25 replies to this topic

[Wendall]

I was thinking of the Magic Weekend and how we could get more Welsh Rugby (fans) to the event. That was the downside of Cardiff for me, that hardly any Welsh fans made it along.

What about if the RFL and Welsh Rugby Union could agree a package of anyone who has a ticket for Wales opening 6 Nations game gets in for £5 to the Magic Weekend or even better for free?

This would get the stadium full and generate a better atmosphere. As it stands we will be lucky to get 25,000 each day so why not try to market this to the people who are in Wales???

Thoughts?

[Kenilworth Tiger]

I was thinking of the Magic Weekend and how we could get more Welsh Rugby (fans) to the event. That was the downside of Cardiff for me, that hardly any Welsh fans made it along.

What about if the RFL and Welsh Rugby Union could agree a package of anyone who has a ticket for Wales opening 6 Nations game gets in for £5 to the Magic Weekend or even better for free?

This would get the stadium full and generate a better atmosphere. As it stands we will be lucky to get 25,000 each day so why not try to market this to the people who are in Wales???

Thoughts?

Why would people who go and watch Welsh RU bother to come and watch Rugby League sides form nowhere near South Wales?

You might as well target Ryder Cup goers, Swansea City fans, Cardiff City fans etc etc etc

[EastLondonMike]

i think the people of Wales would come to MM in their droves if it was marketed right. i was down in cardiff at the weekend and whenever i go i always come back thinking how receptive the welsh people would be if RL really made the effort in marketing and promotion. If its perceived as direct opposition to WRU it doesnt stand a chance, but if shown to be what essentially it is, as an alternative, just like football or cricket is, then i really believe we are on a winner.. from what ive been told by family living in caerphilly the scorpions are doing a great job down in south wales with adverts, competitions and giveaways all being broadcast on the radio, which of course is raising awareness.. aswell as playing some good rugby..

the RFL need to do a major push for the opening of next years season as its back in cardiff and in its MM format.. a push that should start at least three months before kick-off with radio and TV spots, competitions, giveaways and a series of advert placements (buses, bus stops, trains in south wales) advertising the seasons start.

Why would people who go and watch Welsh RU bother to come and watch Rugby League sides form nowhere near South Wales?

the same reason an east london born and bred west ham fan (me) did? cos its a great sport full of entertainment.

Edited by EastLondonMike, 16 August 2010 - 09:48 AM.

[ckn]

For me, this is a downside to moving back to Cardiff. The Scottish RU actively marketed the Magic Weekend on our behalf and put about the same effort in as they do for a typical 6 Nations game. The Welsh RU won't do that for many of the points made by EastLondonMike, i.e. they won't want to promote a competitor, in Scotland there's no pro-RL club so not much for the SRU to worry about beyond the money they get from the game.

[Pen-Y-Bont Crusader]

No chance of the wRU doing anything for this but people down here really would go to MM IF they know aboutit. I know that people in S Wales won't go anywhere without it being totally rammed down their throats for ages before.

If I was looking at wanting to get the stadium full I'd get into schools and do a kids and an adult package. Loads of kids never get the chance to go to th MS because of the cost of tickets and scarcity of them.

Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen, Cardiff, Vale of Glamorgan, Bridgend, Rhonnda, Merthyr NPT and Swansea schools all in easy reach of Cardiff by train. If the RFL can get into primaries this would fill it easy.

[thirteenthman]

It would've been interesting to have seen what sort of crowd the RFL could've attracted to a GB v Aus test match in Cardiff, with Wales playing a game against France, or someone, before the main event. Before they got rid of the GB team that is. In fact they could've done a similar thing in Edinburgh. No matter how exciting club matches are, they'll never get the attention of the casual sports fan as much as a successful national side.

[Wendall]

It would've been interesting to have seen what sort of crowd the RFL could've attracted to a GB v Aus test match in Cardiff, with Wales playing a game against France, or someone, before the main event. Before they got rid of the GB team that is. In fact they could've done a similar thing in Edinburgh. No matter how exciting club matches are, they'll never get the attention of the casual sports fan as much as a successful national side.

But the Crusaders are the Welsh team at this event, they should be given the top billing and a game against a glamour team in SL i.e Warrington.

I would have the derby games back to entice the Northern folk and the Crusaders as headliners

Day 1

Catalans V Quins
Salford v Huddersfield
Saints v Wigan
Crusaders v Wire

Day 2

Castleford v Wakefield
Leeds v Bradford
Hull v Hull KR

[East Coast Tiger]

If we want to attract Welsh RU fans playing it on a Six Nations weekend isn't really going to work very well. Not that all fans will be able to go to Scotland, but they will all want to watch the game on the Saturday instead of going to the league.

A one off Test between Australia and GB could be a big tool for the game. Played in a large stadium in an expansion area it could work, a bit like the 1992 World Cup game, possibly the only example of a one-off Anglo-Australian game we've had. Every other time the Roos have visited it's been for a Test series or a WC tournament where multiple games generally means splitting the potential crowd up somewhat. I'd like to see the Roos do a World Tour one year instead of a 4N to trial the idea of a big one-off game to be played somewhere like Wembley, or possibly somewhere a bit smaller if that is too optimistic. Ideally this tour would actually involve games against England and Wales separately, along with France, NZ, PNG and maybe even the USA. A seven game, seven week tour to show the world we can be a global game. But to shorten it a Test v GB could be used. This might provide the chance to take it to Cardiff. However, the days of seeing Welshmen in the GB team are long gone, and any new Welsh players are a long way off, making it hard to market the team and the game to the Welsh. So it might have to be a plan for the long term when hopefully Welsh youngsters will be good enough to make the GB side.

[Wendall]

If we want to attract Welsh RU fans playing it on a Six Nations weekend isn't really going to work very well. Not that all fans will be able to go to Scotland, but they will all want to watch the game on the Saturday instead of going to the league.

A one off Test between Australia and GB could be a big tool for the game. Played in a large stadium in an expansion area it could work, a bit like the 1992 World Cup game, possibly the only example of a one-off Anglo-Australian game we've had. Every other time the Roos have visited it's been for a Test series or a WC tournament where multiple games generally means splitting the potential crowd up somewhat. I'd like to see the Roos do a World Tour one year instead of a 4N to trial the idea of a big one-off game to be played somewhere like Wembley, or possibly somewhere a bit smaller if that is too optimistic. Ideally this tour would actually involve games against England and Wales separately, along with France, NZ, PNG and maybe even the USA. A seven game, seven week tour to show the world we can be a global game. But to shorten it a Test v GB could be used. This might provide the chance to take it to Cardiff. However, the days of seeing Welshmen in the GB team are long gone, and any new Welsh players are a long way off, making it hard to market the team and the game to the Welsh. So it might have to be a plan for the long term when hopefully Welsh youngsters will be good enough to make the GB side.

Maybe in a few years this will be a reality with a few good prospects coming through the ranks at Warrington and Crusaders.

But its the welsh national team they will want to see compete not the GB Lions.

[Dave T]

Absolutely agree that Crusaders need to have a top billing here, and playing against Saints, Wire or Wigan.

That is how they need to target the Welsh fans. We have seen that fans in Cardiff will turn up for these big games for teams that represent them, 18k against the Kiwis last time in 2000, which dropped to 3k when they played the Aussies in Bridgend.

As much as they may enjoy the game, it is much better if they can get behind a 'Welsh' team, and Crusaders are that team.

[Wendall]

If we want to attract Welsh RU fans playing it on a Six Nations weekend isn't really going to work very well. Not that all fans will be able to go to Scotland, but they will all want to watch the game on the Saturday instead of going to the league.

Spot on!

12 February:
England v Italy (Twickenham, London, 1430 GMT)
Scotland v Wales (Murrayfield, Edinburgh, 1700 GMT)

So all eyes in Wales in sporting terms will be at Edinburgh on 12 Feb.

We need to make sure the Crusaders fixture dont clash with this game.

[thirteenthman]

Absolutely agree that Crusaders need to have a top billing here, and playing against Saints, Wire or Wigan.

That is how they need to target the Welsh fans. We have seen that fans in Cardiff will turn up for these big games for teams that represent them, 18k against the Kiwis last time in 2000, which dropped to 3k when they played the Aussies in Bridgend.

As much as they may enjoy the game, it is much better if they can get behind a 'Welsh' team, and Crusaders are that team.

The Welsh do get behind the Welsh national team. As for whether the people of Cardiff and South Wales would get behind a club side from Wrexham is debatable. They weren't exactly breaking the doors down at Bridgend. And surely it wouldn't be that hard to sell GB v Aus to the Welsh public - the Welsh support the RU Lions team. Far easier to do that than trying to extoll the virtues of Crusaders V Salford (or whoever), never mind games like Castleford V Wakefield.

To sell the game to a new audience you need to present them with an event that they feel is a real must see. No matter how hard you dress it up the Magic Weekend is just a normal weekend of fixtures, played in one venue. It's almost like a big away weekend for the normal fans.

When the CC Final was in Cardiff it had the advantage of being an event, it was the final, the winners would be decided. The neutral fan could form an emotional attachment to the game. It was the RL saying, this is our showpiece event - come and see it. The Magic Weekend doesn't have that. Other than a weekend away it doesn't have any real purpose. An international does (or should).

Neutral fans can buy into an international because it's their team, even if they don't know the players. And the Australian national team are one of the few guaranteed crowd pullers in RL. We should utilise them to the full, not hide them away in Huddersfield and Wigan.

No-one reading this needs to be convinced about how good a match between Hull and Hull KR is, but to try and sell that, and the other 6 games, to the Welsh public is a tough ask. Whoever decided to do it on the same afternoon as a RU 6 Nations match needs their head examined.

[gingerjon]

Spot on!

12 February:
England v Italy (Twickenham, London, 1430 GMT)
Scotland v Wales (Murrayfield, Edinburgh, 1700 GMT)

So all eyes in Wales in sporting terms will be at Edinburgh on 12 Feb.

We need to make sure the Crusaders fixture dont clash with this game.

Perhaps we should bite the bullet and have our matches finish by 5pm and then shove the rahs on the big screen.

[EastLondonMike]

well the pubs around the stadium will certainly benefit, with all the RL fans in their aswell as the union boys watching the 6 nations!

[The Future is League]

The RFL need to make as many people aware in Cardiff and the surrounding areas as possible about the Magic Weekend. it can be in various ways, and if done right it won't break the bank, but it won't be cheap.the RFL should make use of modern technology to make people aware of the MW in Cardiff, alongside other established methods that other sports use to attract crowds. to me if the MW is marketed right it will be success. the RFL and the Super League clubs have a wonderful opportunity to make this a great weekend for RL in Cardiff. i hope all parties involved in the MW grasp the nettle and make it a success.

[Dave T]

Perhaps we should bite the bullet and have our matches finish by 5pm and then shove the rahs on the big screen.

Not a bad idea tbh, maybe a 2hr break in SL games and then have the headline game at 7pm?

[Wendall]

Not a bad idea tbh, maybe a 2hr break in SL games and then have the headline game at 7pm?

I would say

1pm - Salford v Huddersfield
3pm - St Helens v Wigan
5pm - Wales v Scotland on big screen
7pm - Crusaders v Warrington

[Pen-Y-Bont Crusader]

The RFL need to make as many people aware in Cardiff and the surrounding areas as possible about the Magic Weekend. it can be in various ways, and if done right it won't break the bank, but it won't be cheap.the RFL should make use of modern technology to make people aware of the MW in Cardiff, alongside other established methods that other sports use to attract crowds. to me if the MW is marketed right it will be success. the RFL and the Super League clubs have a wonderful opportunity to make this a great weekend for RL in Cardiff. i hope all parties involved in the MW grasp the nettle and make it a success.

I promise you the best way to do this is to get the Crusaders players, ex Welsh RL personalities and big name SL players to get in to S Wales primary schools especially and do a kid and adult/or family ticket for the Saturday which would have to have Crusaders vs (insert one of the Big 4)own immediately prior to the Wales game being shown on a big screen in the ground.

You'd hope Crusaders would be able to train down here leading to the start of the season and old stagers like Bateman, Devereux etc would only need a couple of days with big media exposure via B N A and BBc Wales etc.

Kids who NEVER get the chance to get to the MS go there AND see Wales RU into the bargain (albeit on a screen and mum/dad get to watch the game and one or both able to have a couple of drinks before train/bus home that wont - unuaually for a Cardiff match day be absolutely impossible to get on)

Additionally they will think 'This RL things a goer - how'd I get involved.

For the parents its a no brainer - kids want to go to MS and they get to see the RU game in a banter filled atmosphere AND an easy ride home.

A relatively fresh new audience for the game down here...

[Just Browny]

Not a bad idea tbh, maybe a 2hr break in SL games and then have the headline game at 7pm?

One way of guaranteeing my non-attendance. I was quite looking forward to it.

I know I'm one person and I sound grumpy, but the same will be true of the northern RL fans. At best, they'll all leave for two hours and most won't come back that day, at worst half will leave and the other half will boo and chant through the rah-rah. It's a non-starter that will create a negative atmosphere rather than a positive one.

[hindle xiii]

One thing I liked about the second Cardiff weekend was the house band, however I'd change that for a male voice choir. Make it as Welsh as possible, try and get Katherine Jenkins too. Get rid of that ###### who does the announcers at Leeds, neutral RL venues and even some union events, he's ######. Have someone who is a brilliant public speaker who also can speak Welsh. Make this a Welsh AND Rugby League celebration. The Welsh public won't be as big SL fans as we are, but make them feel proud of where we are taking the greatest game.

Sadly, we have to incorporate the union match on that weekend, someone who gets paid to think of ideas has to be bang on the money with that one.

Have a 'famous'/household name/worthy candidate* adopt a Super League team to lead out, people like Simon Weston rather than a Welsh Big Brother housemate, etc.