Re: World Cup Ticket Sales : Fri Jul 19, 2013 2:21 pm
FlexWheeler wrote:
Blah blah blah.
Bottom line, the big games will achieve respectable attendances, the smaller games will be hit and miss.
Bar some aussies and kiwis theres not going to be any other decent amount of support from abroad, so it's tough to get people from these cities and towns down to games when they have no real association with the teams. There will be some hardcore fans that get down to games as neutrals but rugby league doesn't have that same standing in sport where masses of neutrals will get to games.
Overall the attendances figures probably will top that of the 2008 world cup, hopefully, which should make it a success.
Bottom line, the big games will achieve respectable attendances, the smaller games will be hit and miss.
Bar some aussies and kiwis theres not going to be any other decent amount of support from abroad, so it's tough to get people from these cities and towns down to games when they have no real association with the teams. There will be some hardcore fans that get down to games as neutrals but rugby league doesn't have that same standing in sport where masses of neutrals will get to games.
Overall the attendances figures probably will top that of the 2008 world cup, hopefully, which should make it a success.
I think you might be in for a pleasant surprise. I understand the game at Rochdale, Ireland v Fiji is heading for a sellout. The games at Workington involving Scotland have virtually sold out the stands. Even the game at Bristol, arguably the smallest draw in the whole competiton, Cook islands v USA was reporting good sales for the stands. the French game at Avignon is heading for a 20,000 sell out. The stand at Neath for Wales v Cook Islands has only 22 tickets available. The game at the Shay involving Italy is also selling well.
The official World Cup web site was reporting that there have been significant sales to non RL fans.
Hull is a RL hotbed and I can see the games there going well.
I think over 3,000 tickets have been sold for the game at Limerick, which is pretty good for a game in a union stronghold in a very minor RL playing nation.
I think that the reputation for all the South Sea island teams for playing attractive rugby and the pre match war dances will be a significant draw fir British people in an British autumn. There are 5 of these, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Cook Islands and Papua New Guinea.
In any case I am optomistic that this tournament is going to be very successful from the big games down to the smaller venues and minor teams.