RLWC Attendance-O-Meter

[Dave T]

Just now, MatthewWoody said:

Will this be remembered as a disappointing WC like the 2000? 

No, absolutely not. 

There are more than enough positives, and it is expected to deliver a healthy financial return. 

Whilst there are shades of 2000, the fact that we are so far ahead of that tournament shows how far we have come. 

[Damien]

Just now, MatthewWoody said:

Will this be remembered as a disappointing WC like the 2000? 

No not at all. The big games and big crowds are still to come.

[RP London]

Something that may explain some of the issues if it isn't just me this has happened to:

I have been sent 2 sets of tickets for the game yesterday and the world cup final.. I have not bought 2 sets. They are for different seats in different sections. Yesterday I checked my download tickets and assumed I had been moved to these from the other set as they were sent at different times. But not being sure I took both sets. 

On the way from the pub to the stand for the set of seats I was pretty sure were mine I had to go past the entrance for the other tickets (in a better position) so I tried them. Got on and say there all match. 

I am assuming the others would have worked too. 

I'm putting it down to the fact I bought before it was moved and maybe they messed up the move of my tickets to the next year.. but I wonder how many other people this may have happened to. There were 6 of us so 6 seats they couldn't sell..

Maybe the sites are right and sections are nearly sold out except they have double counted some people.. 

Equally it may only have happened to me. 

[Chrispmartha]

2 minutes ago, MatthewWoody said:

Will this be remembered as a disappointing WC like the 2000? 

No the Womens and Wheelchair games haven’t even started yet, they will add a lot to the competition 

[Tommygilf]

Just now, Dave T said:

It should be remembered that the warning signs have been there for a while around this. 

In the 2016 Four Nations, Australia v Scotland at Hull attracted 5.3k.

We are not at the stage of Field of Dreams where we just stage it and we get people flocking in. 

It's why small details like scheduling, prices, venues and Web journeys are so important. 

Absolutely.

I honestly do not understand the RLWC2021 "strategy". So many obvious issues that seem either tunnel visioned or blind to reality. I struggle to believe professionals who have been involved in Rugby League were so delusional.

Then you add the small details that they have just got wrong, and it compounds everything.

[MatthewWoody]

Just now, Chrispmartha said:

No the Womens and Wheelchair games haven’t even started yet, they will add a lot to the competition 

Looking forward.

I wrote some articles and did some coverage about last wheelchair WC and the game is very intense. The final was simply incredible.

[MatthewWoody]

3 minutes ago, Damien said:

No not at all. The big games and big crowds are still to come.

[Chrispmartha]

2 minutes ago, RP London said:

Something that may explain some of the issues if it isn't just me this has happened to:

I have been sent 2 sets of tickets for the game yesterday and the world cup final.. I have not bought 2 sets. They are for different seats in different sections. Yesterday I checked my download tickets and assumed I had been moved to these from the other set as they were sent at different times. But not being sure I took both sets. 

On the way from the pub to the stand for the set of seats I was pretty sure were mine I had to go past the entrance for the other tickets (in a better position) so I tried them. Got on and say there all match. 

I am assuming the others would have worked too. 

I'm putting it down to the fact I bought before it was moved and maybe they messed up the move of my tickets to the next year.. but I wonder how many other people this may have happened to. There were 6 of us so 6 seats they couldn't sell..

Maybe the sites are right and sections are nearly sold out except they have double counted some people.. 

Equally it may only have happened to me. 

This sort of happened to me, I bought 6 corporate tickets for Newcastle when they were first released a couple of years ago, so i thought id upgrade them a week before as it wasn’t much difference for much better package.

all the tickets for the original and new order were available to download, I do wonder if those original ticky would have worked?

[Dave T]

5 minutes ago, RP London said:

Something that may explain some of the issues if it isn't just me this has happened to:

I have been sent 2 sets of tickets for the game yesterday and the world cup final.. I have not bought 2 sets. They are for different seats in different sections. Yesterday I checked my download tickets and assumed I had been moved to these from the other set as they were sent at different times. But not being sure I took both sets. 

On the way from the pub to the stand for the set of seats I was pretty sure were mine I had to go past the entrance for the other tickets (in a better position) so I tried them. Got on and say there all match. 

I am assuming the others would have worked too. 

I'm putting it down to the fact I bought before it was moved and maybe they messed up the move of my tickets to the next year.. but I wonder how many other people this may have happened to. There were 6 of us so 6 seats they couldn't sell..

Maybe the sites are right and sections are nearly sold out except they have double counted some people.. 

Equally it may only have happened to me. 

No, this has been raised on a thread somewhere, it isn't just you. 

I'm not sure if, or how, it has been resolved. 

[Dave T]

8 minutes ago, MatthewWoody said:

Will this be remembered as a disappointing WC like the 2000? 

As a little snippet of comparison. 

In 2000, England limped out of the comp at Semi final stage in front of 16k versus the Kiwis. 

They bettered that crowd by a couple of k at Sheffield yesterday for a group game against Greece. 

A directly comparable game in 2000, was England v Russia at Saints (5736).

It is quite shocking when you go back and look at the 2000 tournament. 

[RP London]

1 minute ago, Dave T said:

No, this has been raised on a thread somewhere, it isn't just you. 

I'm not sure if, or how, it has been resolved. 

It would explain a lot.. the fact both sets would have worked would suggest it hasn't been resolved.

My none downladable tickets should be cancelled and I should get an email.. telling me so and that would do it. It worries me how bad this could end up of the final is like this too and the semi, both big grounds and the final should be full

[GeordieSaint]

9 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

Absolutely.

I honestly do not understand the RLWC2021 "strategy". So many obvious issues that seem either tunnel visioned or blind to reality. I struggle to believe professionals who have been involved in Rugby League were so delusional.

Then you add the small details that they have just got wrong, and it compounds everything.

All boils down to really poor analysis at the initial planning stage, including risk, leading to the wrong assumptions. They don’t understand their primary target audience (the heartlands). It’s led to these poorly priced, located games, with no ‘event’ feel to attract people. They’ve been lucky that the majority of games have actually delivered on the field. 

[glossop saint]

15 minutes ago, MatthewWoody said:

Will this be remembered as a disappointing WC like the 2000? 

It all depends on the last 7 games (if we are talking about just the mens tournament). If England get knocked out and Aus and NZ put cricket scores up against Lebanon and Fiji then that might effect ticket sales for the semis and final. I'm confident that that won't happen.

I would be interested in what the ticket sales for the final are at the moment though. When I booked for the group I am going with we could only book 6 tickets meaning 2 will miss out. Not being able to choose seats means that they probably won't attend as they can't guarantee sitting with us. I am not sure if this is still the case as I booked 2 years ago.

[Dave T]

5 minutes ago, glossop saint said:

It all depends on the last 7 games (if we are talking about just the mens tournament). If England get knocked out and Aus and NZ put cricket scores up against Lebanon and Fiji then that might effect ticket sales for the semis and final. I'm confident that that won't happen.

I would be interested in what the ticket sales for the final are at the moment though. When I booked for the group I am going with we could only book 6 tickets meaning 2 will miss out. Not being able to choose seats means that they probably won't attend as they can't guarantee sitting with us. I am not sure if this is still the case as I booked 2 years ago.

It was mentioned recently that the final was at 55k and the semi final at 35k, so we should be OK with those. 

[MatthewWoody]

28 minutes ago, Damien said:

No not at all. The big games and big crowds are still to come.

[Tommygilf]

Posted on the match thread but it is appropriate here:

Roughly 203,000 of the available RLWC2021 tickets will have been for games in Warrington, St Helens, Wigan and Leigh, and Bolton. That doesn't include the final at rhe 75k capacity Old Trafford, and originally Bolton was set to host a QF along with the 55k Anfield.

Whilst a good number of people will travel across the M62 for England games, and people will travel to towns/cities on their own side of the pennines in good numbers, because of this over saturation and the problems around tickets we are essentially relying on hyper local crowds boosted by what few expats can make it.

Add to the above. Warrington, St Helens, Wigan, Leigh and Bolton aren't the wealthiest places in the world, and nor is the RL supporting community in those places. Basic economics says that if supply outstrips demand then people will be more picky. Its a buyers market, and the buyers have voted with their feet and wallets.

[FearTheVee]

48 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

And there is the mentality that escapes me. I am all for watching those other nations as well, but to refuse to watch the world champions simply because you despise the stance of the organisation’s administrators doesn’t make sense to me. Talk about cutting off your nose.

Denying yourself to watch great exponents of the game and doing nothing to demonstrate to the administration they might have it wrong. What are you achieving by ignoring them?

I’m not ignoring them, as I said I would choose to watch other international teams before them.

[GeordieSaint]

Interesting comparison:

 

[Tommygilf]

10 minutes ago, GeordieSaint said:

All boils down to really poor analysis at the initial planning stage, including risk, leading to the wrong assumptions. They don’t understand their primary target audience (the heartlands). It’s led to these poorly priced, located games, with no ‘event’ feel to attract people. They’ve been lucky that the majority of games have actually delivered on the field. 

Absolutely. 

Its as if they have no clue who their audience is or anything about them. On the one hand, they've decided doubled down on the traditional RL audience, on the other hand, they've made pricing and match location choices that don't add up with that decision...

[Damien]

6 minutes ago, GeordieSaint said:

Interesting comparison:

 

I just find comparing ticket prices to the RU World Cup daft when trying to justify high prices. The last time I checked the RU World Cup doesn't get multiple crowds of 6k and less.

[Archie Gordon]

On ticket prices, I believe that the organisers got the range (£15-£110 outside of the Final) pretty much spot on. But I think that they got the ratio/allocation completely wrong. They had chances to fix that along the way but didn't choose to.

So, I do hope that we don't go back to a range of £10-£50 for international RL because there are folks that will pay double that for very good seats. It's the balance that we've got wrong.

 

[gingerjon]

3 minutes ago, Damien said:

I just find comparing ticket prices to the RU World Cup daft when trying to justify high prices. The last time I checked the RU World Cup doesn't get multiple crowds of 6k and less.

It's not the best comparison and, as yet, we don't even know if it'll be a successful tournament in France next year.

The T20 World Cup has higher prices too ... and, as noted by a few on here, a lot of empty seats a lot of the time.

Incidentally, the most expensive ticket for the women's football World Cup in Australia next year - top category for the final - comes in at £70. Most are a lot, lot cheaper.

[ATLANTISMAN]

The hospitality is also the RU model which for matches in Warrington/Leigh/St helens etc is ridiculous, if you are charging high prices corporate clients will expect a packed stadium and atmosphere to match.

 

 

[Damien]

1 minute ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

The hospitality is also the RU model which for matches in Warrington/Leigh/St helens etc is ridiculous, if you are charging high prices corporate clients will expect a packed stadium and atmosphere to match.

I've made this point before with regards ticket prices but what you cite is exactly the same. If you charge big event prices then you need to host the said event in a big event stadium fitting of that with all the razzmatazz that goes along with that. 

[Cowardly Fan]

1 minute ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

The hospitality is also the RU model which for matches in Warrington/Leigh/St helens etc is ridiculous, if you are charging high prices corporate clients will expect a packed stadium and atmosphere to match.

 

 

As a purchaser of hospitality I don't think a packed stadium & atmosphere is key. What's often lacking (important for me) at our stadiums are the facilities & service outside of the hospitality boxes.

I've thought for a while it's a glaring gap at club level.  Other sports do it well so it's enjoyable even with passing interest in the sport. That's money left on the table for club.

Getting players in for photos for example adds value to experience & increases bar spend.