2006 crowds down..

[littleduck]

Attendance drops 1000 a game
By Josh Massoud
June 10, 2006

NRL crowds have dipped considerably from boom figures last season, with attendances down almost 1000 fans a game.

The halfway mark of 2006 sees games attracting an average of 15,912 people.

After 13 rounds last season the mark stood at 16,822 - 910 more per game.

The worrying slip is a stark reverse trend amid growing TV ratings, soaring merchandise sales and unpredictable results.

Clubs struggling to match the heady days of 2005 are blaming everything from chilly temperatures to rail maintenance for the downturn.

And with football and State of Origin certain to dominate attention over the next month, the NRL concedes there is little chance of exceeding last year's record average of 16,468.

In a concerning development, nine of the 15 teams are attracting fewer punters than at last year's midpoint.

Six of those outfits - the Bulldogs, Roosters, Sharks, Panthers, Raiders and Warriors - have experienced a drop of more than 20 per cent.

Sharks CEO Greg Pierce said the team's miserable 1-4 start explained the dive from 17,110 last season to 12,689 now.

"Three of those losses were at home and when we upset the Cowboys [in round 7] there was not a big crowd here to see it," Pierce said.

Rail maintenance on the day of the club's biggest home game against neighbours St George Illawarra didn't help.

"That probably cost us a couple of thousand people," Pierce said.

The Sharks would also prefer to play certain games on Sunday afternoons - a stance at odds with the club's modern era Saturday night love affair.

"You do get more families on a Sunday and travelling fans will come from places like Newcastle because they can get home earlier," Pierce said.

Canberra CEO Simon Hawkins is even more desperate for daylight.

After watching the Raiders crowds plummet by nearly a third, Hawkins is "constantly" asking for Sundays.

"The weather down here can get very cold, especially at night," he added.

NRL marketing manager Paul Kind nominated the Warriors - now the lowest drawing team - as the biggest concern.

Despite the downturn, the NRL will not embark on radical changes such as free weekends to combat traditionally stagnant mid-season crowds.

The Daily Telegraph

 

[MightyFighting]

Did the system of only deciding the date and time of matches a few weeks beforehand begin this season?

 

[Hicham]

Do people really expect it to be broken each and every year now?

I know ratings, etc, are still increasing to new highs, but IMO this year was always going to be about seeing if we could manage to stay within reasonable distance to last years 3rd or 4th straight attendence record. In other words, that the rising crowds weren't just a flash in the pan.

The figures are alot higher than I though they'd end up being. And with the woeful attempts (or non-attempts) at promoting games by the NRL, overall it doesn't seem all that shabby in the end.

Just as we are now in the traditional mid-season slump, the usual rise in attendances in the final 8-10 rounds of the NRL season will see them jump again and finish, IMO, a touch over or under 16,000.

At the end of the day though, there's no cause for concern about the drop in crowds with regards to the amount. What is a worry, however, is the NRL's complaceny with all things to do with promotion. Particularly with encouraging people to actually go to the ground.

 

[copa]

I've seen better stadiums in 3rd world countries than some of the stadiums the NRL uses..

it's a bloody joke how crap some of the stadiums are..

Some cold wind and a bit of rain and everyone stays home.

How many people really enjoy standing on a dirt hill in the rain at night? It's not family friendly at all...

As for Canberra where i attend most games... for some night games it's below zero degrees and if it's windy prepare to be VERY VERY cold.

 

[copa]

I should add... I know life long RL fans who have never been to a game live... heaps just like to watch it on TV..

 

[I_LUV_AFL]

I don't think that average of nearly 16,000 is something to be 'worried' about but the excuses do worry me. RAIL MAINTENANCE, bloody hell! Thats the worst excuse yet.

In saying that, the Warriors fans are the most fickle you'll ever see and they, along with Melbourne and Souths bring the average down greatly. I'd like to see the average without any of those team for interest sake.

When the Warriors are winning, they can't fit them all in. They get 25,000 rail, hail or shine but when they aren't going as well they average 8-9,000. Pathetic. Atleast, Souths ALWAYS get poor crowds.

 

[1908]

I think you may need to check the various averages for each club as Souths are not one of the worst drawers in the comp, considering until this weekend they hadn't won a game their average is quite good. The worry is the Storm a winning team and a poor average, heaven help them if they experience a couple of seasons like Souths have had. If Souths had as much success as the Storm they would be averaging over 20,000.

Averages up to and including last week:

SOUTHS 13,782
Penrith 13,570
Cronulla 12,698
St.George 12,493
Canberra 10,025
Melbourne 9,000
Warriors 8,916

 

[copa]

In the background to the Parra/storm game today people were sitting there with blankets wrapped around them .... bit cold for the westies!

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Are crowds really that important in your game anyway? From outside, it seems to be more of a mde for TV event these days than a live at the ground one.
Most clubs get their revenue from other sources; leagues clubs, etc; very different from our game where the money from social clubs is insignificant in the scheme of things and membership and crowd numbers are a vital driver of sponsorship.

 

[sainters]

I've seen better stadiums in 3rd world countries than some of the stadiums the NRL uses..

it's a bloody joke how crap some of the stadiums are..

Some cold wind and a bit of rain and everyone stays home.

How many people really enjoy standing on a dirt hill in the rain at night? It's not family friendly at all...

As for Canberra where i attend most games... for some night games it's below zero degrees and if it's windy prepare to be VERY VERY cold.

This is part of the reason the AFL moved all the Melbourne based teams away from there surburbon grounds to either the MCG or Telstra Dome...

I think the main reason was small gorunds couldn't cope with the crowds the AFL get!

lets look at the round 11 AFL crowds:

Essendon (16th) v Geelong (10th) at TD - 43,600
Kangaroos (14th) v Richmond (9th) at MCG - 42,841
Brisbane (12th) v Adelaide (2nd) at the GABBA - 27,516
Sydney (4th) v St.Kilda (6th) at SCG - 31,116
Port Adelaide (10th) v Hawthorn (13th) at Adelaide - 24,511
Bulldogs (5th) v Fremantle (8th) at TD - 23,805
West Coast (1st) v Cartlon (15th) at Subiaco - 40,090- sellout

And lets not forget Collingwood V Melbourne on Monday which is expected to draw somewhere between 70,000-90,000 people at the MCG.
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Now lets talk about weather conditions and other factors:

The Kangaroos v Richmond game was played on a freezing (i mean freezing) foggy, wet day, still drew a good crowd.

The Sydney v St.Kilda game was water logged! didn't stop raining all night and still got 31,116, i read somwhere that pre game the game was nearly sold out...

Brisbane managed a great crowd up there on a wet night when there not travelling all that well...

The Bulldogs are considered one of the leagues strugglers in terms of support, but they showed up in there numbers today, against an interstate team.

Port Adelaide are a relatively new club and are still trying to establish themselves fully, Adelaide who have 50,000 members pretty much get all the support in Adelaide...

West Coast have a waiting list for members, Subiaco has plans to upgrade the ground to seat 60,000 people which should help.
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Small grounds could be a problem for the NRL, moving to bigger venues has certainly helped the AFL...

weather conditions certainly keep some people away...

But could the biggest reason be, a lot of the NRL supporters passion for there team? im not having a dig at them, but i bet the same 15,000 turn up each week...

AFL supporters genually have a lot of passion for there teams, even the lower crowds dwarf the NRL average crowds...

What do you guys think of the idea of the NRL moving all the teams to bigger boutique stadiums?

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Are crowds really that important in your game anyway? From outside, it seems to be more of a mde for TV event these days than a live at the ground one.
Most clubs get their revenue from other sources; leagues clubs, etc; very different from our game where the money from social clubs is insignificant in the scheme of things and membership and crowd numbers are a vital driver of sponsorship.

No they are not important.

But when you have to put up with AFL-Union fans constantly putting down your code because of crowds, well, you want them to be bigger.

I think it's more to do with the weather, the last couple of years, the weather has been quite mild, this year, it's back with a vengeance.

I'd rather the rain at the moment than footy, so stuff the crowds.

 

[littleduck]

Are crowds really that important in your game anyway? From outside, it seems to be more of a mde for TV event these days than a live at the ground one.
Most clubs get their revenue from other sources; leagues clubs, etc; very different from our game where the money from social clubs is insignificant in the scheme of things and membership and crowd numbers are a vital driver of sponsorship.

nearly 3,500,000 bums on seats annually to first class RL football is a vital source of revenue...

 

[littleduck]

What do you guys think of the idea of the NRL moving all the teams to bigger boutique stadiums?

(1) nearly $2 billion has been spent on RL venues in the past decade, including stadiums currently under construction or about to get under way.
(2) tribalism is a very important part of RL in sydney
(3) sydney isnt set up for all teams to play at one gigantic centralised colleseum, whereas all roads lead to the G in melbourne year round

 

[Minkus_Swan]

In the background to the Parra/storm game today people were sitting there with blankets wrapped around them .... bit cold for the westies!

Parra fans are as finkle as anyone else. Great support in general, but like most teams - only seem to have great crowds when their up and running.

I laugh everytime Fitzgerald has a go at Melbourne for their lack of league culture and dismal crowd attendance. Especially after the last month of Parra's home games. They were getting around the 9,500 mark a month ago.

On Sunday guess how many Parra fans turned up? 7139

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

nearly 3,500,000 bums on seats annually to first class RL football is a vital source of revenue...

Yes, but a crowd incresae or decrease probably isn't as important to the NRL as it would be to the AFL; as league clubs have a lot their revenue generated outside (your brand of) football. Pokie venues, etc, that aren't a part of the AFL scene in any meaningful way.
And I don't think membership is as important in determining a club's advertising appeal as is the case with AFL clubs either, so if a drop in crowds can be equated to a drop in members (which admittedly is a loose association) it wouldn't impact the NRL as much as it would the AFL.
Or at least that's my understanding, somebody with a beter working knowledge of both games could correct any misunderstanding.

 

[copa]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now lets talk about weather conditions and other factors:

The Kangaroos v Richmond game was played on a freezing (i mean freezing) foggy, wet day, still drew a good crowd.

The Sydney v St.Kilda game was water logged! didn't stop raining all night and still got 31,116, i read somwhere that pre game the game was nearly sold out...

Brisbane managed a great crowd up there on a wet night when there not travelling all that well...

The Bulldogs are considered one of the leagues strugglers in terms of support, but they showed up in there numbers today, against an interstate team.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Small grounds could be a problem for the NRL, moving to bigger venues has certainly helped the AFL...

weather conditions certainly keep some people away...

But could the biggest reason be, a lot of the NRL supporters passion for there team? im not having a dig at them, but i bet the same 15,000 turn up each week...

AFL supporters genually have a lot of passion for there teams, even the lower crowds dwarf the NRL average crowds...

What do you guys think of the idea of the NRL moving all the teams to bigger boutique stadiums?

ON the weather... at night in canberra it can be below zero.... and on top of that the wind can blow off the snow covered peaks to the south and make the place even colder.... I've seen away fans leave because they were seriously worried for their health.... I know of no other venue in Oz for pro-sport of any code that has the potential to get as cold as canberra can..

THe NRL needs better all-weather stadiums... some of the stadums are crowded at 20,000.... also no one likes to stand on dirt hills in the rain after paying good money for a ticket.. it's also NOT FAMILY FRIENDLY to be in a stadium, standing on a crowded rain soaked hill where idiots have mobility..... many of them have reached their capacity to draw fans... stadium improvements are required to bring in more fans and to keep averages up and crowd levels consistent.

NRL fans have a lot of passion also ... TV ratings show however many prefer to watch from home....

 

[sainters]

NRL fans have a lot of passion also ... TV ratings show however many prefer to watch from home....

Passionate fans IMO, are the ones ones that turn up to games, no matter what position on the ladder, obviously there are exceptions as a lot of people live to far away to go to to many matches, also have other comittments etc...

 

[copa]

Passionate fans IMO, are the ones ones that turn up to games, no matter what position on the ladder, obviously there are exceptions as a lot of people live to far away to go to to many matches, also have other comittments etc...

There are many ways to show support... actually turning up to a game is just one of them.

For folk living in certain parts of Sydney it's sometimes just too much effort to get to the stadium...

 

[Magnum]

Why is it if Sydney has terrible roads (or rail issues) to get to NRL games, that the SCG gets 30000+ to a Swans game, and that was in driving rain for it's entirity?

Are the NRL stadiums (compared to the SCG) in terrible locations or is the passion to go out and see a team play not there in the average fan? This is a fair question, not meant to be a dig or anything.

AFL fans seem to travel far and wide to get to games, when I lived out past Geelong I travelled regularly to the MCG, sometimes 2+ hours when busy. I didn't care, seeing the game live and supporting the team was the reward.

 

[understudy]

A league game live aint the same sort of enticing product as an AFL game or Soccer game imo.

 

[Giants FC]

NRL crowds have been great in the last few years, maybe a small correction this year but still a very good number.

But one factor that would be of concern is the way crowd numbers drop off when it's wet. Last weekend, and I've noticed this trend before, it's noticable that the Swans crowds hold up when it's wet but the league crowds collapse.
My theory about why that's the case, and I'd be interested in some league fans' response to this, is that the Swans crowds are mainly season tickets and pre-purchased tickets so their crowds have already made a financial commitment to go, while league crowds are more likely to buy their tickets at the gate so won't bother coming if it's wet.

 

[Tigger Please!]

serious question:
if most rugby league fans are quite happy watching their team from the couch and not making the trip out to watch them at the ground, why can't they relocate some of the sydney teams? all the fans will still get to see their team on tv, they'll just be based somewhere else in the country.
imo, you can't have it both ways, if you don't make the effort to get off your butt and support your team by attending a game, then don't whinge when they are relocated.
move the rabbitohs to the central coast.
move the sharks to adelaide.
move the eels to perth.

wests and canterbury are easily the two highest drawing sydney clubs in the nrl.

 

[Tigger Please!]

NRL crowds have been great in the last few years, maybe a small correction this year but still a very good number.

But one factor that would be of concern is the way crowd numbers drop off when it's wet. Last weekend, and I've noticed this trend before, it's noticable that the Swans crowds hold up when it's wet but the league crowds collapse.
My theory about why that's the case, and I'd be interested in some league fans' response to this, is that the Swans crowds are mainly season tickets and pre-purchased tickets so their crowds have already made a financial commitment to go, while league crowds are more likely to buy their tickets at the gate so won't bother coming if it's wet.

yep, that would definitely be a large part of it.
another factor would be that a lot of the suburban grounds have very little shelter from the rain.

 

[copa]

NRL crowds have been great in the last few years, maybe a small correction this year but still a very good number.

But one factor that would be of concern is the way crowd numbers drop off when it's wet. Last weekend, and I've noticed this trend before, it's noticable that the Swans crowds hold up when it's wet but the league crowds collapse.
My theory about why that's the case, and I'd be interested in some league fans' response to this, is that the Swans crowds are mainly season tickets and pre-purchased tickets so their crowds have already made a financial commitment to go, while league crowds are more likely to buy their tickets at the gate so won't bother coming if it's wet.

This is part of Manly's home ground. If it's raining, and you don't want to pay a small fortune for an undercover seat in the small stand on the other side, this is where you have to watch the game from. Not family friendly at all.



The NRL also doesn't really push season tickets... so a lot is dependant upon the fans rolling up on the day, or buying tickets for individual games.

 

[music_2000]

crowds are down yet the level of support remains the same. I think this is because the NRL stadiums are dilapidated, especially when compared with AFL stadiums. Its only a matter of time before the NRL replicates what happened to the AFL. SFS and Telstra become the NRL's version of Docklands and the MCG. I know it sounds like a bad idea but I will eventually happen if things continue on this downward spiral

plus I strongly agree with magpie man's logic of moving teams