Re: World Cup Ticket Sales : Thu Sep 19, 2013 1:17 am
I think this will be the best RWC ever as regards attendances. I think the host city concept was a brilliant innovation and has resulted in local authorities getting involved and promoting the tournament raising local interest.I think the choice of venues also is well thought out. We had to have some games in London, the capital, but kept the final in the North so that the final would be a sellout and deflect any criticism if the London games were poorly attended.
The Welsh are co hosts so we had to have a game at the Millenium and pairing it with England V Australia ensures a good attendance. In 2000 Wales v NZ at the millennium attracted around 20,000, a good attendance in itself but looked bad in a stadium that size. this year it looks like the attendance will be at least 40,000.
Giving the French two home games stimulates interest there, helps the French team to be more competitive and will draw good attendances. It will be interesting to compare the attendances at the games in France with the remaining French game in Hull. I think the France based games will draw double the Hull attendance.
The England games are spread from Cardiff, to Hull to London to Huddersfield and maybe a quarter final at Wigan. A nice spread that should enable Englishmen from he length and breadth of the country to support their team.
Fiji at Rochdale was inspired given the history of Fijian players at the hornets and the Fijian diaspora in the town.
Cumberland was not ignored and putting Scotland up there with some attractive opposition in the form of a South sea islander team and a very strong NRL based Austro Italian team should tempt the locals ona cold November night. I think the games up there will draw well.
Our strong SL areas got games, Warrington, leeds, Saints, Hull, Huddersfield. Turnout should be good there.
The Welsh games are in the games strongholds at Wrexham and Neath as well as their capital. Good distribution to entice the locals.
Even the Irish and Bristol games are well conceived. The Bristol/Gloucester, Somerset and Devon areas are developing areas well away from the heartlands and a game down there, however small, is a good rallying point for those South West enthusiasts. Ireland, particularly Limerick is a rugby stronghold albeit Union but an attempt to spread the gospel there is a good idea, especially with Australia as the opposition with the large Irish Australian diaspora likely to make a visit to the old country a highlight of their trip. Iv we get 5,000 to this game it will have been a success.
Getting the big games and the England games on the BBC is also a master stroke, full stadiums, top teams will show the game up well to the whole of the UK. You can't beat terrestrial TV for getting the message out.
I will be at most games as my retirement present to myself My tickets arrived today and I am getting quite giddy with excitement given my age.
