Absa Currie Cup fans a no-show
30 Jun 2006
The not-so prestigious premier league of South African rugby saw poor turnouts in it’s opening week, and this weekend is set to see much of the same.
Rob Wagner, MD of WP Rugby has indicated that the poor attendance figures could be attributed to the poor performances of the Springboks, as well as the fact that none of those players will play Currie Cup rugby in 2006.
“I think that we underestimate the impact that the performance of the national team has on the psyche of the nation. And the three tests thus far haven’t set the nation alight with regards to the performances. Maybe that’s a reason,” the WP Rugby boss told Rugby365 editor Jan de Koning.
The figures really do put this sad story into perspective. The Sharks opening match against the Lions was the only encounter to draw over 10 000 spectators, with 15 180 paying customers attending the game.
In second place was the Vodacom Blue Bulls and Valke match which only attracted 7 492 of the usually impressive Loftus Versveld turnout. In Bloemfontein, 2 000 fans gathered to watch the central derby between the Vodacom Cheetahs and Griquas, whilst the numbers were even worse in Witbank with 2 000 being the official count for the Pumas and Province clash.
The old coastal rivalry is to be resumed tomorrow at Newlands, but Wagner fears that it may no be the big occasion it once was. The unions are said to be planning on budget cuts, as the takings at the gates are no longer sufficient.
“At this point in time, for a typical Currie Cup game, it is not good,” Wagner said. “We haven’t improved on years gone by, despite the fact that we’re in a so-called strength-versus-strength competition,” Wagner said.
“Again one has to ask, is the absence of leading players not the only reason why we have these poor attendance figures?
“”It will be interesting to see how the [rest of the] Currie Cup pans out, particularly from an attendance point of few. It had been a shock, and we’ll see what the crowd attendance is like here [at Newlands] on Saturday.”
By Jon Cardinelli
151 Comments
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30 Jun 2006, 12:18 pm
BULLSHIT! It because the stormers and cats were kak in the S14.
30 Jun 2006, 12:21 pm
Correct – that and the fact that there are some critical WCS games happening. Oh and the fact that WP struggles against the minnows also probably doessn’t help
30 Jun 2006, 12:24 pm
By Jove there is not enough playing talent to sustain a domestic competition in SA.
Perhaps one day the boks will become like Australia and indeed France’s football teams. Where all players ply their trades overseas but come back to represent SA in internationals.
Although the difference with football will be that any players that show real talent or potential are likely to be snapped up by the countries they are playing in. After all your typical Saffa would think nothing of selling their birthright.
The remainder or the dross as I would refer to them as can play for the Boks.
30 Jun 2006, 12:27 pm
A winning team playing attractive rugby will always fill the seats …
School boy rugby is attracting larger crowds for their games than a top CC clash …
The Grey PE vs Grey Bloem match in 2004 attracted 12 000 in PE , that was more than EP had the entire season at their stadium …
30 Jun 2006, 12:28 pm
but that was EP , so bad example … sorry …
30 Jun 2006, 12:33 pm
Yawn St M…
Did you see that Enland is still not one of the best teams in the world? Were are they? 6th or 7th?
30 Jun 2006, 12:34 pm
Still, it has to be one of the hardest domestic compeitions in world rugby. For example, the gauteng lions would cremate a teams of pretenders like the leicester tigers.
30 Jun 2006, 12:37 pm
Good one cab – haven’t chuckled like that in ages.
30 Jun 2006, 12:41 pm
geeze send this jc back to varsity or tech or school and pay andrew and simon double… you guys are waisting ur money on this oke… i can string a bunch of quotes together, slap a few words in between and call it an article…
come on keo, ur bloggers deserve more than this…
just like jaco, let us not be the testing ground for this ****…
30 Jun 2006, 12:43 pm
What do you expect!
30 Jun 2006, 12:44 pm
big g, what did you say about Jaco and Sucking?
30 Jun 2006, 12:44 pm
Big g ease up.
He’s new and is doing a good job.
30 Jun 2006, 12:44 pm
if you can string a bunch of quotes together, slap a few words inbetween and call it an article…
enlighten me, big g, what else would you add to this piece…
30 Jun 2006, 12:45 pm
Do they still start with and u/13 game at 11am, then u/19 games, then u/21 etc. or is it just the main game nowadays?
30 Jun 2006, 12:46 pm
Cape Town has the same debates about why we don’t support our PSL football clubs. More people wear Man Utd and Liverpool (old fogies like me are Spurs) replica jerseys than Santos or Ajax ones. Yet amateur football often gets good crowds at some of their games.
Answer is simple. The professional teams play kak, uninteresting or unentertaining football. When it’s our family or friends playing, we’re at least showing some passion by supporting them. even when the whole team or game is not so wonderful. Guys would rather go and watch Tygerberg, Collegians, Brackenfell, Villagers, etc., or watch DSTV/MNet, than trek to Newlands.
So rugby and WP/Stormers are travelling the same road that Santos/Hellenic/Ajax have been on – if you don’t entertain or win, we won’t pay to waste our time watching you. Same with the Springboks/Bafana Bafana/Banyana/Amagluglug/Amajita, etc.
30 Jun 2006, 12:47 pm
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
30 Jun 2006, 12:47 pm
Think its the main games…..gecko. They even stopped the uber lighties playing at half time.
30 Jun 2006, 12:49 pm
maybe a bit of ur own words and thoughts about why jc… just a thought, otherwise it could be a classified for all i care…
he he redcard…. sorry i apologise, i didnt start out right… i should have started with my usual:
jaco suck jaco suck jaco suck
jaco suck jaco suck jaco suck
jaco suck jaco suck jaco suck
there we go, now i feel better to….
30 Jun 2006, 12:50 pm
JC , on another note …
whats the news on Selborne Boom , is he signed up with Province for the year ?
30 Jun 2006, 12:51 pm
fact is anyone watches winners
right now weepee losers lol so no crowds
sharks winners lotsa crowds lol
30 Jun 2006, 12:51 pm
lol big g hiyas bro
30 Jun 2006, 12:52 pm
Whatever Wagner says – the opposite is true. Wagner is a wanker and he has no clue!
30 Jun 2006, 12:54 pm
selbourne boome has signed for the bulls
he took the road north lol
30 Jun 2006, 12:54 pm
That’s a good comment from Henri-F
30 Jun 2006, 12:57 pm
My suspicion is that within 5 years, just like Henri F describes as it is in football, Saffas will end up supporting English club rugby teams rather than their own provinces. So rather than root for the Cats locals will be hurah’ing for the Leicester Tigers. WHo will of course include maybe 1 or 2 saffas that the locals can identify with.
30 Jun 2006, 12:59 pm
JC please rise above such penicious and perfidious comments.
You are doing a splendid job in trying circumstances.
30 Jun 2006, 13:00 pm
StMick – nope, I’ve lived here in UK for 10 years, and still support any French/Irish or whatever team playing against an English club team (in HC).
However, you do have a point, but the SA’s here support lower, local league team – like Henri-F implies with soccer. London SA, or Richmond in it’s current form, which is full of SA’s, are well supported – so in fact are the Cornish Pirates as there is a but SA bunch in Exeter.
30 Jun 2006, 13:02 pm
As a laaitie, I enjoyed the curtain raisers when WP or SA played a touring team. We would get to Newlands about 09h00, and my older cousins and father would play klawerjas till the first schools curtainraiser at 10h30/11h00. Then it was an U19, and a provincial game, before the main game. When it rained, the field was a mudbath by 15h30.
30 Jun 2006, 13:04 pm
I am very concerned with the amount of analogies being made to the roundball game. In fact, i stop reading as soon as I see it mentioned.
Lets be clear. We dont want whingeing coaches, pampered arrogrant players, fans that are scum and a sport devoid of physical contact. Some may argue that we have that already in certain areas of our country. It is for precisely these reasons and influences that our rugby players are becoming such prima donnas.
It is not a proper sport.
30 Jun 2006, 13:05 pm
Henri – yip, that’s the Newlands I remember
30 Jun 2006, 13:05 pm
JC, get a chill pill.
The article raises important questions.
30 Jun 2006, 13:06 pm
Henri – right on ! Thats how it should be today still. It was a day of rugby not 30 over paid players for 80 minutes !
30 Jun 2006, 13:06 pm
ha ha, he just quickly had to go look up what ur ‘big’ words meant st.m #26
each for his own, these trying circumstances bwaha ha ha… i just really dont think he is ready for this environment yet, maybe give it a bit more time, just like chillieboy…
anyho, that my opinion and the difference i see in the quality of different articles, but you welcome to disagree…
off the subject… anyone going to the July?!! its gonna be awesome, the fashion is to die for and durbs is already buzzing…
30 Jun 2006, 13:15 pm
I’m waiting for Cardinelli to present himself for inspection to the head of the approvals committee.
Namely … me.
30 Jun 2006, 13:17 pm
I am working on a petition, which has 2 main aims:
1. To demand the IRB removes England’s name from the Web Ellis tophy for bringing the game into disrepute.
2. To ask George W to use US military power for good and send a B52 flyby over FIFA headquarters to destroy any trace of the roundball game.
30 Jun 2006, 13:18 pm
where do i sign….
30 Jun 2006, 13:18 pm
Happy to support point one…..can we delay the second till after 2010 – i got a little business hinging on that one !
30 Jun 2006, 13:28 pm
loftus will be heaving with fans for the big games, never u mind. when i say big games, i mean semi and final. we might even pitch up to see the blou masjien stoomroller the piesangs, mielieboere, the-team-formerly-known-as-queen and the lightweights from the wrong side of the jukskei. bring die koppie huis toe!!!
30 Jun 2006, 13:29 pm
Cab,
I’ll back you on one altho my reasons for removing England from the WE are different.
Sport is sport. You can hardly besmirch the the shananigans in football when SA has more than any pther country contributed to the very worst side of rugby:
- Corrupt referees
- Onfield premediated violence (inclduing murder)
- Player vanity
- Self-serving adminisitrators.
SA rugby is more guilty of misdemeanours than all of football added together.
30 Jun 2006, 13:33 pm
Has anyone watched the boks recently …dead boring … and our provincial teams are worse than that … why waste money when you can watch quality rugby in the six nations or New Zealand … teams who want to play rugby … not just spoil their way to win …
My local club is more entertaining than CC matches with SA teams
30 Jun 2006, 13:33 pm
its still early in the season. the boks are in their big internationals. when the 3N is finished and as the CC nears the final, the stands will be packed once more
30 Jun 2006, 13:34 pm
newlands is going to be so packed when they host the cc final
30 Jun 2006, 13:35 pm
Yea and England has Matt Dawson, and Andy Robinson – i am satisfied we still doing better.
Besides come the end of the weekend when your roundball 11 fails to make it through to the next round we will get to see the seedy side of the Brits as they rage around Europe and shoot each other through the press.
Aquaruis – see Henri’s comment – similar vein. i agree
30 Jun 2006, 13:36 pm
st mich
sometimes i really wish hitler had a bit more time, before he decided to battle the russians as well and the US rescued you guys…
30 Jun 2006, 13:38 pm
Ig,
Me thinks its rather premature for your soothsayer bit. England are 3 victories from sporting immortality:
Reigning across:
Football World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Ashes
World Snooker and Darts
“What we achieve in our lifetimes echoes through eternity”
30 Jun 2006, 13:39 pm
big g – very sensible
Ig – no, i’m afraid urgent measures are required.
StM, yes it is precisely because of the sinister influence of the roudball game.
life before the roundball game entailed hard-drinking honest larrikins that were not adverse to a bit of argy bargey but always within the spirit of the game. A good klap was rewarded with a beer afterwards, and a favourable refereeing decision was accepted as home ground advantage. After all, it gave the spectators something to argue over. Take the world cup final for example, the aussies would surely have rewarded our man with a few cold ones.
I will put your support down for both 1 and 2.
30 Jun 2006, 13:44 pm
dream on scrawl
30 Jun 2006, 13:45 pm
Cab
…which is exactly why England, and Australia in 99 should have their name removed from the Webb Ellis.
It is inappropriate to compare the achievement of winning the WC in the professional era than the competition in the amateur times. I understand winning in the amatuer era carried the titled ‘favoured team’. The winners were not allowed to refer to themselves as World Champions. And exactly right to.
The Webb Ellis should have been melted down in 95 and a new more majestic trophy crafted in its place to signal the dawn of a new game.
30 Jun 2006, 13:46 pm
StMick – you forgot teenage pregnancies
30 Jun 2006, 13:46 pm
O vok he said my name.
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