16 June 2009

Wallabies... worth the money?

| johnboy
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[First filed: June 14, 2009 @ 15:18]

That the London Telegraph is running a match report of last night’s game between the Wallabies and Italy here in Canberra is testament to the importance of the event.

For the record our brave gold clad lads ran out winners 31-8. The teenage James O’Connor grabbed the headlines with a hat trick of tries but for mine the moment of the match was Stirling Mortlock’s brutal try breaking five tackles and restoring the momentum at a tricky moment in the match.

It was, however, a strange affair for the crowd of 22,468.

We were there firstly as set dressing for the TV cameras. And disposable set dressing as when, for the national anthems, a giant Wallabies banner blocked a large section of the crowd from seeing what was going on. To say nothing of playing at night in the middle of winter.

We were there secondly to absorb advertising. It was constant and a real step up from a normal super 14 game. The above video is from the half time entertainment, don’t have a drink every time a sponsor’s name is mentioned or you’ll pass out.

We were there thirdly to buy merchandise, food and drinks.

All of which is nice for everyone making a buck from it. But considering we’d paid nearly $70 each for uncovered seats in the inner bowl maybe it would have been nice to feel we were a little higher up the list as paying customers?

When the mexican wave (a sure sign of a bored crowd) is a highlight of the evening you have to start wondering about the cost of the ticket compared to the entertainment being delivered.

I know the ARU needs to make a buck. But I think they need to have another look at those ticket prices if they want to keep packing stadia.

UPDATE: Those of you looking for game highlights, including Mortlokkies’ bullocking runs will be pleased to know it can be found on YouTube

Slideshow below:

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GnT said :

And the drink driving one “To so-and so who always leaves the ground 10 minutes early: sit down, have a Bundy then drive home”. Great messages there.

The ad didn’t encourage people to drink and drive.

Holden Caulfield9:48 pm 15 Jun 09

GnT said :

Yes! Especially the sexist one “To so-and-so who came to the game on his wedding anniversary, we’ll miss you” Hello! There are women who enjoy a good game of Rugby too and would love to spend their anniversary watching the Wallabies with their fella! And the drink driving one “To so-and so who always leaves the ground 10 minutes early: sit down, have a Bundy then drive home”. Great messages there.

Haha, says the person with a username referring to gin and tonic. 😉

lizw said :

We tried to get a family ticket less than 2 hours after the ticket went on sale. But there was nowhere in the Silver section where there were 4 seats together, so, no family ticket there. There were tickets in the Bronze section, but we weren’t going to ask our kids to stand for a couple of hours. Even in the Gold section, we couldn’t book 4 seats together.

Mind you, when we watched the broadcast there seemed to be blocks of empty seats. So we weren’t overly impressed. We really wanted to take the kids to be a part of this very rare event, even in the -2deg, or whatever it was.[/quote

Good point. I checked online for silver tickets two or three weeks before the game but the advice available at the time was “single tickets only”. When I bought my gold tickets (at silver prices) the Wed before the game I could’ve has as many together as I wanted. In fact almost all of the seats in front of me Bay 67, Row I were empty.

Yes! Especially the sexist one “To so-and-so who came to the game on his wedding anniversary, we’ll miss you” Hello! There are women who enjoy a good game of Rugby too and would love to spend their anniversary watching the Wallabies with their fella! And the drink driving one “To so-and so who always leaves the ground 10 minutes early: sit down, have a Bundy then drive home”. Great messages there.

I was annoyed by the yellow airline banner and the fact that I could not see the players and the people singing the anthems. But I got over that. And the incessant stops and kicks for field position even after the game was won. But I got over those. And by the fact that I missed two of O’Conner’s tries because my view was blocked by chaps staggering past to collect or return with more chips or beer. But I got over that. But those appalling alcohol ads. Like a blackboard being scratched. They’re enough to drive one to drink. But not rum.

Holden Caulfield3:46 pm 15 Jun 09

lizw said :

We tried to get a family ticket less than 2 hours after the ticket went on sale. But there was nowhere in the Silver section where there were 4 seats together, so, no family ticket there. There were tickets in the Bronze section, but we weren’t going to ask our kids to stand for a couple of hours. Even in the Gold section, we couldn’t book 4 seats together.

Mind you, when we watched the broadcast there seemed to be blocks of empty seats. So we weren’t overly impressed. We really wanted to take the kids to be a part of this very rare event, even in the -2deg, or whatever it was.

Yes, I noticed this too. When I first looked at tickets online there was not much available. But sometime in the middle of last week the Ticketek site closed off sales to the Wallabies v Italy game for about 3 hours or so. Once the game was available online again there were groups of seats available in all sections.

I can imagine you will be frustrated to read this, but I guess next time just keep trying, or maybe call Ticketek direct and double check (that was the only way I knew the ticket sales were temporarily offline, my initial thought was the game had sold out).

Holden Caulfield3:08 pm 15 Jun 09

Gungahlin Al said :

Which I guess points to a need for the management to do a better sell job…?

Yeah, I reckon that is a fair criticism. I only found out by accident that the game was on. But then I tend to watch either ABC TV or Foxtel and don’t listen to commercial radio. Clearly I’m not a massive Rugby fan either, I guess, but I was keen to see the Wallabies while they were in town.

Peekz said :

If anyone was hell bent on seeing what was going on during this riveting moment of the evening, they could have turned their head approximately 90 degrees to the right and watched the big screen.

Honestly…..

It didn’t affect me personally as I was sitting on the Meninga Stand side of the ground but I can understand why people behind the banner could have been annoyed by it. Yes, they could have turned their heads to watch the screen, they could have also been in their lounge room watching it on Fox Sports or Prime but they paid $69 to come to the ground. Yes it was a small part of the evening but I still think it was a rude gesture on the ARU’s part.

Pot Holes said :

great that Canberra had a test match

+1

We tried to get a family ticket less than 2 hours after the ticket went on sale. But there was nowhere in the Silver section where there were 4 seats together, so, no family ticket there. There were tickets in the Bronze section, but we weren’t going to ask our kids to stand for a couple of hours. Even in the Gold section, we couldn’t book 4 seats together.

Mind you, when we watched the broadcast there seemed to be blocks of empty seats. So we weren’t overly impressed. We really wanted to take the kids to be a part of this very rare event, even in the -2deg, or whatever it was.

It was great that Canberra had a test match but the game was as boring as bat shit.

rugbyskier said :

The big banner meant that at least one bay of the East Bowl and probably a good number of people in the Gregan/Larkham stand were looking at a blank bit of fabric for five minutes. Sure they would have been looking at the back of the players but they couldn’t see anything at all during the singing of the national anthems, which is an important part of a rugby test and what sets it apart from a Super 14 match.

If anyone was hell bent on seeing what was going on during this riveting moment of the evening, they could have turned their head approximately 90 degrees to the right and watched the big screen.

Honestly…..

Gungahlin Al12:46 pm 15 Jun 09

Which I guess points to a need for the management to do a better sell job…?

Gungahlin Al12:45 pm 15 Jun 09

Holden Caulfield said :

Gungahlin Al said :

ABC sports reporter had a column in the paper Saturday proclaiming “if e want such 1st class events in Canberra, we have to vote with our feet”.

Codswallop I say – we have to vote with our wallets. And I for one can’t afford it. Everything’s $70-80 each, then there’s either children’s tickets to add to that, or another $80 for a sitter. Essentially you could buy a new Bluray player for what 2 hour’s entertainment costs. Or how much of a monthly mortgage repayment?

Al, family tickets (2 adults, 2 kids) were available in the Silver sections for $90 all up. Okay, that still isn’t “cheap” I guess, but it’s also not the $300+ you were alluding to.

Given the way buyers can print their own tickets these days, and the fact they’re not checked as you go through the turnstiles, I’d be surprised if the number of “families” attending such events is not quite high.

International events are never going to be cheap. How much are concert tickets to Pink or whoever these days? Sure, one might think they get better value for money, but that’s all up to the individual.

The ticket pricing for this Wallabies match compared quite well with prices for a Sydney Swans game at the SCG I was unfortunate enough to witness a few weeks ago.

The prices charged were better than fair and reasonable given other entertainment options out there.

Didn’t realise that HC. Saw newspaper articles mentioning ticket prices between 70-80 each and went ‘stuff that’.

Holden Caulfield12:37 pm 15 Jun 09

To whinge we’ll stop at nothing!

rugbyskier said :

I understand the point of JB’s comments, being that the ARU is totally focused on the television audience and not those who actually make the effort to go and watch the game live. The big banner meant that at least one bay of the East Bowl and probably a good number of people in the Gregan/Larkham stand were looking at a blank bit of fabric for five minutes. Sure they would have been looking at the back of the players but they couldn’t see anything at all during the singing of the national anthems, which is an important part of a rugby test and what sets it apart from a Super 14 match.

The point was that the ARU couldn’t care less that people couldn’t see anything, even if they wanted to or not. The ARU just wanted to get their sponsor’s name on TV. As far as I’m concerned it was a big “F you” to the crowd.

Or maybe just to a handful of seating bays out of the 70 or so at the ground.

I was in the queue buying some of that “expensive” food, so I missed the anthems anyway. Although, I didn’t think the $8.60 being asked for the fish’n’chips was too bad either.

Holden Caulfield12:26 pm 15 Jun 09

Gungahlin Al said :

ABC sports reporter had a column in the paper Saturday proclaiming “if e want such 1st class events in Canberra, we have to vote with our feet”.

Codswallop I say – we have to vote with our wallets. And I for one can’t afford it. Everything’s $70-80 each, then there’s either children’s tickets to add to that, or another $80 for a sitter. Essentially you could buy a new Bluray player for what 2 hour’s entertainment costs. Or how much of a monthly mortgage repayment?

Al, family tickets (2 adults, 2 kids) were available in the Silver sections for $90 all up. Okay, that still isn’t “cheap” I guess, but it’s also not the $300+ you were alluding to.

Given the way buyers can print their own tickets these days, and the fact they’re not checked as you go through the turnstiles, I’d be surprised if the number of “families” attending such events is not quite high.

International events are never going to be cheap. How much are concert tickets to Pink or whoever these days? Sure, one might think they get better value for money, but that’s all up to the individual.

The ticket pricing for this Wallabies match compared quite well with prices for a Sydney Swans game at the SCG I was unfortunate enough to witness a few weeks ago.

The prices charged were better than fair and reasonable given other entertainment options out there.

Clown Killer11:20 am 15 Jun 09

I enjoyed the game on free-to-air. I was so glad to be sitting by the fire with a glass of red rather than freezing my balls off at the ground.

Peekz said :

I’m not quite sure what the point of these comments are…The first point in regards to the mobile banner blocking a section of the crowd from ‘seeing what was going on’, are you serious? You’re comp laining about not seeing the back of player’s heads while the national anthems are being sung? That’s action you feel you’d rather see for your hard earned $$$?

I understand the point of JB’s comments, being that the ARU is totally focused on the television audience and not those who actually make the effort to go and watch the game live. The big banner meant that at least one bay of the East Bowl and probably a good number of people in the Gregan/Larkham stand were looking at a blank bit of fabric for five minutes. Sure they would have been looking at the back of the players but they couldn’t see anything at all during the singing of the national anthems, which is an important part of a rugby test and what sets it apart from a Super 14 match.

The point was that the ARU couldn’t care less that people couldn’t see anything, even if they wanted to or not. The ARU just wanted to get their sponsor’s name on TV. As far as I’m concerned it was a big “F you” to the crowd.

Gungahlin Al10:16 am 15 Jun 09

PS: I meant to say – easy for the sports reporter to say that, given he likely gets in free to all sports events…

Gungahlin Al10:15 am 15 Jun 09

ABC sports reporter had a column in the paper Saturday proclaiming “if e want such 1st class events in Canberra, we have to vote with our feet”.

Codswallop I say – we have to vote with our wallets. And I for one can’t afford it. Everything’s $70-80 each, then there’s either children’s tickets to add to that, or another $80 for a sitter. Essentially you could buy a new Bluray player for what 2 hour’s entertainment costs. Or how much of a monthly mortgage repayment?

I’m with JB – the ticket prices for anything decent in this town are far too high. Ladysmith Black Mbaso are playing next month – they were great when I saw them in Brisbane years ago, but hate to think what the show will cost now/here.

I didn’t apply for a media pass so hardly miffed about not getting one.

Even when I do apply for them I only get “miffed” when the organisation messes me around before saying no.

Nambucco Deliria10:03 am 15 Jun 09

Maybe Johnboy’s just miffed that Riot Act didn’t get any ‘media passes’. I’m not really sure what sort of match JustBands was expecting – the opposition was Italy, who sometimes manage a shock win against the Scotch in the Six Nations. I note that people in the Canberra times keep mentioning that the crowd was bigger for this game than that for the Socceroos match. How does this impact on the ‘bid4Canberra’?

Did they rhow the NZ-France game on the big screen? That was a great game.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy said :

We were there firstly as set dressing for the TV cameras. And disposable set dressing as when, for the national anthems, a giant Wallabies banner blocked a large section of the crowd from seeing what was going on. To say nothing of playing at night in the middle of winter.

We were there secondly to absorb advertising. It was constant and a real step up from a normal super 14 game. The above video is from the half time entertainment, don’t have a drink every time a sponsor’s name is mentioned or you’ll pass out.

We were there thirdly to buy merchandise, food and drinks.

I’m not quite sure what the point of these comments are…The first point in regards to the mobile banner blocking a section of the crowd from ‘seeing what was going on’, are you serious? You’re complaining about not seeing the back of player’s heads while the national anthems are being sung? That’s action you feel you’d rather see for your hard earned $$$?

Half time entertainment is always sponsor-driven advertising. It was a step up from Super14 because it was an international test, part of a series which was heavily sponsored. Again I’m not quite sure what the point is here.

Thirdly, when at a high profile sports event aren’t you given ample opportunity to buy related merchandise? The food and drink part is a given.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy9:17 am 15 Jun 09

God bless advertising.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy said :

You seem to be under the impression that any sporting organisation cares about paying fans at the ground apart from taking large sums of money.

Sport is business. Simple.

Exactly. But they like to give the impression that it is about the fans ie “we want everyone to come and cheer us” when really it is “we want everyone to pay top dollar for tickets, buy expensive food and drink and crap merchandise because I want a huge salary to kick/hit/catch a ball”

justbands said :

Could have been a better game…but the ref seemed intent on a stop/start affair…happens sometimes. Otherwise…sure, well worth the money to see the Wallabies run around right here at home. Robbie Deans seems to be a big fan of Canberra, I’m hopeful of more test matches here without having to wait another 9 years.

I had the benefit of having the Rugby Ears on and thought the ref did a reasonable job, oh and I paid $59 to sit on the Gregan Larkham side bleachers, right on the quarter line – the benefit of not buying tickets too early.

It was eerily quiet at times where we were sitting – up high right next to the other grandstand (not Mal Meninga).

I guess atmosphere is one of those things you can’t buy. We perhaps needed to be playing someone we have more *feeling* towards – e.g. England or NZ.

But still enjoyable – happy to have now seen the Wallabies play ‘in the flesh’.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy8:37 pm 14 Jun 09

You seem to be under the impression that any sporting organisation cares about paying fans at the ground apart from taking large sums of money.

Sport is business. Simple.

luther_bendross6:43 pm 14 Jun 09

Dry your eyes princess. I was there, I had a great time (and I was driving). All this talk of a premier sporting venue, and then people complain when we get a half decent event. You should be supporting local venues when we get games like this. Go to any othe major venue and you’d pay the same, so instead of rubbishing the prices, how about focussing on the good points, like “we got a test match this year”.

Holden Caulfield6:05 pm 14 Jun 09

As mentioned, compare the pricing here to the prices at the other Test venues this season. The Canberra options are all less than every other venue, comfortably so in most cases, too. When you consider the likely demographic of your average Rugby fan I’d say Canberra comes out well in front.

In regards to the game itself, yeah, it was a bit flat, but that’s hardly anyone’s fault. Just the way these things happen. Those who went can all say we saw O’Connor score a hat-trick on debut.

How good was Gower’s pass to setup the Italian try. We were sitting right in front of that spot in the first half, but moved seats for the second half, haha. Oops!

You seem to be under the impression that any sporting organisation cares about paying fans at the ground apart from taking large sums of money. Schedules are changed to fit whatever TV want. Viewing the match is secondary to sponsors and officials (not the refs, the ones in a blazer who think that blocking your view is part of their remit). Security is designed to stop anyone actually showing signs of enjoyment, although I have never found this much of a problem at Bruce compared to the SCG.

However, listen to the complaints from them all when people stop going.

I picked the worst time to go to the toilet. Can anyone link to youtube footage of Stirling Mortlock’s try?

justbands said :

Could have been a better game…but the ref seemed intent on a stop/start affair…happens sometimes. Otherwise…sure, well worth the money to see the Wallabies run around right here at home. Robbie Deans seems to be a big fan of Canberra, I’m hopeful of more test matches here without having to wait another 9 years.

Totally agree justbands, it was worth it to see the national team at home. I was in Europe in 2000 and missed the Argentina test, so the last time I saw the Wallabies at home was the World Cup qualifier against Tonga in 1998.

One observation from last night was that we are far more boisterous for the Brumbies. A 22,500 crowd for a S14 match is deafening. On one occasion I started to yell out “C’mon Bru…” and the woman next to me laughed and said “if you hadn’t done it, I would have.”

Another tip, the silver tickets were good value at $45 adult and $22.50 child. I got tickets for a friend from my rugby club, his wife and their 7 year old son. As silver was the only ticket with a child price I got those. The gold seats were in the bowl behind the posts and the silver seats were on the arms of the Meninga Stand, which had a good elevated view of the ground despite being in the corners.

Could have been a better game…but the ref seemed intent on a stop/start affair…happens sometimes. Otherwise…sure, well worth the money to see the Wallabies run around right here at home. Robbie Deans seems to be a big fan of Canberra, I’m hopeful of more test matches here without having to wait another 9 years.

Steve_Pedestrian4:09 pm 14 Jun 09

I thought $70 was ok considering I have been to Bledisloes and other Test matches around the country where the Platinum/’best seats’ have been well over $100 and then on top of that you have the travel and hotel costs involved.

I just hope the ARU were happy with the crowd, considering the weather during the week which may have kept some walk up ticket buyers away, because I don’t want to wait another 8 years for a Wallabies Test Match in Canberra.

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