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The New Year has arrived, the Test match is finished, and so I have been putting the sporting events into the diary for 2010.
During the delays and breaks at the Test, talk turned to the Super 14 and the Waratahs.
The consensus was that the Brumbies would pose the greatest threat to the Waratahs. “And it’s a home game for us. You beauty!”
“Not so fast ” quipped another, adding “I think they are taking it to ANZ! Contractual obligations!”
After a quick iPhone powered examination of the Tahs website, we discovered that the game was going to ANZ.
In allowing this farce to continue, NSW Waratahs management have ignored the remaining supporters who currently make it happen for them as well as those supporters who they hope will make it happen for them in the future.
The core Waratahs fans that remain have had their loyalty severely tested over the past few years. I don’t wish to relive these painful memories.
Let’s summarise them in two words: “Dunning” and “field goal” or “Winning” and “ugly” when all that resulted was “losing” and “ugly”.
The Waratahs have six home games: Sharks, Lions, Blues, Cheetahs, Hurricanes will play at SFS.
The Waratahs Vs Brumbies is the big game, the local derby, the grudge match, the one we all want to see, the one that can bring the crowds back, the one that can entice a new audience, has been unilaterally removed from the deal for the faithful who turn up each week to the SFS.
Who built them a $10m training and office facility? The Members. Who provides at least 7,000 supporters, or 30 percent of their dwindling total home crowd, to every game, win lose or draw? The locals and the members.
Worse still, there has been no offer to these supporters who have effectively paid for tickets to a game, only to have it moved.
There are very few supporters of any sporting team who, having bought a ticket, will buy a replacement ticket to the same game to go to a stadium that lacks both atmosphere and viewing quality.
Further, the new supporters, those in the famous western Sydney cohort that is yet to materialise in terms of actually turning up to games, get only one game.
Despite it being the contest of the season, these new supporters are expected to attend the game in the soulless, atmosphere “free” ANZ stadium.
The new supporters that turn up will also have to put up with arguably the worst stadium for rugby in the world while the acclaimed SFS sits empty. This is hardly the way to win over and build this audience. I expect a crowd of 30,000, and at this level, another own goal by the Waratahs management.
Disloyalty to these core and new supporters is a dangerous attitude for such a financially marginal team as the Waratahs.
But there is more.
1.The Waratahs have three trial matches. These have also been moved to Lismore, Orange and Canberra respectively. One or more of these games would be ideally suited to Parramatta Stadium and the new supporter base in Western Sydney.
2.The Waratahs core supporters will not have one local derby in 2010 at their home ground. The Force, the Reds and the Brumbies are all away!
3.The home Crusaders trial match has been cancelled.
4.The first three games are away games: two of which are in South Africa and played at inhospitable hours. The three month tournament will be almost a third completed before the Waratahs even get in front of their supporters in a home game.
5.If the Waratahs make a slow start to the season, the season will be financially doomed before a home game has even been played.
In conclusion, the Waratahs management have made and continue to repeat several fundamental mistakes:
1. They have lost focus on their core audience. Not addressing this audience’s needs when unilaterally moving the best games will further damage the Waratahs core support and be very expensive to rebuild.
2. They are chasing a new audience (Western Sydney) but with an inferior product and venue.
3. They have treated this new audience as “dumb” when in fact they are a very discerning audience who are spoilt for choice and used to good stadia like Penrith and Parramatta.
4. They are attempting to win over this new audience without investing in their tribal representatives in the Sydney Grade competition, Penrith and Parramatta.
5. I believe, but am happy to stand corrected that this contract with ANZ is for 10 years. Letting this contract to run in its current form could destroy the Waratahs completely.
I strongly suggest that the management return the shot gun approach to the gun cabinet and exchange it for the targeted rifle shot approach.
Vote for your preferred option in the poll below.
[poll id=”61″]
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.