 each. Scholars get a special price of R100 per ticket. But clearly the fans are not happy with these prices for a match missing many first-choice Boks, while the World XV have some excellent players, but most are well past their prime.
“The ticket sales are not going as well as we would have liked,” said Golden Lions Rugby Union’s commercial manager Andre Homan. “We have sold around 30,000, and usually for matches involving the Boks we sell out by the Friday or early on Saturday morning.
Homan said he was expecting a late rush and hoped to have at least 45,000 people in the stadium by the 3pm kick-off on Saturday. “Our initial aim was a minimum of 45,000 and hopefully we can still achieve that.”
The ticket prices were decided by the South African Rugby Players’ Association (SARPA), who have already acted to public lethargy by reducing the cost of scholars tickets from R250 to R100 behind the poles.
The proceeds from the match are to go to SARPA (70%) and SA Rugby (30%). SARPA will use their portion to fund projects in the coming montha that will benefit the players in the long run.
Tickets are available from any moneymarket counter at Shoprite/Checkers stores countrywide or at shoprite.co.za.
By Andrew Hollely
179 Comments
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1 Jun 2006, 16:01 pm
Let me guess – all of you defending the ticket price are pretty comfortable at home – nice car, DSTV, secure job etc.
In the real world (not the leafy green pretend place where you spend your days) R250 is way too ****** much. No argument.
And don’t compare us to the UK, because there is absolutely no comparison. I’s way easier to spend 25 pounds there than it is to spend R250 here.
This is just greed and a total disregard for the roots of rugby.
As for that **** about SARPA’s career guidance plan for players and sponsoring their courses – I hope that was either a joke or just misinterpreted. If a poor kid from a tough school has to beg for a study loan to further his studies, why on earth should an overpaid rygby player be subsidised? With the fan’s money, nogal. Must be a bullshit story.
1 Jun 2006, 16:01 pm
Jake White
Jeppe Boys High School 1st XV – Hooker
Jeppe Old Boys Under 20 – Hooker
Johannesburg College of Education 1st XV – Hooker
Founs on the SA Rugby site.
Zama you are crapping on jim!
1 Jun 2006, 16:02 pm
True Vinnie and in front of their home crowd it will be a huge ask…
1 Jun 2006, 16:02 pm
Vinnie
Ja in front of their own crowd they’re gonna be tough to beat, maybe its easier playing the ausies and kiwis. You never know though. All 5 top teams have a chance. Cant wait…
1 Jun 2006, 16:04 pm
Frazer
wil jy nie jou laaities die rugby gaan wys nie?
1 Jun 2006, 16:04 pm
155
1 Jun 2006, 16:05 pm
R250 to R300 buys a months suscription to M-Net and rugby 4 Saturdays a month.Plus travel costs and security concerns about the location and its no wonder.I’d be in a pubb with me mates too!
Besides who can bear to go to the stadium where the Cats play rugby without depression.
1 Jun 2006, 16:05 pm
yoda stop saying what im saying!
1 Jun 2006, 16:06 pm
My sentiments exactly katman.
And to put £25 in perspective that less than 10 beers in a pub over here…
1 Jun 2006, 16:08 pm
Andrew – could we maybe get a statement form hennie le roux regarding the ticket prices and his justification of it.
He loves to talk **** and hear his own voice.
1 Jun 2006, 16:10 pm
me too.
1 Jun 2006, 16:11 pm
I went to the England vs Barbarians game and had front row seat for 15 pounds, a bargain. Better view than Ellis Park, safer to get to and we had the big screen near us.
1 Jun 2006, 16:11 pm
Shocking prices really, i paid R1400 for 4 tickets to watch Scotland, i mean *Cough* *Cough*
For 80 mins.. but you can guarantee i’ll be there when the gates open and crawl out when they’re closing
I might even tackle a ref, get my monies worth!!
1 Jun 2006, 16:11 pm
They had hoped to attract 45 000? Even if 5 000 of those were scholars, they’d still be netting R10.5 mil at the gates. Just how many times are these players going to have to take the same Windows course before they pass?
1 Jun 2006, 16:11 pm
sorry supa
1 Jun 2006, 16:12 pm
vinnie at 134, yes but they’re not proper sportsmen.
besides no-one else can understand why they take soccer so seriously when they get beaten all the time.
1 Jun 2006, 16:12 pm
lol katman… priceless…
1 Jun 2006, 16:12 pm
Cheers guys.
1 Jun 2006, 16:14 pm
katman
since SA havent got the cleverest rugby players, I would reckon windows training coarses will take up all of that money in no time
1 Jun 2006, 16:14 pm
Plus it costs them a new monitor and hard drive every time they ask Pakslae to reboot his computer.
1 Jun 2006, 16:15 pm
En hy verdwyn soos die skim…..
1 Jun 2006, 16:21 pm
Well – supply and demand talks. I dont really give a flying twang what happes between Boks C and Old C%$nts.
If they are serious about getting crowds in, they will reduce the prices.
AS the man said:
“Bring down the prices, and they will come….”
1 Jun 2006, 16:22 pm
Good idea to get Hennie le Roux to justify the cost, since SARPA are supposedly getting 70% of the proceeds. Would be interesting to hear his explanation.
1 Jun 2006, 16:26 pm
Katman – i asked journos to get on this !
1 Jun 2006, 16:30 pm
I think the tickets are way overpriced and the fact that Ellis park sits in a dodgy part of Jo’burg doesn’t help either.
1 Jun 2006, 16:42 pm
LMAO at 170 … ahaha bwahahaha
1 Jun 2006, 16:42 pm
Thanks Ig. Maybe he can also be asked to explain their involvement in the players’ life-after-rugby careers. I suspect Andrew hasn’t quite got his head around that.
1 Jun 2006, 16:45 pm
Cab, it took them an entire semester to convince Pakslae that “hard drive” didn’t refer to the road back to Pretoria after a liquid Saturday night in Brits.
1 Jun 2006, 18:06 pm
Like Hennie / SARU, I’ve drawn a blank!
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