Manuka Oval did a tremendous job in staging the latest ODI between Australia and South Africa and rightly was complemented across the media. However, the success of the event in the city should not mean that Canberra is entitled to more international events.
Canberra is a town that loves to revel in how good everything is. Locally, the biggest news item recently was when Canberra was voted the best city in the world by the OECD.
Much pride is taken in the education and living standards of the citizens, the mix of art, culture and political knowledge, and the participation of locals in sports for health and fitness. However, for a city that is affluent and with a decent population, the support of local sporting teams has been atrocious.
The Brumbies, arguably the most popular team in the ACT, only managed to attract an average crowd of 12,500, while the Raiders had the second-worst average across the three major winter codes, barely beating the new GWS in the AFL. And speaking of GWS, their three home games played in the Nation’s Capital should have done better than an average of 8,000 when they are the only game on at the 2pm Saturday time slot.
Let’s compare this to when Canberra has the opportunity to host quality international events.
Both recent cricket internationals at the redeveloped Manuka Oval saw near-capacity crowds and a great atmosphere. Regardless of the lack of quality from the A-League players involved, 20,000 still turned out to see the Socceroos lose to Kuwait back in 2009.
The Kangaroos managed to draw a capacity crowd of 25,000 at Canberra Stadium for rugby league’s showcase international against New Zealand for Anzac Day 2013. Even a Wallabies match against lowly Fiji attracted a crowd of 15,000 in the middle of winter back in 2010.
Sports administrators must look at this evidence and be mystified. On the one hand they see a city that is too busy to regularly attend sport, and on the other hear complaints from Canberrans when large crowds turn up to showcase events demanding that they receive more.
What the city needs to learn is that sports will be given to those that show up regularly. The uncertainty of drawing a crowd is what stops events being awarded to Canberra rather than a perceived biased against what is often referred to as ‘a sleepy town’. Why would a major event be shifted from Sydney or Melbourne, where you can get a guaranteed 20,000 to a game of tiddlywinks, when the alternate option is to risk it all on whether the weather will be nice and the crowd shows up in Canberra?
However if Canberra is true to form, it still can become a viable option for one-off events.
For all concerned, it is in the best interests of all to offer regular international fixtures.
A guarantee from the ACT Government to bring one national team from the major sporting codes to Canberra each year would provide the event that locals are looking for and could offer the administrators a sense of calm that the local sporting community would show up and support the teams.
In addition to this, teams from fringe sports such as baseball, hockey, and basketball should try to establish Canberra as their home field and work to promote their teams as the big event in the town.
In time, the capital of Australia can become the capital of national sport.
Pam
Guest
Nice job Tom
Canberra aswell as anywhere else show up in good numbers when the Team is in form, and dont look twice when struggling to get a win. 20years ago the Raiders got crowds, Brumbies more recently, and look out cos GWS will be Canberras top dog soon, with already crowds similar to Raiders and Brumbies and even the baseball, and can see the Giants winning as much as they loose as soon as next year
AJB
Guest
I would go and support a lot of games just for the atmosphere not necessarily because I follow the game - but the prices to get in are just insane. Bring back the grassed areas where you used to be able to take your own food and sit and watch with the kids. Then watch the numbers increase. We're from Canberra so we don't blame the weather, it's the overpriced concrete seats that get me.
George
Guest
I'll be there for lunch or dinner before the game, and drinks after. I hope this happens before I succumb to hypothermia next winter.
George
Guest
It rains less in Canberra than in most of Australia. The nicest days barely get to 10 degrees. I wonder if the fact that the visiting players can actually breathe clean, fresh air is one factor in why other teams are doing so well down here these days. Or it could have something to do with having the worst spine ever seen in First Grade over the past 2 or 3 years. I think we'll get most teams leaving the ACT without the two points next year.
AJL.
Roar Pro
Canberra is notorious as a city of imports. Many people come here for uni, or to work in the APS. They don't tend to suddenly adopt the Raiders or Brumbies when they arrive (although some make efforts to attend games, because they love their League/Union). The effect of this is that there's less interest in supporting the local teams, but plenty of interest in our national teams and events.
fiver
Guest
In another 10-15 years I reckon Canberra will be quite a cool little city and if that indoor stadium close into Civic ever gets built then many people will travel from interstate to attend games there.
Adam
Guest
I would dare say that manuka has more access issues than the stadium at bruce that has masses of parking.
Jack Package
Guest
Good article! A game being played in Manuka in Spring is very different to Bruce in Winter!
Brian
Guest
They definitely deserve a Test match, would be a good event held say every 4 years. Its a pretty big summer of sport in Canberra with about 3 Asian Cup games and 3 Cricket World Cup Games. I assume Australia aren't playing in any game so will be interesting to see how crowds go.
pat malone
Guest
sydney NRL crowds are decent by global football standards. some are near the top of the league. How about Brisbane and their 1 team?
Ben
Guest
You've overlooked the fact the both the Raiders and the Brumbies play out of Bruce stadium, A wind swept stadium that is hard to access and has nothing around it to give it life. Compare that to a new look Manuka at the centre of the city with lots of bars and restaurants around the precinct. Build the new covered stadium on the site of civic pool and watch the crowd numbers improve.
Edison Marshall
Roar Pro
This is a great read and as a proud canberran sports fan I would love to see more top level cricket and football at Manuka but the truth is we don't have the population or the money. This isn't Pittsburgh guys. I'd love to see a BBL team, an A-League team but these franchises are exactly that, they're businesses that operate on profits which I doubt Canberra clubs will turn. The one off event system seems to be working at the moment. maybe in a few years make it 2 ODIs and in 4 years who knows, schedule a test match see how it goes.
Edison Marshall
Roar Pro
I dunno if you've visited Canberra but, Everywhere is close to the city, haha. But you make a good point, Rugby League crowds in Sydney are small when they shouldn't be.
Tom Storey
Roar Rookie
Well Sydney has more than one game a weekend so it's more a matter of choice for the sports fan as to which game they should go to. It's very rare for both the Brumbies and Raiders to play at home on the same weekend, and you can add the factor that the Brumbies start a month before the Raiders do. The weather in February, March and April is pretty good in Canberra and the locals are used to it so I think this is no more a factor than it is an excuse. Have a look at the numbers and you'll see that Canberra attendances have been declining for a while, while the weather is the same and the transport has improved comparatively.
Mantis
Roar Guru
Plenty of Sydney teams in the NRL get very average crowds considering the population, as do the Waratahs in super rugby. Its freezing cold, often drizzly and windy at Canberra stadium, public transport isn't bad but not great, and the stadium isn't close to the city like the SFS. Fair enough, 12 and a half isn't a great average crowd, but weather in Sydney is a lot better, public transport is better and there is a much bigger population. What is their excuse?
Tom Storey
Roar Rookie
I was thinking along the lines of the fringe sports using Canberra and the AIS as their home base for internationals, rather than the major codes. In a similar way that you know the English football team will play at Wembley and the Welsh rugby team will play at the Millennium Stadium, you could have the Boomers use the AIS Arena as their base, or have the Kookaburras based at the National Hockey Centre.
Pedro the Maroon
Guest
"was complemented across the media." Complimented.
pat malone
Guest
"In time, the capital of Australia can become the capital of national sport" please explain?