Sevens spectacle must move to Cape Town
8 Dec 2010
JON CARDINELLI says the decision to move the South African leg of the IRB Sevens Series to Cape Town is a no-brainer.
According to Die Burger, plans are afoot to move the annual sevens spectacle from Outeniqua Park in George to one of the World Cup stadiums in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth or Rustenberg.
Saru hopes that the South African leg will take on the shine and glamour of the Hong Kong event, and while Outeniqua Park has its charms, it cannot compete with the World Cup venues.
George’s contract to host the tournament expires this year, meaning this weekend’s competition is likely to be the last time the southern Cape city stages the event. Come next year, the world’s best sevens players should be competing in an arena worthy of the occasion, arenas that house at least five times as many people as the 8 000-seater Outeniqua Park.
It’s a no-brainer to move away from George. Moving to a bigger stadium will mean a bigger occasion, with more people filtering through the gates and adding to the spectacle. It also makes sense to stage the event in a more accessible centre, as international visitors need to fly to Cape Town before connecting to George.
So the only decision that remains is whether to move the event to the Cape Town Stadium, the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, or the Royal Bafokeng Stadium. These venues were largely successful during the 2010 soccer World Cup, and two of those venues have enjoyed further use.
The Royal Bafokeng Stadium is home to the Platinum Stars while the Eastern Province Kings have taken residence at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. The Cape Town Stadium, however, is still struggling to acquire a resident sports side with the Stormers and Western Province refusing to move away from Newlands. Negotiations are ongoing, but for the moment, the magnificent venue in Green Point remains vacant.
These reasons alone won’t be enough to swing the vote, but Cape Town may crack the nod by virtue of their sports-mad fan base.
The crowd numbers at Newlands in the past couple of years have been record-breaking, while the Stormers’ first-ever match at the Cape Town Stadium in February (a warm-up game against Boland) drew a crowd of 40 000. Fifty thousand Capetonians watched Bafana Bafana play USA in November, a fixture that witnessed an unfavourable 1-0 result to the Americans, but was once again an outstanding occasion.
It makes the most commercial sense to pick Cape Town as the host city. Apart from the resident fan base, it’s easily the most popular tourist destination of the three cities lobbying for the event.
Like George, Rustenberg, or more accurately, Phokeng, is not as accessible to international travellers as Cape Town. Tourists from overseas will also need to connect to Port Elizabeth from one of South Africa’s international airports if they want to attend an event at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
If Saru’s aim to is to make the South African leg as successful and as popular as the Hong Kong Sevens, they need to pick a venue as well as a city that is popular with foreign and local fans alike. Saru needs to take the Sevens Series to one of the World Cup stadiums, and they need to take it to the venue situated in one of the world’s favourite cities.
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76 Comments
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8 Dec 2010, 09:55 am
More importantly, sponsors Emirates wants it in a city they have direct flights to.
But expect SA Rugby to go the political route, and give it to PE to help with development and buy Hoskins and Co another 2 years with government support.
8 Dec 2010, 09:57 am
pissant hates sevens dragons!
8 Dec 2010, 10:01 am
The All Blacks (or mini blacks or whatever) will be sad to leave George.
They get a LOT of support there.
Mind you if they go to cape town they will also get a fair amount.
And if they hold the sevens in PE then Lilly is waiting.
All in all they have this one covered.
A home away from home if you will.
8 Dec 2010, 10:01 am
“In South Africa, only those players who
aren’t good enough to play Super 14 rugby (with the exception of the talented Robert Ebersohn)
are picked for the Sevens side. And while these guys tell everyone how much they love Sevens,
it’s obvious they’d rather be playing 15-man rugby. Hell, even Fabian Juries, our greatest-ever
Sevens player, turned his back on the abbreviated game this season when the Cheetahs included
him in their Super 14 training squad. So much for him being a Sevens specialist.
The reality of the situation is that the SA Sevens team consists of Vodacom Cup-standard players,
and because of this, I think they devalue the Bok jersey. Let’s be honest, do the likes of
Mzwandile Stick and Marius Schoeman really deserve to wear the green and gold? My answer is
a resounding no. I think the SA Sevens side should play in a different jersey, perhaps with gold
being the dominant colour, and be called the Proteas. This would give the team its own unique
identity and prevent the Bok jersey from being cheapened.” – Simon Borchardt
8 Dec 2010, 10:02 am
interesting piece, heard on 5fm already though tht Cape Town was selected
so its all good…
8 Dec 2010, 10:08 am
Here, I unfortunately must agree.
Cape Town and the Green Point Stadium would be a good venue to hold the Sevens.
Having said that, the Moses Mabida in Durban would also be good.
Added to this, Durban is a direct destination for Emirates Airlines.
8 Dec 2010, 10:27 am
The timing of the event (Dec holiday) would automatically disqualify Rustenburg. That leaves CTN and PE… CTN would be the better choice from an economic point of view… a higher likelihood of full stadiums. PE also has its fair share of holiday makers but it’s not half the tourist destination that CTN is.
8 Dec 2010, 10:31 am
@Transformation : Wise words indeed. I’m pleased to see that since I wrote that excellent column, Saru has changed the sevens jersey to make it look less like the Bok Test jersey. Now they just need to change the name of the sevens team. Only the Test team should be called Boks, just as only NZ’s Test team is called All Blacks.
8 Dec 2010, 10:32 am
Yes,
George is too small and PE is in the wilderness just like Rustenburg. It would be great to watch 7′s while on holiday in Slaapstad
8 Dec 2010, 10:33 am
@Simon : 8 Finally, I think SA Rugby should be doing everything in its power to get Sevens rugby televised on
the SABC. Our Sevens team is full of black players, and black South Africans — many of whom
do not have access to SuperSport — should be able to watch them throughout the year. Sevens is
also a great way to introduce people to the sport, and they’d soon become fans of the 15-man
version too. Hopefully, SuperSport would consider the bigger picture and share their TV rights
with the national broadcaster — starting with the Sevens World Cup.
8 Dec 2010, 10:34 am
The unfortunate side effect of the IRB Sevens being in Cape Town is that a few other teams, and in particular the AB’s, will get more support from the “home” crowd than the BlitzBoks…
Sad, but true…
8 Dec 2010, 10:41 am
@WESTERN PROVINCE – SOUTH AFRICA’S BENCHMARK SINCE 1883 :
I refer you to my earlier post.
the all black support in george is rabid….
8 Dec 2010, 10:42 am
@gunther : 12. Yeah, I see that now… I agree, Lilith will keep them comfortable… Soozie she is not…
8 Dec 2010, 10:45 am
@Simon : Simon I’ve just heard that the games must be played at the host unions stadium which means if WP get the tournament it must be played at Newlands and not at the CT stadium, any truth to that?
8 Dec 2010, 10:46 am
I’d be happy if Cape Town hosted because I live there but I think that it’s also a valuable development tool. P.E shouldn’t be completely overlooked… Besides, it’s unlikely that Greenpoint will be filled for each tournament and that depreciates the atmosphere…
As for the AB support in Cape Town I’ve seen it diminshing over the past few years I think as a result of the inclusion of players like Gio Aplon, Ricky Januarie and Gcobani Bobo into the WP side…
8 Dec 2010, 10:46 am
@WESTERN PROVINCE – SOUTH AFRICA’S BENCHMARK SINCE 1883 :
I went to see the sevens in george a couple of years ago.
It was a deeply unpleasant experience.
It was like an exco meeting of the keo youth league all wearing all black shirts and all being obnoxious and intoxicated beyond belief…
8 Dec 2010, 10:51 am
@Transformation : I agree but how hard have the SABC tried to get it?
8 Dec 2010, 10:59 am
@Simon : you don’t have to agree, it is what YOU wrote 2 years ago.
what other sports do you think the SABC should target because they have a lot of blacks in the team?
8 Dec 2010, 11:00 am
@Simon :
Do you know whether the guys at Moses Mabhida applied to host it?
To me, the CT stadium, PE and Moses Mabhida should be the only 3 regions in the running.
I would love to see a replication of the Wellington 7s at any of these 3. THAT would be great.
8 Dec 2010, 11:03 am
@Transformation :
come on pal.
you know that’s not what he meant.
stop being so cranky.
8 Dec 2010, 11:04 am
@Transformation :
Damn straight!
Good for a piss-up, nothing else.
8 Dec 2010, 11:08 am
I think moving the 7′s to Cape Town would be the right move
George as beautiful as it is does not have enough support , money etc etc etc
I also think the Cape atmosphere would be tremendous and make it a far bigger tournament for the world stage
8 Dec 2010, 11:10 am
@PissAnt :
Oh but what a piss-up.
Love it when the NZ leg comes round. Some of the crowd shots are hillarious.
8 Dec 2010, 11:13 am
@sharks_lover :
plus they can come and spend money in your spur
8 Dec 2010, 11:17 am
@gunther :
hell yes they can , btw it’s cattle baron lol
8 Dec 2010, 11:20 am
cape town person says event should be held in cape town, whodathunkit
8 Dec 2010, 11:22 am
George is b-o-r-i-n-g.
8 Dec 2010, 11:25 am
@fantasticbarnsmell : ad hominum fallacy.
8 Dec 2010, 11:29 am
Watching rugby in bright sunshine is a joy not often afforded to Kiwis – or Brits and the Irish – during winter.
In South Africa, it is often a privilege taken for granted. The Republic houses some of the world’s most magnificent rugby arenas.
Those who attended the All Blacks test against the Springboks at Soccer City, on the outskirts of Soweto, can attest to the atmosphere created by the 90,000-plus fans. But, for my mind, there is no better destination than Durban.
Absa Stadium, formerly known as Kings Park, may soon be made obsolete for test matches as they are shifted across the road to the new Moses Mabhida Stadium (built for this year’s soccer World Cup).
However, the older venue has everything a rugby fan could want.
The vast grass car parks cater for the barbecues and pre-match gatherings, the nearby beaches and sub-tropical weather add a carnival feel and the ground itself, with its steep grandstands, allows an intimate view of the action.
Queenslanders would promote Suncorp Stadium, Aucklanders may parochially advance Eden Park’s cause and Pretoria’s fans would say there is no going past Loftus Versfeld.
But if you are searching for top-notch stadiums, warm weather and beaches, Durban is where it is at.
8 Dec 2010, 11:30 am
this is the full article
OPINION: If the editor opens up his wallet and sends one of his minions on a rugby tour, he is entitled to make demands.
As it happens, he does have one request: how do the rugby stadiums of Hong Kong, Britain and Ireland compare with those in New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.
So here goes.
Firstly, bigger is not necessarily better.
Let that be a warning to those pondering buying tickets for matches at the Melbourne Cricket Ground or Sydney’s ANZ Stadium in Homebush.
The former, known affectionately to Victorians as “The G”, is undoubtedly a terrific venue to watch Aussie Rules and test cricket, but as a rugby venue it is dreadful. It is just too far away from the action. The same can be said for ANZ Stadium.
Paying top coin to spend much of your evening watching the big screen to clarify who ran that searing angle into the backline, or unleashed that final sweet pass, is not value for money.
Then there are the arenas with retractable roofs, ensuring matches are contested on a firm track and not plagued by unpredictable winds, rain, hail or snow.
The November 28 test between the All Blacks and Wales in Cardiff was protected by the Millennium Stadium roof, ensuring the match was closed off to snow flurries and sheltering the crowd from the cold blast battering Britain.
On the downside, the stadium’s turf, a result of the grass roots remaining unstable, was repeatedly torn to shreds as both packs grappled to claim their footing in the scrums.
The same problem plagued the All Blacks and Wallabies at Melbourne’s enclosed Etihad Stadium this winter.
It was a wonder that no-one was seriously injured as the two 900kg packs vied for each centimetre of territory during the set piece.
This is something we can only hope does not blight Dunedin’s “Glasshouse” stadium, which is expected to be completed before next year’s World Cup.
Hong Kong Stadium, which is unlikely to host another Anzac match in the foreseeable future, didn’t have a roof but its dodgy turf, too, was unsuitable for test footy.
There were no such problems with London’s Twickenham, Edinburgh’s Murrayfield or Dublin’s Aviva Stadium, the futuristic arena that has replaced the dated Lansdowne Road.
Of that lot, Murrayfield comes a distant third.
An athletics track down one side is plain ugly and Scotland’s pea-hearted performance during their hammering by the New Zealanders did little to enhance the atmosphere.
Twickenham may not have the “bird’s nest” visage of Aviva Stadium, but the atmosphere created by a packed house clearing its throat as one to sing God Save The Queen is a highlight.
Ad Feedback Watching rugby in bright sunshine is a joy not often afforded to Kiwis – or Brits and the Irish – during winter.
In South Africa, it is often a privilege taken for granted. The Republic houses some of the world’s most magnificent rugby arenas.
Those who attended the All Blacks test against the Springboks at Soccer City, on the outskirts of Soweto, can attest to the atmosphere created by the 90,000-plus fans. But, for my mind, there is no better destination than Durban.
Absa Stadium, formerly known as Kings Park, may soon be made obsolete for test matches as they are shifted across the road to the new Moses Mabhida Stadium (built for this year’s soccer World Cup).
However, the older venue has everything a rugby fan could want.
The vast grass car parks cater for the barbecues and pre-match gatherings, the nearby beaches and sub-tropical weather add a carnival feel and the ground itself, with its steep grandstands, allows an intimate view of the action.
Queenslanders would promote Suncorp Stadium, Aucklanders may parochially advance Eden Park’s cause and Pretoria’s fans would say there is no going past Loftus Versfeld.
But if you are searching for top-notch stadiums, warm weather and beaches, Durban is where it is at
8 Dec 2010, 11:31 am
@Tarlo : Leave your fallus out of this one thanks.
8 Dec 2010, 11:40 am
@sharks_lover :
Amen brother.
8 Dec 2010, 11:44 am
@stormersboy : My Phallus?
8 Dec 2010, 11:52 am
@Tarlo : I don’t see anyone else’s phallus here…
8 Dec 2010, 12:23 pm
@gunther : 20 so you know what he meant?
8 Dec 2010, 12:27 pm
I think the best move would not to move it to Cape Town.
Here are my reasons: we won’t fill the stadium, so we’ll loose the atmosphere which has been one the strongest attractions in rugbys 7s.
Plus it will loose the small town factor- which contributes a lot to the vibe.
Lastly, which I’m pretty sure they’ll raise the ticket prices.
In so doing ruining the vibe and chasing the young people away.
I propose stellenbosch (and even though I’m an ikey and hate the marti’s i think this makes sense)
Correct if i’m wrong but the stadium has a 20000 (3x George) capicity.
It means people from cape town and the surrounding regions will have access to games.
It will bring money to the region.
Stellenbosch already has a rich rugby heritage, it would be doing the town justice and of course, the locals would support the event enthusiatically.
Ticket prices would remain lower.
Stellenbosch has a lot to offer tourists (cheaper accommodations and wine tasting, it is only 1 hour from Cape Town international-more people from abroad and more affortable)
If it comes to Cape Town, there is no other venue that would be more suitable. It is a no brainer.
8 Dec 2010, 12:31 pm
@sharks_lover : 30. Kings Park is great for the best Rugby Union in SA. The Sharks, of course. But Moses Mabida would be a good bet for International Sevens. Why not entrench Durbs as the premium rugby destination in the World and use both stadiums for all forms of rugger…
8 Dec 2010, 12:36 pm
@WESTERN PROVINCE – SOUTH AFRICA’S BENCHMARK SINCE 1883 : that is the opinion of a deluded kiwi hobbit! since when have you hankered for approval from kiwis? bwahahahaha what duplicity. first your team cuts and pastes the all black gameplan, now you’re lapping up their approval…
8 Dec 2010, 12:46 pm
@WESTERN PROVINCE – SOUTH AFRICA’S BENCHMARK SINCE 1883 : that does have a nice sound to it
DURBAN does it all
8 Dec 2010, 12:52 pm
I live near George and whilst George deserves credit for taking on the 7′s before the events got as universally popular as they have, I agree with a move. Outeniqua Park is NOT a world class stadium. The seating even in the best seats in the main stands are very uncomfortable. A few of the hospitality tents/stands are OK but generally it’s not great. I’m sure CPT will get the nod…..a combination of CPT early in December; sponsor Emirates extending their service to CPT; and using the new (hopefully still in good shape next year after a year of neglect)CPT stadium is a heady combination.
8 Dec 2010, 12:56 pm
@yank : maybe host it once at each stadium and see who does it best and where there is the most support
8 Dec 2010, 16:02 pm
Talk about a sense of entitlement. PE deserves it much more than apetown. If you want attendance and atmosphere PE has shown it can provide both.
8 Dec 2010, 16:09 pm
Crippling white elephant, that stadium.
Would however make sense in Cape Town.
8 Dec 2010, 16:48 pm
@Dwis :
but you
are a
dwis
who would
listen to
you
8 Dec 2010, 17:26 pm
I’m afraid JC and Keo’s rave reviews about the future being the Cape Town stadium rather than Newlands may die a quick death. At least, if you look at the more realistic future the following article raises.
In truth, the city is already looking at the comparative costs of demolishing it versus having to maintain it, and the once off demolishing option comes out out at only a third of the cost of maintaining it for a single year. The pendulum appears to be swinging towards getting rid of this white elephant.
“There shouldn’t be thought about breaking down the stadium,” Morne du Plessis, who heads up Sail Stadefrance Operating Company, told the Cape Town Press Club.
“The stadium is a huge commercial asset. This stadium is a brilliant facility and an asset to the city and South Africa.
“The costs are significant, but the opportunities are also significant.”
Du Plessis said in October that Sail Stadefrance would not renew a 30-year lease to manage the property after running into “severe operating constraints”.
“We made a projection over five years and it certainly was not an astronomical amount. But it was money our shareholders did not have the reserves to carry.”
Du Plessis said Sail had given the city a business plan, with business programmes, concessionaires, naming and advertising rights when it handed over the stadium.
“The stadium has great potential to generate revenue to off-set costs,” du Plessis said.
“While the costs are significant in our terms, we do not think [they are] unmanageable for City of Cape Town.”
Du Plessis said he could not discuss the stadium’s operating cost due to a confidentiality agreement with the city.
In a briefing to Parliament earlier this year however, director of the city’s 2010 operations Lesley De Reuck said the current operational and maintenance costs, including management of the adjacent Green Point Park, were around R46.5 million a year.
Company Ross Demolition said it was prepared to demolish the stadium for between R10 and R15 million. Some architects in the city had also been calling for the stadium to be torn down.
Du Plessis said Sail had underestimated the resolve of Western Province Rugby to stay at its current home at Newlands, instead of moving to Cape Town Stadium. This had been a major constraint, he said.
“Rugby is drawing the line in the sand in terms of not wanting to negotiate at all,” he said.
“But even if they were willing into enter negotiations, we could not withstand that timeline.”
Even if Western Province Rugby decided to negotiate “tomorrow”, the public participation process could take up to three years.
Rugby, he said, had been put off by the lack of hospitality suits at the new stadium. The European designers had neglected to take the local culture of each company having its own suite into account, and had opted for a more open plan design instead.
“Rugby is reliant on revenue from suites, so we would have to replace those,” he said.
What rugby could do, he said, “is decide that certain matches could be played in the interim period”.
“Ironically, our departure could speed up and facilitate possible discussions with Western Province Rugby,” du Plessis said.
Other constraints faced by Sail were the inability of soccer clubs to afford playing at stadium, and the “throttling commercial restrictions” around operating the venue.
The 2000 parking bays were also taking away an opportunity to build a fitness centre and hospital.
“There is no space because we have to have parking. At the moment you are not allowed to sell a cup of tea in the stadium outside of events. This has to change.”
The stadium operator was also having to operate Green Point Park.
“With the successful eradication of major constraints, that we now know exist, this could result in a sustainable business or at least limit the cost to the city and ratepayers.
“If we want to keep this iconic structure… We have to make this work.”
8 Dec 2010, 17:57 pm
“Takes one to know one.”- Homer J. Simpson
8 Dec 2010, 18:41 pm
Has anyone been watching the SA inter-provincial sevens?
How is the quality of this competition, and are there any coaches to replace Paul Treu?
8 Dec 2010, 22:37 pm
@WESTERN PROVINCE – SOUTH AFRICA’S BENCHMARK SINCE 1883 : Durban’s way too humid and hot for rugby at this time of the year — or pretty much any time of the year, even if it is just a little cooler in winter.
The Western Cape has proper rugby weather most of the time, but midsummers are too hot as well.
But at least it’s not as dull and buttoned-up as the little yawnsville retirement village they call George.
8 Dec 2010, 22:41 pm
@Thelastmovement : You’ll LOSE the atmosphere, not LOOSE it. You loose your racing pigeons somewhere and they’ll fly home to their loft. “Loose” is “release” or “not tight”. Get it right, pilgrim. It’s too easy to be stuffed up, except by an idiot.
9 Dec 2010, 00:05 am
@TheTackler : Thanx for being the Grammar Nazi I try not to be.
Bring it to Cape Town, it’s closest for me. Nuff said.
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