85,000 to watch a league game...of RUGBY

[crasher]

Personally I don't give a toss about rugby as a sport but today Saracens are playing Harlequins at Wembley and it's virtually sold out - 85,000 people.

Interesting article in the Telegraph with the chief executive of Saracens claiming the sport is on the verge of a breakthrough:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ru...acens-ready-to-take-rugby-world-by-storm.html

He's full of grandiose claims about how kids in Shanghai are desperate to practice their rugby skills, but in the small print, it also says that Saracens are losing £4 million a year. And to me there's more than a whiff of desperate bullshit about all this. (He also says: "Football is the big draw card but that balloon is going to pop. Rugby offers a far more family-friendly environment". Something we've heard a million times before).

On the other hand - 85k to watch league rugby sounds mighty impressive.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

They tend to play a couple of matches at Twickenham each season and it always attracts decent crowds, usually upwards of 65,000. I was given tickets for a double header there involving Harlequins, Saracens, London Irish & Wasps. Can't say the rugby particularly thrilled me but it was a good day out. If quite posh-feeling compared to football.

 

[Questions]

They tend to play a couple of matches at Twickenham each season and it always attracts decent crowds, usually upwards of 65,000. I was given tickets for a double header there involving Harlequins, Saracens, London Irish & Wasps. Can't say the rugby particularly thrilled me but it was a good day out. If quite posh-feeling compared to football.

Not calling the ref a c.unt for 80 mins........ Posh

 

[crasher]

They tend to play a couple of matches at Twickenham each season and it always attracts decent crowds, usually upwards of 65,000. I was given tickets for a double header there involving Harlequins, Saracens, London Irish & Wasps. Can't say the rugby particularly thrilled me but it was a good day out. If quite posh-feeling compared to football.

Interesting that you say you were "given" tickets. The cynic in me suspects they give away quite a few tickets to pack out these big set pieces. Plus a lot of city boys/corporate hospitality I imagine.

I have a strong dislike of Saracens anyway because of the help they got from Barnet Council in getting their ground built - help which was entirely missing for Barnet FC over the years.

 

[Vegas Seagull]

Kids for £7 & adults starting at £15 helps
Mr Barber may like the bit about 650 girl cheerleaders adding over 3,000 parents & grandparents to the gate. If Gullys girls were 65 strong then that would mean 400 (x £25 = £10k) extra sales & we'd be sold out...his annual wage lost?

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Interesting that you say you were "given" tickets. The cynic in me suspects they give away quite a few tickets to pack out these big set pieces. Plus a lot of city boys/corporate hospitality I imagine.

No idea! My brother works for a tour operator who have some sort of sponsorship involvement, which is where the tickets came from. As you say, there probably is a lot of corporate hospitality going on.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Interesting that you say you were "given" tickets. The cynic in me suspects they give away quite a few tickets to pack out these big set pieces. Plus a lot of city boys/corporate hospitality I imagine.

I have a strong dislike of Saracens anyway because of the help they got from Barnet Council in getting their ground built - help which was entirely missing for Barnet FC over the years.

I was offered free tickets in an e-mail from somewhere or other. I have no idea why. Frankly, as a one off game it's no surprise that a league match of rugby can attract a lot of fans particularly at an attractive stadium and with loads of freebies. However when the clubs attain high attendances for run of the mill games then that will be the time to talk about a breakthrough.

 

[Bozza]

A 10,000 capacity stadium that averages 8,500 crowds tells you all you need to know about how 'impressive' the support for Saracens is.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

A 10,000 capacity stadium that averages 8,500 crowds tells you all you need to know about how 'impressive' the support for Saracens is.

I do find it strange how these clubs get crowds of 7,000 to 15,000 for league games and yet seem to pack out Twickenham or Wembley when their league matches are moved there. I can only think they see it as some sort of big day out (even though Harlequins play next door to Twickenham), and as has already been suggested, that the corporate jollies make up a massive part of it.

 

[Superphil]

I do find it strange how these clubs get crowds of 7,000 to 15,000 for league games and yet seem to pack out Twickenham or Wembley when their league matches are moved there. I can only think they see it as some sort of big day out (even though Harlequins play next door to Twickenham), and as has already been suggested, that the corporate jollies make up a massive part of it.

Just like when we went to the Mill Stad? We struggled to sell out 8000 Withdean all season long, yet managed almost 30K in Cardiff.

 

[HAILSHAM SEAGULL]

Interesting that you say you were "given" tickets. The cynic in me suspects they give away quite a few tickets to pack out these big set pieces. Plus a lot of city boys/corporate hospitality I imagine.

I have a strong dislike of Saracens anyway because of the help they got from Barnet Council in getting their ground built - help which was entirely missing for Barnet FC over the years.

Tickets are given away to boost the crowd for TV cameras, and to generate spending at the bars and catering outlets.
My next door neighbour and three of her girl friends are going.
Told me she is going to see The Stingers at Twickers..... I call her Foghorn Leghorn, the nearest she has ever been to a rugby ball, is removing one from her gob to clean her teeth.
Half full of freebies, but good marketing, cos it works.

 

[W.C.]

Just like when we went to the Mill Stad? We struggled to sell out 8000 Withdean all season long, yet managed almost 30K in Cardiff.

It's not the same at all is it? Unless Saracens are playing in a shitty temporary stadium providing one of the worst spectator experiences in the respective sport.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Just like when we went to the Mill Stad? We struggled to sell out 8000 Withdean all season long, yet managed almost 30K in Cardiff.

Yes but that was a one-off game upon which our entire season depended. Harlequins do this for a standard league game, two or three times per season. They also reach finals at Twickenham far more regularly than we get to Wembley/Cardiff, and the stadium is next door to their home ground, so hardly a great novelty.

That's why the difference in crowds is amazing.

 

[Bladders]

Don't get too excited Rugger fans, the NFL sell it out 3 times a year now, all in the space of a couple of months as well.

 

[Husty]

I do find it strange how these clubs get crowds of 7,000 to 15,000 for league games and yet seem to pack out Twickenham or Wembley when their league matches are moved there. I can only think they see it as some sort of big day out (even though Harlequins play next door to Twickenham), and as has already been suggested, that the corporate jollies make up a massive part of it.

Pretty much this. The sport isn't ever going to take off because it has such a small imprint at the working/middle class level. The people who actually go to these big matches are your typical west london corporate who look down their noses at football fans for being common thugs. They will go a couple of times a year and use it as yet another excuse to dress like cu*ts and post a load of pictures up on Facebook. It's a day out and nothing more, they have little interest in the fortunes of either team in the long run.

You only have to take a glance at the ticket prices for these matches to quickly realize it's never about to take off and certainly isn't 'family friendly' to all but the most out of touch businessmen when viewed as a weekly event.

 

[Fitzcarraldo]

Pretty much this. The sport isn't ever going to take off because it has such a small imprint at the working/middle class level. The people who actually go to these big matches are your typical west london corporate who look down their noses at football fans for being common thugs. They will go a couple of times a year and use it as yet another excuse to dress like cu*ts and post a load of pictures up on Facebook. It's a day out and nothing more, they have little interest in the fortunes of either team in the long run.

You only have to take a glance at the ticket prices for these matches to quickly realize it's never about to take off and certainly isn't 'family friendly' to all but the most out of touch businessmen when viewed as a weekly event.

What prices are you looking at? I just Googled tickets for today's game to see how much they were and they were available on Groupon for £13 for adults and £5 for children. Seems fairly reasonable to me. http://www.groupon.co.uk/deals/london/gl-saracens-1/30209731

 

[Southern Toon]

Received this email from Aviva recently.

We know it's the little things that make a difference like thanking our customers. That's why we've secured 4,000 pairs of tickets through our sponsorship of Aviva Premiership Rugby. Apply now using your unique code when you get to the Ticketmaster website, to activate your free pair of tickets.
We’d like to invite you to join us at the home of English Rugby, Twickenham Stadium to see this year’s Stinger match. London Wasps will take on Gloucester Rugby on the 19 April 2014 in what promises to be a thrilling contest.

Rather have a free easter egg.

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

I'm not a huge fan of egg chasing but admit being at a full capacity Twickenham for an England game was special. 'Swing low etc' doesn't get the juices going quite like GOSBTS but when they sang 'Jerusalem' it was spine tingling. Doesn't have the 'edgy atmosphere' of a footie match but 80k punters do make a fair old racket. Don't knock it until you try it.

It wasn't too shabby for a Wasps v Leinster Heineken cup game - around 40k Irish and English fans unsegregated and all enjoying the craick together, great rivalry and some very witty banter. No aggro - and no way would you see that at the equivalent footie game!

Its all about broadening your sporting horizons.

 

[gazingdown]

I suspect (compared to a football match) that there'll be a lot more neutrals. i.e. the sort that would not go to club matches but would go to see England would also turn up for a big league match at Twickenham/Wembley etc.

 

[Husty]

What prices are you looking at? I just Googled tickets for today's game to see how much they were and they were available on Groupon for £13 for adults and £5 for children. Seems fairly reasonable to me. http://www.groupon.co.uk/deals/london/gl-saracens-1/30209731

Eh fair enough so they're giving them away. Still not a viable business plan on a week to week basis is it?