‘Bok actions are costing us’
30 Jul 2009
Brian van Zyl believes the economic recession is not the only factor to blame for poor ticket sales at Springbok Tests.
Just one of the Bok Tests this year has been sold out, the second British & Irish Lions fixture at Loftus where a crowd of 52 511 was present. Last week’s Bloemfontein Test only saw 37 000 specatators in the ground and SA Rugby has launched an investigation into the poor attendances.
It views the economic recession as well as ’event fatigue’ (where numerous sporting events have been held in the country in 2009) as the main reasons why Boks Tests aren’t being sold out.
Van Zyl, CEO of the Sharks, doubts whether this weekend’s Test against the All Blacks at King’s Park will be packed, making it five out of six Tests this year where gaping holes in the crowd will be seen.
‘I’d be very surprised if we get a full house,’ Van Zyl told keo.co.za. ‘The figure we’re looking at is between 42-45 000.’
Van Zyl agrees the current economic climate is a reason for the smaller crowds, but said the public’s disatisfaction with the Springboks is a reason why they aren’t willing to fork out the cash.
‘We have taken notice of our stakeholders’ feedback and people are upset with the Boks,’ said Van Zyl. ‘Peter de Villiers’s remarks in the media haven’t impressed many, 10 changes for the third Lions Test was also upsetting [this crowd of 58 318 at Ellis Park was the biggest of the year], while the whole arm-band protest didn’t go down well.
‘There have also been a helluva a lot of events, while the Lions’ tour could have dented many peoples’ budgets, as those prices were very high,’ he continued.
‘But the ticket prices for this Test are the same as last year’s against the Wallabies [where the Boks and De Villiers were booed off the park], and we nearly had a sell-out then. There must be other reasons than just the economy at play.’
Van Zyl noted that the Boks’ performance against the All Blacks in Bloemfontein had, to some degree, restored public faith.
‘The sales have definitely picked up since Monday, particularly on Tuesday, when 1 200 were sold. We put another 2 000 up for sale on Computicket on Wednesday, while we have had many enquiries from Johannesburg and upcountry – who we rely on for these matches.
‘Sales certainly have improved since the Boks’ performance on Saturday, but when you host a Test you always hope for a great demand. We’ve already seen what’s happened in Bloem, and the last I heard Newlands wasn’t sold out either. In Cape Town tickets are traditionally sold out weeks in advance so something’s not right.’
By Grant Ball, in Durban
376 Comments
Pages: « 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 [8] Show All
30 Jul 2009, 14:38 pm
#345 Sheriff: LOL!!!!
Should WP play Morgan at inside center or Peter Grant. In my opinion, if Peter Grant cant do better than De Waal at flyhalf, then he must get splinters on the bench, I want to see Newman and De Jongh.
30 Jul 2009, 14:46 pm
#350 XhosaKid:
Tough one, but I’m not entirely convinced ’bout Morgan.
To be honest, he looks more like a gymnast to me.
But he is playing rugby now, so we’ll see.
I’m old school in that sense. 12 is 2nd five-eight so I’ll probably play Grant there as well.
He is young and has not had all the opportunities, only 2nd season that people know about him. Let’s see how he goes.
30 Jul 2009, 15:19 pm
#349 Transformation: with the arrival of Johnson the writing was on the wall for Aberloa, if Liverpool can highjack the Hunterlaar move and get Ricardo Quaresma, that should do it, Yossi and Dirk provide the needed support for Torres and Gerrard
30 Jul 2009, 15:25 pm
#350 XhosaKid: Personally I would love to see a 10,12,13 combo of Grant, Newman and De Jongh at province. If you want De Waal in the team pick him at fullback.
30 Jul 2009, 15:28 pm
Well said BVZ. About time someone stood up and was counted. He’ll be asked to stand before a committee again for this one…
He is the only guy who has the balls to say anything meaningful. SARU determines prices, SARU determines how much a Union must pay to host a test match, SARU has the mumbled PR machine and SARU appoints the muppets.
Who to blame??? SARU.
30 Jul 2009, 16:42 pm
#354 goyougoodthing2: “SARU determines prices” – don’t know where that fits in as he’s basically laying the blame on Peter “I’ll make u stay away from the stadiums” De Villiers and not ticket prices
30 Jul 2009, 16:46 pm
#355 Grape White: Read it properly and also read the comments from the bloggers above. The individual Unions do not set ticket prices.
They also don’t replace 10 men in the starting lineup for a game people have paid 1240 rand to watch.
30 Jul 2009, 16:57 pm
#356 goyougoodthing2: No, I’m saying BVZ is blaming PDV for the low tri nations turn out. He just mentioned the B&I tickets as an exception as that tour is every decade or so. No other quotes in the article where he blames ticket prices in general.
30 Jul 2009, 21:20 pm
#357 Grape White: Are you reading the same article? He blames many things, 2 lines out of a 1000 word article mentio media comments and 10 changes. Well the media P Divvy has to take responsibility for but the 10 changes he can shoulder equal blame with his 2 assistant brain surgeons.
Please read the article before you comment, I wouldn’t be surprised if P Divvy has a bend Snor sitting in the President’s Box come Saturday, he probably will take offense and misread this too… oh I forgot, he doesn’t read the media.
Seems at least one of our rugby guys does read the media and listen to the public. Nice change BVZ.
30 Jul 2009, 21:25 pm
#353 Corndog: How about Fourie at 13 for Province???
30 Jul 2009, 21:27 pm
#358 goyougoodthing2: are u even on the same point? I think u’ve gone off on a tangent. I’m not sure if it’s worth going over again?
No ticket price blame here
‘We have taken notice of our stakeholders’ feedback and people are upset with the Boks,’
No ticket price blame here
‘Peter de Villiers’s remarks in the media haven’t impressed many, 10 changes for the third Lions Test was also upsetting [this crowd of 58 318 at Ellis Park was the biggest of the year], while the whole arm-band protest didn’t go down well.
Here he mentions the isolated B&I ticket prices specifically
‘There have also been a helluva a lot of events, while the Lions’ tour could have dented many peoples’ budgets, as those prices were very high,’
Here he discards ticket prices in general as a factor (i.e tri nations)
‘But the ticket prices for this Test are the same as last year’s against the Wallabies [where the Boks and De Villiers were booed off the park], and we nearly had a sell-out then. There must be other reasons than just the economy at play.’
no ticket price blame here just blah blah blah
‘The sales have definitely picked up since Monday, particularly on Tuesday, when 1 200 were sold. We put another 2 000 up for sale on Computicket on Wednesday, while we have had many enquiries from Johannesburg and upcountry – who we rely on for these matches.
And, finally he alludes to something other than ticket prices as he covered that in the previous quotes
‘Sales certainly have improved since the Boks’ performance on Saturday, but when you host a Test you always hope for a great demand. We’ve already seen what’s happened in Bloem, and the last I heard Newlands wasn’t sold out either. In Cape Town tickets are traditionally sold out weeks in advance so something’s not right.’
I hate long posts, anyway I’m bored now, so I’ll leave it at that.
30 Jul 2009, 21:31 pm
#306 voshd: Nonsense. You are smoking your socks.
On one hand you have guys like Beast really making a difference and on the other hand you have pretenders like Cheeky who think they are black, preach from the bible and have sexy time with secretaries…. who is bringing the ‘game to the people’? Certainly not the people you think
30 Jul 2009, 21:33 pm
#360 Grape White: I miss your point. What are you saying?
He blames things other than Snor… and yet that is the only bit you pick up on. Be honest Lion’s prices were a rip off, 10 changes pathetic, armbands childish and, to top if off, anal officials ruining our game.
30 Jul 2009, 21:36 pm
This BVZ is a moegoe whoever he thinks he is. Just some don’t know it when they are.
30 Jul 2009, 21:38 pm
#363 skopskiet: Skop I think he knows a wee bit more than you about rugby.
30 Jul 2009, 22:05 pm
what makes you think this moegoe who is backhandedly trying to lay the blame of his crappy poor management and over zealous greed in terms of Lions rugby tickets etc. at the door of the coach, knows anything more about anything than anybody else… far as I can see he’s a bigger twit than he realizes…. big mouth twittering twat.
30 Jul 2009, 22:11 pm
#365 skopskiet: Well the CEO of the most recognised rugby franchise in the world, former player, Natal Captain blah blah blah.
I think he’s qualified Skop. Don’t be childish now.
30 Jul 2009, 22:20 pm
#365 skopskiet: ag who the hell are you pal?
just a rather incoherent cog in keo’s machine.
BJ Van Zyl was captaining Natal when you were learning how to drink whilst ordering people to mix cement.
30 Jul 2009, 22:35 pm
Twit twat is a twit twat.. no matter how highfalutin full of himself he thinks he is
30 Jul 2009, 23:23 pm
Well funny how things change.
It was only 6 months ago about people slagging of NZ for the lack of people at the stadiums.I heard all the,NZ rugby going down hill,Recession hitting NZ harder than SA,Swine flu all sorts of **** but now we have all the excuses as to why SA are having the same problem but it seems worse of you ask me.To only get 45,000 people to a stadium that is amongst a city of millions makes you wonder really dosnt it,hmmm maybe it to cold is SA?
30 Jul 2009, 23:39 pm
#367 rangerman: Cement is just an ingredient, he may have ordered people how to mix concrete, or dagha.
30 Jul 2009, 23:59 pm
#7 Bospomp: No mate- 5% of the SA population is half of the whites- and half of us certainly cannot afford to go to a test (when you consider two peopel or a family, plus transport, accomodation if it is out of town, food, etc)- more like 1%! And if you are looking at R1250 for a Lions ticket, then its probably closer to 0.01% of the population that can afford to go.
31 Jul 2009, 00:07 am
It’s absolutely ludicrous to lay the blame for poor ticket sales at the feet of PDV. Italy lose far far more than the Boks ever did and in their non-rugby mad country they fill the stadium easily for every home game.
31 Jul 2009, 11:12 am
#369 Hurricane: NZ has only one stadium that can seat 45 000, and then it’s chock-a-block full. The rest of your “international” stadiums’ capacities are in the high-20 000′s and low-30 000′s, and in many cases that includes a bunch of standing tickets.
Bloemfontein is our only S14 stadium that seats less than 50 000 (48 000). The rest range from 51 000 (Newlands & Loftus) to 55 000 (Durban) and 65 000 (Ellis Park).
So when we lament empty seats, it’s a different league to you altogether.
31 Jul 2009, 11:23 am
#369 Hurricane: couldnt agree more Cane…
#373 katman: How many people in SA ? how many in NZ? gees, no wonder you have bigger stadiums, those cities have much much bigger populations then their corresponding city in NZ…
thing is, and what I think Hurricane was saying, is that when we lamented our stadiums being empty it was the death knell of NZ on these blogs…
something about glass houses and stones…
So should SA get less of the 3Ns revenue now, seeing as that was another thing we heard when your stadiums were always full..
31 Jul 2009, 14:15 pm
The armband protest could not have kept the fans away. That was only visible when they came out of the tunnel. The fans are staying away because of the ridiculous ticket prices.
Pages: « 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 [8] Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.