Fans’ no-show for Boks

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

Pages: [1] 2 3 4 » Show All

  • 1.Vinnie: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 14:57 pm

    None of you fairies can make a stupid comment now.

  • 2.Mongril: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 14:58 pm

    Yippee – First!

  • 3.Mongril: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 14:58 pm

    damn..

  • 4.St.Petersburgbok: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 14:59 pm

    The Lions Sales and Marketing team…like their rugby team…..are kak.

  • 5.cab: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:00 pm

    this is a poor show, i’d definitely go along to this one if back home. some big stars.

  • 6.Ou Grote: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:00 pm

    5th

  • 7.Drunkmonkey: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:01 pm

    tickets overpriced thats all

  • 8.wild-africa: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:01 pm

    That is cheap for rugby tickets, it’s got to be rich jo’burg people who doesn’t want to dish up! Even if it isn’t a test, they still deserve the support. Try living in Dublin, then you can complain about ticket prices….

  • 9.Ou Grote: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:01 pm

    oh no

  • 10.Vinnie: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:02 pm

    Andrew, any idea what these long-term projects for the players are. Seems to me its gravy train stuff again.

    Im not surpirsed ticket sales are slow – the tickets are damn expensive and its effectively a second string bok side and a second string world side.

    At some point the fat cats have got to start realising that the average guy in the street cant afford to take his family to the rugger anymore.

    So much for the development of the game – you’re basically pricing rugby out of the hands of the majority of the population.

    Seems rugby is still the game of the rich and elite.

  • 11.big g: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:02 pm

    DRAGONS… he he & of them…

  • 12.Drunkmonkey: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:03 pm

    its overpriced ……. where must a scholar get r250 bucks from? No wonder soccer stadiums always packed tickets about r50

  • 13.MikeJ: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:04 pm

    I wasn’t even planning on watching this, never mind showing up.

  • 14.Vinnie: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:04 pm

    More like R10 for a big pirates or chiefs game drunkmonkey

  • 15.Drunkmonkey: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:05 pm

    i vote tickets over priced!!!

  • 16.Vinnie: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:05 pm

    SA Rugby is delusional if they think fans will put up with this **** forever.

  • 17.Ig: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:06 pm

    Tickets should be no more than R 70 Bucks….you get enough from endorsements, kit sponsors, car sponsors, clothing sponsors, foot wear sponsors etc etc

  • 18.MikeJ: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:07 pm

    The tickets are overpriced and Ellis Park is a nightmare to get to. The Lions sales and marketing team needs to pull finger if they expect crowds.

  • 19.bylies: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:07 pm

    I just think that because it is not really a test as such…the guys would rather watch it in a pub or at home.
    I must say though the tickets are a bit expensive.

  • 20.Vinnie: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:07 pm

    Agreed Ig – R70 is more than enough and is reasonable for an afternoons entertainment.

  • 21.Andrew: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:08 pm

    Vinnie – Sarpa wish to fall in line with the rest of the world’s players’ bodies. They want to prepare the player for life after rugby. Skills in that regard and other basic skills such as computer literacy.

    Remember some of these guys finished school and have done nothing but play rugby since so Sarpa are trying to educate them with courses and so on. And this will help, apparently.

  • 22.Drunkmonkey: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:10 pm

    andrew i will remember that when one of them fly past me in there new bmw sports car… while my car just .. just make 100km/h hehehe

  • 23.bigg: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:11 pm

    Agree with you Vinnie – I bought tickets for the French test at Newlands for R150.00 each. They have demolished the standing room on the grandstand side and made it seating for R150.00, which is reasonable. The rest of the seats on the grandstand, railway stand, Danie Craven & Jan Pickard stands are R350.00.

    Jake don’t call them greedy or you might end up in France!!!

  • 24.Mongril: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:11 pm

    Cheap skates! Maybe R200 for regular tickets, and R50 for kids…

    Can’t really go lower than that (compare to music concert tickets – R500 and up).

    Each city only has 1/2 bok games a year. You can cough a bit to go to one.

  • 25.Andrew: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:12 pm

    I think they may have got greedy in pricing the match. Sure 300 bucks for a T-N Boks v NZ is only almost acceptable, so how they think R300 for Boks B v Golden Oldies is ok, is beyond me.

    Maybe R150 and R70 school kids? Spoke to one of the Bok players today and he was a bit shocked to hear it was only half full.

    This will be big reality check…

  • 26.mossel: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:12 pm

    I like to think the stadium is half full…

  • 27.bylies: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:12 pm

    We got an offer from one of our clients …tickets for R85 rand. They only had a hundred…were all gone in about 15 minutes.

  • 28.Vinnie: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:13 pm

    Funny that Andrew – did somebody pay for you to learn your trade? Nobody except my folks helped me.

    Surely when you’re taking your million bucks a year you can afford to put yourself though a computer course?

    So what you’re saying is those fans going to watch Saturdays game are not only paying the players million rand salaries but also for their computer studies? Thats the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.
    95% of the fans going to watch dont see a quarter of what these guys take.

    I’m telling you SA Rugby is going to force their fans, esp the younger one, to find other ways of amusing themselves.

    Why is a whole day at the cricket only like a hundred bucks?

  • 29.suparugby: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:13 pm

    Die mense wil nie kaartjies koop nie want hulle dink seker dis nogsteeds die Cats wat daar speel…

  • 30.banana boy: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:13 pm

    way overpriced for SA,
    Tickets in the UK are a lot more expensive though(if you can ever get hold of them) ;)

    But agreed for SA this is too much, especially for the the type of game it is…..

  • 31.Andrew: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:14 pm

    mossel – :mrgreen: Great chirp re 26!!

  • 32.MikeJ: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:15 pm

    These players need to grow up and stop being spoonfed are they not capeable of thinking they may need some career in the future?

    What’s wrong with studying by corrospondence? I and hundreds of thousands of others do it despite having full time jobs.

  • 33.Vinnie: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:15 pm

    I went to watch England versus the Baabaas last year at Twickers and that wasnt even this expensive. And believe you me everything is double in the UK.

  • 34.brains_trust: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:15 pm

    rather buy a good bottle of wine and watch the game @ home!!

    Ellis park is trying to make up for loss of ticket sales during a dysmal S14

  • 35.Andrew: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:16 pm

    Vinnie, no I paid.

    Good point. Why the hell shoul Joe Public pay for a Bok, who earns 50k a month, to learn to type?!?

  • 36.Vinnie: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:17 pm

    Let me guess though brains_trust – the game is only on Mnet?

    So 70% of the population cant even watch it.
    Maybe parliament should be asking these questions instead of quizzing Jake on his selections.

  • 37.mossel: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:17 pm

    they charge these prices because the can- tickets sales will probably increase before the game and then they got away with it.

  • 38.MikeJ: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:17 pm

    mosssel or twice the size it needs to be?

  • 39.suparugby: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:18 pm

    Ja mossel that as one of the better chirps you hear from this site…

  • 40.Rudebud: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:18 pm

    Andrew (21)

    “..and other basic skills such as computer literacy.” Sarpa gaan maar sukkel met De Wet Barry….

  • 41.bylies: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:18 pm

    So what you guys reckon the score is gonna be?

  • 42.Skim: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:18 pm

    40

  • 43.Andre_WP: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:19 pm

    Stop complaining about ticket prices guys , you all go and buy dop weekends even if the price go up by R50 hahaha

    No realy it’s to expensive

    Think it’s going to happen during the CC aswell

  • 44.Simon: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:19 pm

    You can’t charge these prices for a non-Test match.

  • 45.norman: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:20 pm

    i agree with vinnie
    tickets are hopelessly overpriced and on top of it to have been charging scolars 250 rand to sit behind the posts is a disgrace
    how can you build a game with those exorbitant prices
    and the players association is a waste of time
    the players make far more than they deserve and as long as the gullible public continue with this type of support so long the unions will take advantage
    i bet not many people could name more than 5 world players participating
    all money making ,nothing else
    same in cape town with the exorbitant prices to view has beens And season ticket holders got preferetial bookings Magnanimous gesture on the unions side

  • 46.Vinnie: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:20 pm

    So Andrew,

    Out of the R250 the ticket price is only actually R75 and the other R175 is to pay more the secretary classes the players are supposedly taking?

    Its a disgrace. At R75 a ticket you could still fill half the stadium with youngsters and drum up interest in the game.
    At R250 you get no youngsters and a stadium full of businessmen who take out clients.

  • 47.suparugby: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:21 pm

    Boks by 13

  • 48.Drunkmonkey: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:21 pm

    Its all about the money ta..dum..dum.

    I would say s.a rugby only drop money when they need some publicity otherwise they all getting rich these fat cats.

  • 49.Viper6: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:21 pm

    They should pay us to watch the bumbling Boks.

  • 50.mossel: Reply to this comment
    1 Jun 2006, 15:22 pm

    we love rugby too much and end up paying ridicilous prices for these games. the professional era cashes in on fans

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