RLWC Attendance-O-Meter

[FearTheVee]

8 minutes ago, Just Browny said:

There is a balance here and it doesn't seem to have been found.

We did need to break the belief, which I see repeated on my Twitter feed today, that an international match costs a tenner for adults and a fiver for kids. There needs to be a pathway towards making international tickets valued tickets, not the sporting equivalent of Sports Direct. There is a fair argument that after three relatively successful world cups we could take a few more risks.

On the other hand you cannot go from cheap as chips to Twickers prices: especially when the market you are relying on (RL fans) have a very fixed idea of how much rugby costs.

All in all that means I'm pretty angry about £50-70 tickets for seats at our normal SL grounds - we are going to be staring at middle blocks of seats with nobody in them for the next fortnight. But on the other hand, as you've pointed out, there are very reasonable £20-25 tickets for exciting games and I don't know why those aren't being bought.

The balance is in recognising the difference between what people will pay to watch:

a) England;

b) other "big" nations play each other;

c) "big" nation v minnow; and

d) minnow vs minnow

They are are completeley different events and need completely different pricing.

To be positive - I think this tournament has proven people will pay proper prices to watch England.  To be negative, it has also proven that just because two national teams are playing doesn't mean it's a premium event.  It's patently not.

When you overlay that with too many games at the same grounds you compound the issue.  That said, I class the game at Wire as an attractive fixture and the attandance was frankly a disgrace.  I don't know how you can have years to sell a NZ fixture in a RL stronghold and end up with that - it's terrible.

All that said - given the uproar about how disrespectful the Australians were to international RL last year, it would have been nice for the die hards to back up their incredible support for "TGG" by buying some tickets.

Edited October 17, 2022 by FearTheVee

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, MattSantos said:

For England, yes.

For France v Greece in Doncaster, the maximum price should be about 25 quid and free under 16s

It basically is?

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Just Browny said:

Yeah I'd agree with that.

Am I misremembering or in 2013 did we not have 'categories' of games with different pricing tiers? That's what we should have had here

 

We do? Someone has already posted they got the Donny package so tonight is £11. A single ticket is £25 and I believe there are concessions.

 

Edited October 17, 2022 by Leonard

[Dave T]

5 minutes ago, Leonard said:

I am not sure how you can have a downward spiral unless people start returning tickets, which they can't, or simply don't turn up in their masses.

The downward spiral comes based on the fact that literally not a single game is sold out. That includes England games, quarters, semis, and finals. 

If people lose interest, sales dry up, it isn't getting better. 

[gingerjon]

3 minutes ago, FearTheVee said:

it would have been nice for the die hards to back up their incredible support for "TGG" by buying some tickets.

Who do you think was there but die hards?

[Dave T]

6 minutes ago, MattSantos said:

For England, yes.

For France v Greece in Doncaster, the maximum price should be about 25 quid and free under 16s

 

1 minute ago, Leonard said:

It basically is?

That's right, it's £20.21 for all adult tickets and £2.21 for kids tonight. 

Where it's a bit weird, is that it's cheaper at many other grounds for adults anyway. 

At Leigh on Wednesday, Cooks v Wales, you can sit down for £15.

[MattSantos]

2 minutes ago, Leonard said:

It basically is?

Which is great, so why not the same structure for a worse game; Aus v Sco in a bigger stadium?

55 quid for under posts for this game is utter madness.

 

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Dave T said:

The downward spiral comes based on the fact that literally not a single game is sold out. That includes England games, quarters, semis, and finals. 

If people lose interest, sales dry up, it isn't getting better. 

So not a spiral then - a plateau.

Or more accurately less of an upward trajectory.

[Leyther_Matt]

58 minutes ago, Josef K said:

Can they Leyther i didn’t know that nor do they but i will tell them now and see if they still want to go. 

Best keeping an eye on RLWC social media or give Saints a call in the morning just to confirm whether it’s ticket office or cash gates but other than that they will be good to go  

[Guest]

Just now, MattSantos said:

Which is great, so why not the same structure for a worse game; Aus v Sco in a bigger stadium?

55 quid for under posts for this game is utter madness.

 

I wouldn't disagree - but it seems Leigh and Donny are well priced. So it is not just a one way street on pricing.

[FearTheVee]

4 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

Who do you think was there but die hards?

There are only 5,000 die hard RL fans in Lancashire?

The answer is  - it would appear so.  Which is why having all the games in the NW is part of the failure of this WC.

Maye there just aren't enough RL fans who care enough for a WC to make sense.  At some point there is a responsibility on the supporters to get behind International RL and we clearly aren't there yet.

And I agree you don't blame the customer for not buying tickets.  But I do blame the people who claim to desperately want the product, then don't buy it, then complain that nobody else is buying, then blame the people selling the product they spend all their time claiming to want to buy.

It sounds like the game tonight has been appropriately priced.  If nobody is there, who is to blame then if it's not the pricing or repeat events at the same venue?  Maybe the demand doesn't exist in the way we all pretend it does . . . . . ?

Edited October 17, 2022 by FearTheVee

[Just Browny]

3 minutes ago, FearTheVee said:

The balance is in recognising the difference between what people will pay to watch:

a) England;

b) other "big" nations play each other;

c) "big" nation v minnow; and

d) minnow vs minnow

They are are completeley different events and need completely different pricing.

To be positive - I think this tournament has proven people will pay proper prices to watch England.  To be negative, it has also proven that just because two national teams are playing doesn't mean it's a premium event.  It's patently not.

When you overlay that with too many games at the same grounds you compound the issue.  That said, I class the game at Wire as an attractive fixture and the attandance was frankly a disgrace.  I don't know how you can have years to sell a NZ fixture in a RL stronghold and end up with that - it's terrible.

All that said - given the uproar about how disrespectful the Australians were to international RL last year, it would have been nice for the die hards to back up their incredible support for "TGG" by buying some tickets.

I agreed with all of that except the last paragraph. I think it's perfectly plausible that the 'die hards' have bought lots of tickets, but the 'die hards' are at most a few hundred people who post on TRL and RL Fans. The difference between a 2000 crowd and a 15000 crowd is how many of the general public you engage and entice, the folk who might go and watch a Warrington or Saints game at home but aren't glued to the game day in day out.

[Dave T]

1 minute ago, Leonard said:

So not a spiral then - a plateau.

Or more accurately less of an upward trajectory.

No, a downward spiral doesn't literally mean ticket sales go down. 

The tournament going on a downward spiral is what I refer to. 

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

1 hour ago, Eddie said:

The Rec in Bath would have been a good choice I think, particularly as there are a couple of League clubs in that area. Maybe Gloucester too. 

100%

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, Dave T said:

The downward spiral comes based on the fact that literally not a single game is sold out. That includes England games, quarters, semis, and finals. 

If people lose interest, sales dry up, it isn't getting better. 

FWIW - I would not expect the England games to sell out at least until Semi final stage - but I doubt they would sell out the Emirates anyway. France, Greece and PNG always unlikely and Samoa too.

[bratman]

14 minutes ago, Dave T said:

If we get 10k+ tomorrow and 7k+ at Leigh on Weds, hopefully it will start to change the narrative. 

Because I think either side of that we have two more difficult games. Doncaster tonight and Coventry on Friday. 

Was always a bit confused by the Coventry match, was always going to look bad in a 32k stadium. Maybe I think too much about these things

[MattSantos]

1 minute ago, Leonard said:

I wouldn't disagree - but it seems Leigh and Donny are well priced. So it is not just a one way street on pricing.

I don't think people are saying it's a one way street.

Back to my post earlier, i dont mind poor attendances, but Aus v Scotland in Coventry at any price is Insania.

 

 

 

[Damien]

11 minutes ago, MattSantos said:

For England, yes.

For France v Greece in Doncaster, the maximum price should be about 25 quid and free under 16s

Well the maximum is £20 for an adult (£25 for premiums) and £2.21 for kids, you cant really get cheaper than that without giving them away.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, MattSantos said:

I don't think people are saying it's a one way street.

Back to my post earlier, i dont mind poor attendances, but Aus v Scotland in Coventry at any price is Insania.

 

 

 

I never had any expectation that would sell outside of a double header. But then most fans would just avoid it anyway.

That's the nature of the quality of teams in the competition. Even if you have £10 tickets it would struggle.

[Wolford6]

Haven't trailed through 20 pages but I have an update on the Ticket Situation for the Wales game at Leigh on Wednesday.

As of today, the club do not have the World Cup Ticket machine and Printer for fans to buy tickets on the night.  It's hoping the WC Organisers can get this equipment over to the club by tomorrow. I've been advised to check by phone tomorrow

 

Well done and three cheers for the Leigh Ticket Team.

 

Edited October 17, 2022 by Wolford6

[Dave T]

5 minutes ago, Leonard said:

FWIW - I would not expect the England games to sell out at least until Semi final stage - but I doubt they would sell out the Emirates anyway. France, Greece and PNG always unlikely and Samoa too.

I think a crowd like the other day at Emirates would be decent enough. 28k at Bolton would be good, dunno what to expect at Sheffield, but I think the quarter at Wigan could do well, over 20k, double header with women too. 

[Dave T]

9 minutes ago, Leonard said:

I wouldn't disagree - but it seems Leigh and Donny are well priced. So it is not just a one way street on pricing.

 

6 minutes ago, MattSantos said:

I don't think people are saying it's a one way street.

Back to my post earlier, i dont mind poor attendances, but Aus v Scotland in Coventry at any price is Insania.

 

 

 

The pricing isn't the biggest issue for these games. Being part of three games at those grounds each is a challenge. 

[RP London]

37 minutes ago, crashmon said:

You don't need to take loads of matches , nor do you need to take the marque games either.

Games I would have had outside the heartlands

Ireland v Jamaica :- London

France v Samoa :- London

Wales v Cook Islands :- Bristol

PNG v Cook Islands :- Bristol

All in 10K to 15K grounds.   I think all the above 4 would have got close to 10K if priced right. Cook Islands got a lot of support in Bristol in 2013.

but the point is not what you would do.. its what were they allowed to do. you can stick whatever you want wherever you want it but if the deal is that all but 1 must be in the north of england then your hand are tied.. and frankly (and 20:20 hindisght says even more so) they would have been stupid not to take the funding. 

[FearTheVee]

3 minutes ago, Wolford6 said:

Haven't trailed through 20 pages but I have an update on the Ticket Situation for the Wales game at Leigh on Wednesday.

As of today, the club do not have the World Cup Tickret machine and Printer for fans to buy tickets on the night.  It's hoping the WC Organisers can get this equipment over to the club by tomorrow. I've been advised to check by phone tomorrow

 

Well done and three cheers for the Leigh Ticket Team.

 

You just couldn't make this stuff up.

[MattSantos]

Just now, FearTheVee said:

You just couldn't make this stuff up.

You really could.