In the next couple of weeks, World Rugby’s Sevens series will enjoy and be confronted, with two contrasting tournaments in terms of public endorsement.
The Sydney Sevens, according to statements issued by the ARU, will be close to a sell-out.
With the experience of cricket’s Big Bash League to guide the organisers, the event is certain to be the family-oriented spectacle that will create a memorable event.
More importantly, the groundwork for the tournament to flourish for many decades to come will be laid during this tournament.
Unfortunatley, expectations for this weekend’s Wellington Sevens are dramatically different, with organisers hoping for 15,000 fans each day at the ‘Cake Tin’ stadium on the waterfront.
There is the dire concession that if the weather is not sunny – and remember, Wellington is the Windy City – then the crowd numbers might fall short of expectations.
It’s a far cry from the glory days, when all 34,500 seats for both days were sold out virtually as soon as they were listed.
So why have the Wellington public turned their back on the tournament?
There is the argument that sevens rugby is no longer ‘cool’, but statistics from World Rugby indicate that the series is growing rapidly in crowd and television viewing numbers. The success of the concept at the Rio Olympics has intensified public interest around the world.
The Guardian‘s Robert Kitson recently discussed this issue, among others, related to sevens rugby, in an article headed ‘Growing popularity of sevens demands it be given the respect it deserves’:
Online research conducted last year by Nielsen Sports in the key markets of Australia, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States suggested nearly 17 million new fans worldwide, particularly among women and the 18-24 age group, were attracted by what they saw at the Games. Within five years China hope to have a million rugby players enjoying a sport which, in Mandarin, apparently translates as ‘English-style olive ball’. Australia’s exciting gold medal-winning women’s sevens team are even gracing the pages of this month’s Australian Vogue.
The Sydney Sevens is clearly being given a rocket boost from the success at Rio of the Pearls, Australia’s women’s sevens team, a side that is chock-full of charismatic players who are winners on and off the field.
The mystery is why the enthusiasm for the Sydney tournament, in a rugby league city, is not being matched for the Wellington Rugby Sevens, in a rugby-mad city.
Enter former Test cricketer and leading administrator Martin Snedden, the organiser of the successful 2011 Rugby World Cup.
“History will judge the Wellington Sevens down the track as being an amazing success story, but what’s really apparent now is that it’s probably run its course,” Snedden told Stuff.
“That’s not a negative comment. That’s really a reflection of the fact that an event has a life cycle … and this one seems to have reached the end.”
This weekend will be the 18th installment of the Wellington Sevens, meaning the notion that this is about the life-cycle limit of this type of tournament is rather pessimistic.
The Hong Kong Sevens tournament stretches back, after all, to the glory days of Mark Ella and David Campese. Their talents, in fact, created a number of tournament wins to Australian teams which, in turn, led to the Hong Kong tradition of the crowd invariably booing the Aussie team, and Australian lawyers and doctors booking into conferences held during the tournament.
During the glory days of the Wellington Sevens, 2004 in fact, I along with my wife Judy had the pleasure of being in the VIP area for the entire tournament. We spent hours chatting to the US Ambassador and his wife, enlightening them – or trying to enlighten them – on the various mysteries of the rugby laws.
The good spirits of the crowd were a pleasure to behold. A topless woman was protected by the crowd, for instance – when the police came to arrest her, they were directed to another section of the ground.
The stars of the tournament were the Kenyans. Judy saw them warming up for their match against Korea, near the dead-ball area, which our box overlooked.
“The Kenyans will win easily,” she told the Ambassador and myself.
I told her that the Kenyans were playing in their first Wellington tournament and had no form, whereas the Koreans had played competently at a number of sevens tournaments.
“The Kenyans,” the indomitable Judy reasoned, “have much nicer legs than the Koreans and more attractive butts. They are bound to win.”
And win they did, then went on to defeat the Australians.
The crowd was ecstatic, not only because of the victory over the hapless Australians, but because the way the Kenyans played – their free-spirited running, their manly tackling, and the white-teethed grinning pleasure they took from the game – was so infectious.
Some time after this, the crowds attending it and the organisers lost the plot of what the tournament really had to be about.
The organisers plucked the golden goose and started charging extremely high ticket and food prices.
The party reputation that was created by the dozens of Elvis lookalikes, the nurses and all the other garbs, gave way to a boozathon mentality. Hundreds of people were charged for drunkenness. Lady Patrick Campbell’s admonition that people can do anything “so long as they don’t do it in the streets and frighten the horses” was ignored, as being drunk and disorderly became the epitome of having a good time.
In 2014 about 270 drunken spectators were kicked out of Westpac Stadium.
Dr John Guthrie, a sports marketing expert, told Stuff that the Wellington sevens had become a boozy “mates day out”, and the organisers’ attempts to restore the “family-friendly” atmosphere would not appeal to the 20 to 30-year-olds (the new sevens addicts, according to Kitson).
An editorial in Wellington’s daily newspaper, The Dominion, is cautiously optimistic that the “Wellington tradition” will somehow survive.
… two things are clear. The first is that, whatever some people might want, the event can’t be as loose as it once was.
The second is that it’s worth persevering with, at least for a while longer. The organisers have made plenty of changes in recent years, like cutting prices and increasing the entertainment offerings. They might have laid the groundwork for a renewed event. Abandoning it before we find out would be a shame.
Time will tell, presumably.
On Tuesday, the ARU issued a media release announcing two debutants for Wellington in the men’s sevens squad. The new faces are Queenslander Tate McDermott and Sydneysider Dylan Pietsch, who seems a likely star of the future (and featured here on The Roar late last year).
According to coach Andy Friend, “Dylan’s quite a big bloke for an 18-year-old, he’s got a good step on him and a good carry of the football. Momentum is his friend, he’s a powerful boy.”
No mention of “nice legs” or an “attractive butt”, but still one to watch over the weekend, I reckon.
mokicat
Guest
What is this article doing on here? It's a year old and the event has been moved to Hamiton?
BrainsTrust
Guest
NRL is cheaper than World rugby, international rugby league seems to rely on Murdoch's International rugby league federation, to fund it. The worst is AFL, they have used a lot of overseas aid money to fund AFL, and try to avoid spending a cent outside the country, while they absolutely plow the money into Sydney. Believe it or not they tried to get crowd funding to pay for a sports channel they secretly set up which broadcasts AFL on free to air in NZ. Even in Australia you don't get every AFL match broadcast on free to air like they did in New Zealand. New Zealand all the rugby is live only on Pay TV.
BrainsTrust
Guest
So you actually think World rugby pays all the costs, the local council puts in 200k. So why do they need tickets in the 130-170 price range. The big excuse the tournament directors gave for their exorbitant prices one time is they had to cover for the travel and accomodation costs of the teams. A full house at those ticket prices would earn them 5 million dollars they would probably be aiming for about 15k and get 2.5 million. The cost might be about 50 thousand per team so thats 800k. They really only need about 5k to cover their costs given Wellington council gives them 200k which would cover the event costs. NZ rugby is greediest grubs in rugby, they must have been milking the sevens for profit, and now whinging that the million or so they took off the event has dryed up. Bring out the violins for these poor sods, they wanted a 2 million pound appearance fee for an extra test match in England, while Fiji got 75k pounds.
Rugby Fan
Roar Guru
If you think the Wellington sevens is under-attended because the local population has seen it enough times already, then that supports the conclusion it isn't regarded as a sporting event. If you like a particular sport, you don't go and see a fixture once, and then decide that's enough for a lifetime. You might do that with a film or play but if I was a motor racing fan, then I'd want to see the British Grand Prix whenever I could. If the Wellington crowd needs to see 15s players they already know, then they aren't really sevens fans, since the best exponents of the shorter code are the ones playing on the circuit. The Olympics showed that 15s players were generally off the pace when they tried to switch. I don't think it's a moral failing for Rugby fans in Wellington not to have any love for the game. However, if the organisers want to resuscitate the event, then it requires an honest appraisal of the status of the code in NZ. Rugby fans aren't automatically sevens fans, as Japan demonstrated for years.
clipper
Guest
As explained, it was an off the cuff, half joking statement made by one man - not exactly any empirical evidence - he's now a franchisee at New World Supermarkets - hardly still in the game.. Quite funny really, but to then take the leap and deduce that league is more popular than Rugby in Auckland is just too silly, as evidenced by numerous posters here.
clipper
Guest
Careful Jacko - he'll accuse you of being one of my aliases! He's already done that to 12 other people who disagreed with his opinion, facts are not his strong point and try as you may, you will never get credible sources. RD - I do not deny he said it, but as Jacko correctly states, it's just one person, half joking off the cuff remark and has no semblance of truth whatsoever.
Katipo
Guest
The cake tin isn't even a rectangular stadium, which should be a prerequisite for hosting privileges. The NZRU have stubbornly refused to relocate the tournament to another kiwi city and Wellington has become an embarrassment to the Sevens circuit. World Rugby should step in now and strip NZ of their tournament. Award it to a developing rugby nation instead. NZ is already developed, and his too much rugby already.
Bakkies
Guest
'So any claim of affordability by any tournament hosts is irrelevant.' Nonsense the host has to upgrade the facilities at the venue to be able to be suitable to host the event. The IRB doesn't pay for venue upgrades the host country does. That's why SA moved from George the venue was no longer practical for the tournament and there wasn't sufficient warm up space for the teams. To be able to host a leg you have to bid for it and that costs the councils, governments money. The union may have to kick some bob too.
Jacko
Guest
I guess if Guns and Roses use a few roadies they would have a 12 man squad. Not sure how good they are at 7s tho
Jacko
Guest
Rick just do your own research to see if Auckland is a league or union city. Who cares what someone says...look at facts then make your own mind up.
taylorman
Roar Guru
How many of those venues sold out within minutes as Wellington did for the first few years? Wellingtons done its bit for Sevens. Ten years ago they used to parade down Wellington the day before, then on the day the city would be saturated with the zaniest outfits you can imagine. It took the city by storm for years on that particular weekend. Yesterday I wandered down to my local mall, a ten minute drive to The stadium and met a mate and his wife who said they were going to the Sevens. Oh that's right I said, it's on this weekend. He said they were only going cos they won the club raffle for the two deloittes tickets and his Fijian wife knew some of the Fijian players and fans coming over. Without the party concept the overseas venues will die just as easily once they've had it a few years and the population advantages reach saturation levels...I.e been there done that, unless they rugby gives it the star treatment it needs in terms if elite player involvement it will remain a novice attraction wherever it is. I think I can say that because there are no bigger rugby fans than NZ fans so Wellington is not about apath!y...you wont find a Wellingtonian who has never been too easily. Its about an event that's run its course in its current form in this particular city.
taylorman
Roar Guru
And which of those cities have run it every year for twenty years? As I said, it's a combination of things, my first point probably the most relevant in the cases you're referring to. I've been to about 8 in Wellington and probably won't go again, to Wellington or anywhere else unless the event has some major overhaul.
Ocean
Guest
Yes just like how they withdrew the Singapore, Glasgow, Tokyo, Paris, Cardiff, Gold Coast, Port Elizabeth tournaments etc etc. Those withdrawals weren't down to finance. It was down to World Rugby making the decision based on whatever criteria they choose. After all they are the one who pays for everything from flights, accommodation, food, transports, medical etc. So any claim of affordability by any tournament hosts is irrelevant. Just look at the Wellington Sevens. The crowd numbers have been shit for the past couple of years. The money from that wouldn't have been enough to pay for flights, accomodation, foods, transport and medical expenses for all 16 teams. If it weren't for World Rugby catering for all the expenses, Wellington would have lost the tournament about 2008.
Rugby Fan
Roar Guru
The trouble with that rationale is that it doesn't really explain how other cities are seeing growing interest, and big crowds.
woodart
Guest
no, welly is in the middle of the country, great place for the event. it is overpricing from the stadium and local accomadation businesses. it was a great event that has been mismanaged, but this nonsence about it running its course is rubbish , most savvy promoters push tradition, history ,past champs etc. auckland wont work because eden pk is suburbs away from downtown .the promoters and the cops have killed the party scene and tried to turn it into family fun, thats all good but at the same time they have put the prices off, way to stop families,,,,,,,,welly had a great street race and managed to kill that off through mismanagement....
Bakkies
Guest
That's irrelevant. If you could afford it you would still have a leg. The Fijians withdrew their leg after one event in 99-00
taylorman
Roar Guru
Plus the fact that many have been several times, and the fact that we don't see the best rugby players. The tens are getting better named players and they're club sides. If the Saveas, Barrett's, Beales, Folau etc were at the Sevens it would be much more marketable so it's a combination of things. Even though there's never really been the full test players attending if you're going to kill the partying then you need to up the quality of the spectacle to bring in those who will replace the 'partiers'. They've not done that so now it's overall a weaker attraction. I mean how many sporting events would you go to where the majority of the crowd probably wouldn't be able to name more than 5 players from the entire two days.
taylorman
Roar Guru
Auckland would probably be the strongest League city outside Sydney and Brisbane in terms of test caps though that's probably not saying much.
Rick Diznek
Guest
No it was a mirage
Mat
Guest
Geez he really did say Auckland is a Rugby League city now!!! Also said the NRL nines helped kill the Wellington 7's????? Not sure what to make of that.