RLWC Attendance-O-Meter

[Damien]

5 minutes ago, Chrispmartha said:

I thought it came across fine, i think we need to remember it’s not prime time on main BBC channels, it actually sounded like a decent atmosphere 

Atmosphere wise with the band etc it sounded the part.

[Bolton Leyther]

The attendance figure is low but it didn't look quite so low to me watching on TV. As has been mentioned by others, those who attended deserve credit for creating a good atmosphere in the circumstances.

[Maximus Decimus]

Just now, ShropshireBull said:

You mean how we pumped Samoa and everyone turned off? I think casuals dont give a toss and they are the audience, not us tragics. 

Samoa was good because they were the favourites.

They wouldn't be as enthusiastic if we were +30, like we would be for most of the games.

[Bolton Leyther]

The price of the tickets in general are, in my opinion, too high, in some instances alarmingly so.

A couple of things I don't think have been highlighted enough are the fact that there is no option to choose which seats people want to pay for (instead, the website automatically selects seats is the preferred area) and there are no concessions for OAPs.

I think that's really quite poor.

[Dave T]

 

This is cool. But we made c£4m profit in 2013 apparently. This time we have up to £15m of costs covered by the government. I applaud the drive to grow profits way beyond anything we have seen before, but let's not cry poverty and make out this was the only option. 

[Damien]

1 minute ago, Dave T said:

 

This is cool. But we made c£4m profit in 2013 apparently. This time we have up to £15m of costs covered by the government. I applaud the drive to grow profits way beyond anything we have seen before, but let's not cry poverty and make out this was the only option. 

I don't really get that comment to be honest because it just isn't true. The tournament runs to generate a profit to fund the IRL and the international game for 4 years until the next one. Without the RLWC generating a profit the IRL has nothing.

[Dave T]

2 minutes ago, Damien said:

I don't really get that comment to be honest because it just isn't true. The tournament runs to generate a profit to fund the IRL and the international game for 4 years until the next one. Without the RLWC generating a profit the IRL has nothing.

The best thing to do with Dutton is listen to what he says, and then assume the reality is nothing like that. 

[GeordieSaint]

7 minutes ago, Dave T said:

 

This is cool. But we made c£4m profit in 2013 apparently. This time we have up to £15m of costs covered by the government. I applaud the drive to grow profits way beyond anything we have seen before, but let's not cry poverty and make out this was the only option. 

I am actually really confused about what point Dutton is actually trying to make there… it’s pretty incoherent.

[Chrispmartha]

Mick hogan made sense, John Dutton just seems to talk nonsense 

[Dave T]

I must admit, I am looking forward to some large crowds coming up, because if they are being truthful and we have matched the last tournament already, then we are due some crowds of 14-17k for non-England games to bring averages up. 

[Toby Chopra]

5 minutes ago, Damien said:

I don't really get that comment to be honest because it just isn't true. The tournament runs to generate a profit to fund the IRL and the international game for 4 years until the next one. Without the RLWC generating a profit the IRL has nothing.

Quite. Is he really saying the highest grossing rugby league world cup of all time is only going to break even? Something doesn't add up there... 

[Big Picture]

36 minutes ago, Chris22 said:

4,182 at Doncaster tonight.

That makes the total so far 78,646 and the average 13,107.

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, Toby Chopra said:

Quite. Is he really saying the highest grossing rugby league world cup of all time is only going to break even? Something doesn't add up there... 

The additional costs must be substantial from the postponement.

[RL Tragic]

25 minutes ago, Londonbornirishbred said:

I don't get it? Yes, we wish we could fill every stadium for every game, but the reality is that in the 9 years since the UK last hosted the World Cup, you've had no end of economic crisis to deal with, from the initial hit of the Leave vote, through Covid and now the cost of living crisis and yet Fans (and not just RL fans, but Sports Fans) are giving the game great attention. England v Samoa, live on FTA TV nearly filled Sy James's Park. That's fantastic stuff.
 

As fans, UK supporters spend far too much time worrying about what's wrong with "the game" rather than enjoying what they have. Last season, 5,500 turned up to watch the Sydney Roosters play the Titans. This was by far the lowest gate for a game at MacKay and a shocking turnout, but did NRL fans begin wrist slitting or teeth gnashing? Nope. But UK RL Fans are obsessed with putting the game down, so UK fans will concentrate on crowds at Salford and Huddersfield rather than celebrate both teams doing really well in 2022.

I'm enjoying this World Cup and personally wouldn't be bothered if they were playing in empty stadiums. As it is, they're playing to crowds who've already delivered more ticket Revenue than any other...and Greece have a second try...what more do you want!

Yes but a few weeks later The Roosters attracted 20k plus and a season later they have had 30k plus gates . Fans focus on the support at team like Huddersfield and Salford because there is no significant rises or peaks in there attendances and at the current levels it’s a poor reflection on the elite league of the sport .

[GeordieSaint]

8 minutes ago, Dave T said:

I must admit, I am looking forward to some large crowds coming up, because if they are being truthful and we have matched the last tournament already, then we are due some crowds of 14-17k for non-England games to bring averages up. 

Where? 

It’s not happening tomorrow night. 12 out of the 20 seating blocks are £55-70 per seat. Another 4 sections are £40 per seat. I don’t expect many in those 12 blocks. 

[Damien]

7 minutes ago, Toby Chopra said:

Quite. Is he really saying the highest grossing rugby league world cup of all time is only going to break even? Something doesn't add up there... 

It's just downright weird. Frankly this is the best funded World Cup ever with the highest ticket prices yet we have blatantly scrimped on pre match entertainment and things like national anthem singers. That just doesn't add up. If 2013 made a record £4 million profit this should be making £10 million plus based on what we know. That would obviously be a huge windfall for the IRL.

[jacksy]

Its not just bums on seats we have to show the tv people that our game is popular to viewers.

So having said that anybody know how the BBC calculate interest?

Is it every time someone switches their iplayer to the match counted? Or is it a select few?

I've been watching some games more than once. Ive been going on the bbc sports pages and clicking all the rl links..same with BBC sports rl on youtube.

am i wasting my time?

Edited October 17, 2022 by jacksy

[Chris22]

4 minutes ago, GeordieSaint said:

Where? 

It’s not happening tomorrow night. 12 out of the 20 seating blocks are £55-70 per seat. Another 4 sections are £40 per seat. I don’t expect many in those 12 blocks. 

I believe that the four £25 blocks are sold out and the four £40 blocks are 85% full. I'd hope that the terracing behind the sticks would be ok, being the joint cheapest tickets. Maybe around 10,000 or so?

The middle of the stands though, probably best not to think!

[Jughead]

At £20.21 a ticket, which is more than reasonable for this kind of game, in a good stadium, a crowd of less than 5k is poor and concerning.

I’m concerned by what’s come out today. Dutton seems to make a lot of noise but make few pertinent points and Hogan seems more sensible, though I would still query his words. I struggle to see where the massive jump in attendances are coming from. England games will do well, maybe Australia games too but that aside, I just don’t know where the crowds are coming from. There’s questions to be asked about ticketing once this tournament is over, for sure. 

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, Damien said:

It's just downright weird. Frankly this is the best funded World Cup ever with the highest ticket prices yet we have blatantly scrimped on pre match entertainment and things like national anthem singers. That just doesn't add up. If 2013 made a record £4 million profit this should be making £10 million plus based on what we know. That would obviously be a huge windfall for the IRL.

Did they have to pay for cancelled hotels and the such? How much to keep the  staff on another 12 months? etc.

I can see that being millions easily.

[Gerrumonside ref]

1 hour ago, Londonbornirishbred said:

I don't get it? Yes, we wish we could fill every stadium for every game, but the reality is that in the 9 years since the UK last hosted the World Cup, you've had no end of economic crisis to deal with, from the initial hit of the Leave vote, through Covid and now the cost of living crisis and yet Fans (and not just RL fans, but Sports Fans) are giving the game great attention. England v Samoa, live on FTA TV nearly filled Sy James's Park. That's fantastic stuff.
 

As fans, UK supporters spend far too much time worrying about what's wrong with "the game" rather than enjoying what they have. Last season, 5,500 turned up to watch the Sydney Roosters play the Titans. This was by far the lowest gate for a game at MacKay and a shocking turnout, but did NRL fans begin wrist slitting or teeth gnashing? Nope. But UK RL Fans are obsessed with putting the game down, so UK fans will concentrate on crowds at Salford and Huddersfield rather than celebrate both teams doing really well in 2022.

I'm enjoying this World Cup and personally wouldn't be bothered if they were playing in empty stadiums. As it is, they're playing to crowds who've already delivered more ticket Revenue than any other...and Greece have a second try...what more do you want!

You make a lot of great points although I will say that this is our big moment to shine in a soccer mad country and we’re short of cash compared to the game in Australia.

I think that’s why there’s so much emphasis on crowds and image.

It can get a bit ‘does my bum look big in this’ for some people I agree when it comes to crowd images - we go overboard.

I do think though the points over ticket price categories and general organisation should be made.

Am loving the action on the pitch of course. 

Edited October 17, 2022 by Gerrumonside ref

[Dave T]

6 minutes ago, GeordieSaint said:

Where? 

It’s not happening tomorrow night. 12 out of the 20 seating blocks are £55-70 per seat. Another 4 sections are £40 per seat. I don’t expect many in those 12 blocks. 

I have every faitht that we are not being told untruths! 

[Dave T]

2 minutes ago, Jughead said:

At £20.21 a ticket, which is more than reasonable for this kind of game, in a good stadium, a crowd of less than 5k is poor and concerning.

I’m concerned by what’s come out today. Dutton seems to make a lot of noise but make few pertinent points and Hogan seems more sensible, though I would still query his words. I struggle to see where the massive jump in attendances are coming from. England games will do well, maybe Australia games too but that aside, I just don’t know where the crowds are coming from. There’s questions to be asked about ticketing once this tournament is over, for sure. 

This is probably the least attractive of the three Donny games, and on a Monday night, so hopefully we will get bigger crowds at the follow up games. Although the central main stand seats go to £55 for the Samoa v Greece game. 

[meast]

1 hour ago, Tommygilf said:

I think it is really positive and I hope you all have a great time. 

Its a shame your friend hasn't got many closer games to attend. I don't think its controversial to say that bustling stadiums have better experiences for spectators. Ireland vs Jamaica was good, it would have been great with a few thousand more people in (as PNG vs New Zealand was in 2013).

The first thing she did after attending the women's finals day and finding out there was a world cup was to look at the world cup site to see which games were in London or down South.

Imagine her disappointment to find out there was only 1 semi final. 

She'll probably still attend though!

 

 

[GeordieSaint]

3 minutes ago, Dave T said:

I have every faitht that we are not being told untruths! 

I am not believing a word that is coming out of Dutton’s mouth at the moment.