Which team has the best crowds in the S14?

[sanzar]

Well who do you guys think have had the best crowds this year? Personally, while a lot of the Tahs games have been solid (esp the full house against the brumbies), the Force have been the most consistent and loudest, and I'm just incredibly impressed that Perth have taken them on so well! The kiwi teams generally (and surprisingly) seem to have a lot of trouble filling the grounds most weeks it seems with the exeption of big Crusaders games etc, and SA teams seem to be a bit on and off, but I'm not really sure...

 

[The TRUTH]

I voted for the Force due to the fact they are yet to get a win and still get awesome crowds all decked out in there jerseys and aruably the best atmosphere in the Super14.

The Bulls also have great crowds so it's hard to pick between them two, the Bulls crowd is usually the biggest in the comp but when the Force start winning you'd expect them to get over 40,000 every week.







(Waiting for Groen to come and groan about how much Australia sux and how good SA is )

 

[Mr. Laxative]

I've got to go with the Force as well, simply becasue Subiaco has been consistently (almost) filled, despite some unfortunate results. Also I have been impressed by the noise the Brumbies crwd has been generating. If you heard them against the Chiefs or the Hurricanes you would have thought there were at least 25,000 people there...

 

[Serge]

I really don't think there is a debate on the matter. Force has been consistantly losing yet consistantly getting big crowds. Says a lot about how much Western Australia has been wanting top grade rugby. Unless its just a novelty thing?

 

[sanzar]

Originally posted by Serge@Apr 27 2006, 11:21 AM
I really don't think there is a debate on the matter. Force has been consistantly losing yet consistantly getting big crowds. Says a lot about how much Western Australia has been wanting top grade rugby. Unless its just a novelty thing?

No, they generally just have a much stronger sports paticipation culture over there I think. Even the Rugby League Western Reds averaged around 30,000 over there.
But it really justify's the choice of the ARU to give an extra team to them over Melbourne as well. Because there is no way the Melbourne fans would have embraced a rugby team as whole heartedly as the West Australians! They'd have had crowds of 6-8 thousand on average just like the Storm I reckon.

 

[esoj]

not entirely true there sanzar. league is the only sport that really struggles in melbourne. the a-league team was consistiently getting 10 thousand there and I believe around 11 thousand showed up for the crusaders pre-season game in melbourne.

there is no contest in this at all. the force despite not wining a game always have a decent crowd and I don't think they have had less than 30.000 there yet.

 

[Wally]

The Melbourne Victory (A-League side) averaged 15,000 over the season, so I think a Melbourne based Super 14 team would have topped that. Even so, the way the game has been embraced in Perth is uncomparable. The Bulls probably get the best crowds though.

 

[sanzar]

Originally posted by esoj@Apr 27 2006, 07:43 PM
not entirely true there sanzar. league is the only sport that really struggles in melbourne. the a-league team was consistiently getting 10 thousand there and I believe around 11 thousand showed up for the crusaders pre-season game in melbourne.

The A League isn't in competition with the AFL though, and melbourn fans are parochial enough to go close to boycotting a sport that it thinks might take away from their AFL games... and considering that the A-League games ONLY averaged 15,000 (nothing compared to AFL averages) when not in competition with AFL illustrates a contemputuous attitude to anything non AFL in my opinion.

 

[sanzar]

Originally posted by Wally@Apr 27 2006, 07:58 PM
The Bulls probably get the best crowds though.

big call considering the Force haven't even won a single game this year but still get 30k+ to every game.

 

[Wally]

Your question was who has the best crowds was it not. The Bulls supporters are both greater in number and in voice.

 

[sanzar]

Originally posted by Wally@Apr 27 2006, 08:05 PM
Your question was who has the best crowds was it not. The Bulls supporters are both greater in number and in voice.

What's their average this year just out of curiosity?

 

[Groen_en_Goud]

Apparently Loftus has just about sold out for the Sharks game. Mind you though, the Sharks have huge support where ever they go, so expect a large contingent of Black, Grey and White as well.

 

[The TRUTH]

The Bulls get the biggest crowds no doubt, Force has the loudest crowd.

I'm not sure why so many ppl have said that the Force has undoubtedly the best crowds...... Bulls and Force are very close, it just depends what your looking at......crowd numbers or atmosphere.

 

[sanzar]

Originally posted by The TRUTH!!@Apr 27 2006, 08:10 PM

I'm not sure why so many ppl have said that the Force has undoubtedly the best crowds...... Bulls and Force are very close, it just depends what your looking at......crowd numbers or atmosphere.

That's why I phrased it "best" and not biggest . Personally I love the fact that the Force fans not only turn up in numbers, but are very local and are all decked out in Force jerseys!

 

[Rassie]

Cheetahs and Bulls from SA (no doubt about it)

Western Force and Reds - Aus (debatable)

Chiefs and Blues - NZ (debatable)

 

[esoj]

Originally posted by sanzar+Apr 27 2006, 09:59 PM-->

<!--QuoteBegin-esoj

@Apr 27 2006, 07:43 PM
not entirely true there sanzar. league is the only sport that really struggles in melbourne. the a-league team was consistiently getting 10 thousand there and I believe around 11 thousand showed up for the crusaders pre-season game in melbourne.

The A League isn't in competition with the AFL though, and melbourn fans are parochial enough to go close to boycotting a sport that it thinks might take away from their AFL games... and considering that the A-League games ONLY averaged 15,000 (nothing compared to AFL averages) when not in competition with AFL illustrates a contemputuous attitude to anything non AFL in my opinion. [/b]

how far does the afl cross over into the league season. I know they basically run side by side but from memory one finishes before the other.

and true fair enough comment about the a-league it does not have competition with the afl when it is being played.

you do have to wonder though what league marketing is doing down there if both a soccer and union can get bigger crowds than what they can. afl competition aside the storm only getting 8 thousand or so a game is disgraceful. epsecially when union got 11 thousand for a pre-season game that didn't even have a melbourne team in it.

the force would lose out on numbers for sure to the bullls but I think the atmosphere and how the crowd behaves comes into best crowed as well. which is why i think the force win this easily. the team is winless yet they stll get big crowds and from what i have seen on tv everyone is getting into it and is very well behaved.

 

[sanzar]

Originally posted by esoj+Apr 27 2006, 08:40 PM-->

Originally posted by sanzar@Apr 27 2006, 09:59 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-esoj

@Apr 27 2006, 07:43 PM
not entirely true there sanzar. league is the only sport that really struggles in melbourne. the a-league team was consistiently getting 10 thousand there and I believe around 11 thousand showed up for the crusaders pre-season game in melbourne.

The A League isn't in competition with the AFL though, and melbourn fans are parochial enough to go close to boycotting a sport that it thinks might take away from their AFL games... and considering that the A-League games ONLY averaged 15,000 (nothing compared to AFL averages) when not in competition with AFL illustrates a contemputuous attitude to anything non AFL in my opinion.

how far does the afl cross over into the league season. I know they basically run side by side but from memory one finishes before the other.
[/b]

AFL GF is one week before the NRL one, they run virtually side by side.

and true fair enough comment about the a-league it does not have competition with the afl when it is being played.

you do have to wonder though what league marketing is doing down there if both a soccer and union can get bigger crowds than what they can. afl competition aside the storm only getting 8 thousand or so a game is disgraceful. epsecially when union got 11 thousand for a pre-season game that didn't even have a melbourne team in it.
[/b]

Yeah, but they've also had 90,000 to a State of Origin before... They don't mind a sport if they don't think it's their to stay and thus pose the possibility of taking attention away from Victoria's 10 AFL teams. Trust me, if they see rugby as trying to take any attention away from AFL, then you'll have another Storm... though probably with slightly better figures because of the lack of home games, the short season and the number of kiwi expats. But it still won't send them far past a 10,000 average, and they'll never come close to getting the same support the Force have... and knowing the AFL they'll probably organise it so that they only ground they can play at will be one of Collingwoods junior development parks.

 

[sanzar]

Originally posted by Rassie@Apr 27 2006, 08:21 PM
Western Force and Reds - Aus (debatable)

Reds? Mate, the Tah's and Brumbies both have more consistent support than them... though it's hard to blame the reds fans at this point.

 

[Rassie]

Sanzar, is it true that NRL averages less than 15 k per season? I`ve read an article last year about NRL officials being very happy that the average increase from aprox 13,5 K to aprox 15 K (if i`m not mistaken, you post the article in this forum, got to check it anyway). The NRL officals also complained about the fact that in past years there was a decrease of the average, last season being the first when figures begun to raise again after many years!

Which brings me to the second intelligent thing Wally just said in a post before (the first intelligent thing was that remark about the `innovative fags from Sydney" , sorry to strss you with that but it`s a miracle Wally can say sometnig that make sence ), regarding the possible high average that a Melbourne Union (S14 team) could have had! So true !

Reds supporters are to be appreciated for the passion and their devotment to the team! In my book, they are ok !

 

[sanzar]

Originally posted by Rassie@Apr 28 2006, 12:41 AM
Sanzar, is it true that NRL averages less than 15 k per season? I`ve read an article last year about NRL officials being very happy that the average increase from aprox 13,5 K to aprox 15 K (if i`m not mistaken, you post the article in this forum, got to check it anyway). The NRL officals also complained about the fact that in past years there was a decrease of the average, last season being the first when figures begun to raise again after many years!

The last few years it's been steadily rising... But the thing you have to understand about the NRL is that it was heavily damaged in the late ninties by a division within the code known as the Super League war, something that dissenchanted many fans and drastically affected crowd numbers. Ontop of that the numbers are also affected by the fact that Sydney has 9 teams alone, which dilutes the support base a brings down averages across the board... but places like Newcastle and Nth Queensalnd, where there is only one team per city, constantly fill their grounds (Brisbane are in the same bracket, but they have a 50K stadium and only really fill it for the big games).

Which brings me to the second intelligent thing Wally just said in a post before (the first intelligent thing was that remark about the innovative lords from Sydney who are vastly superior to their South African and Kiwi counterparts) regarding the possible high average that a Melbourne Union (S14 team) could have had! So true !
[/b]

Melbourne won't get good crowds to the Super 14, not with the AFL running at the same time... nothing that'll be in the same league as the Waratahs, Force or Brumbies in any case. You just don't understand the dynamic down there, it wouldn't work. As I said earlier, Perth is a perfect example of success in that ALL codes do well there! Even the Rugby League team the "western Reds" were averaging close to 30k when they were in the comp!