The Problem with Rugby today: The Stadium, or the Box?

Are we so spoiled by our SuperSport television producers creating, such a fantastic and scintillating rugby inventory and TV package, each week, from 18 cameras on site, for us at home, or in a club, or local watering hole, that we start to avoid watching live games at the stadium? Of course the price of tickets is also a major factor, but …………………

Where is the greater value? In front of a plasma screen, or at the stadium?

Newlands is steeped in history and it is wonderful, to sit in the stands, or in a suite and enjoy the ribald comments from those rugby fundamentalists around us, drawn from our rainbow nation, but it has all been cut short by inadequate planning and in many cases, the inability to share the moment and the day, with a far wider audience. A choice comment from one chap in the suite on Saturday, while lamenting Western Provinces inability to get going, complained aloud, “Die physio drink meer water as die spelers”.

On Saturday afternoon, I was in a suite to watch the Blue Bulls/Western Province match at 5pm and disappointingly realised, when I got there at 4pm, that I was only going to be watching one game and that was not going to be enough, to fulfil a visit to the stadium.
Firstly, I found myself missing the tradition of at least two curtain raisers to the main game, be they the under 19 or U21 sides and perhaps a local derby clash between Hamiltons and Maties, or SK Walmer and Strand/Somerset West. I used to love the roar of the appreciative crowd, saluting a fine break, or potent tackle of the curtain raisers, when walking to the stadium, heightening the anticipation of the main game.

Secondly, here was an opportunity for Western Province administration and this actually applies to all 14 unions around the country, to expose our rugby players of the future, to running on the field and playing at these historical stadiums around the country in front of their their family and friends. All players should get 4 grandstand tickets each.

Many years ago, I used to run on to the field at Newlands for UCT and it was a thrill to be in the change room at Newlands before and after our game, getting into the zone and the intense mental preparation for key matches and then to play exhilarating rugby against the Maties, Villagers, Hamiltons, False Bay or Police, which were the most memorable. I say exhilarating, as a number of my team mates and opposing team members went on to play for South Africa and I am of the belief they carried with them, in their rugby DNA, the support of the crowd from those Saturdays afternoons, that made them a better player, as they had an increased sense of commitment and responsibility, to play for the honour of their side and the suporters at their very best.

The dilemma of where to watch rugby, is quite simply that a thorough analysis of an elite game, or test rugby, is best done through the viewing of it on television, aided by the 18 camera positions and close ups and slow mo’s. Even the TMO’s have highlighted the inability of unsighted referees on the spot, to get it right, with their constant referrals upstairs. The game was brought to a stand still on 5 occasions. And then, all the coaches and players do their best analysis of the games, on video and not from the side of the field.

Then we have the stadium atmosphere, crackling with the energy of the crowd, that the teams thrive off, or are further motivated by the the heckling. The problem with low gate attendances quite frankly, is that the ticket prices are way too high. Set a cap on the price and let the true supporter camp outside the stadium for 4 days in line, waiting to buy his tickets.

This is rugby.

None of this Ticketmaster, Checkers/Shoprite purchases. A sleeping bag, skottel and a case of Castle or Klippies and Coke is the true pathway to get your ticket. For the local rugby matches set the ticket price at R50 per seat and donate 1,000 tickets per game to kids to come watch. The parents have to drive them there and then you have more of a crowd.

What I wouldn’t give for two Springbok/All Black tickets at Westpac stadium this Saturday.

The condition is, it must be in a suite, with a TV screen to watch the replays.