Blues 2024
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Blues CEO commenting on the SR competition, crowds etc
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/350261700/how-blues-plan-win-back-auckland
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Mason Tupaea - Waikato Prop, (Quinns younger brother) was on the sideline with the Blues last night.
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@Daffy-Jaffy Funnily enough that's all we seemed to hear about in the 2nd was about how much the Blues enjoyed Noosa beach....
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@Duluth said in Blues 2024:
Blues CEO commenting on the SR competition, crowds etc
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/350261700/how-blues-plan-win-back-auckland
I think the $15 ticket deal they discussed last night in the commentary is a good thing. A couple of my mates who jumped on the Warriors train last year did so with $10-$20 tickets for most of the games they attended.
Also found this interesting from the comments section, Warriors season tickets nearly half price (in value) compared with Blues, unsure if true or not:
Warriors season membership cost me $299/10 games, seated on halfway covered ($30/game). Blues membership for a like for like seat was $350/6 games ($58/game).
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@Duluth said in Blues 2024:
lots of different levels. There’s one for $175 for 8 tickets
The commenter was only comparing covered halfway seating. I tried to look for a similar GA as this one but have been locked into a ticketmaster loop and keep getting redirected back to the Aussie site.
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@Daffy-Jaffy said in Blues 2024:
Mason Tupaea - Waikato Prop, (Quinns younger brother) was on the sideline with the Blues last night.
I had noticed he wasn't playing club rugby today. Good for him.
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@Duluth said in Blues 2024:
I’d also disagree with the like for like ticket comment. The facilities are very different
Does it really matter when comparing a covered seat v covered seat? If over $50 is too high a price point for a covered seat then a ground having better facilities isn't going to make too much difference to lots of people (and I'm not discounting it always wont, I mostly won't go to Homebush anymore due to the awful viewing experience).
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@Duluth said in Blues 2024:
@Nepia Yes. Of course it does
I can't be arsed having this shitfight but if I'm in Auckland for a weekend and only have the time/money for one game and the Warriors have covered halfway tickets for $30 and the Blues have covered halfway tickets for $58 then I'm likely going to go the Warriors regardless of the facilities.
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@Duluth said in Blues 2024:
A one off is different than turning up every week
Well the Warriors are having bumper crowds every week and the Blues aren't - even if the tickets aren't strictly "like for like" so I think it's probably worthing investigating.
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@Nepia said in Hurricanes vs Waratahs:
Not to forget from the copyrighted "greatest sporting comp in the world" that we must always compare NZ rugby with
Crowds have more to do with the competition as a whole. There's only been 3 EP games this year and the games against Aussies sides haven't attracted interest. A game against a full strength NZ side should bump the average up a lot this weekend
I would argue the lack of positivity from the media is a big factor too. I don't dislike RL but I find the constant fluffing annoying when compared to the endless negativity around everything rugby. When the game had positive coverage a couple of years ago (BB signing etc) crowds were consistently in the mid 20k, multiple times above 30k and even got 45k for a match
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@Duluth said in Blues 2024:
@Nepia said in Hurricanes vs Waratahs:
Not to forget from the copyrighted "greatest sporting comp in the world" that we must always compare NZ rugby with
Crowds have more to do with the competition as a whole. There's only been 3 EP games this year and the games against Aussies sides haven't attracted interest. A game against a full strength NZ side should bump the average up a lot this weekend
I would argue the lack of positivity from the media is a big factor too. I don't dislike RL but I find the constant fluffing annoying when compared to the endless negativity around everything rugby. When the game had positive coverage a couple of years ago (BB signing etc) crowds were consistently in the mid 20k, multiple times above 30k and even got 45k for a match
The fluffing of the Warriors (and that saying I hate) might push me back to my almost hate watching of the Warriors of a few years back. Especially as they're not backing up the hype train on the field so far this year
But, I don't get why the NZ media are so down on rugby, I mean I understand why Devlin is the Warriors biggest cheerleader, that's his shtick now and fit's with his media home, but I don't know about the rest of it.
The recently released viewing numbers should be some positive to balance out all the negative yet they're not making too much of a ripple.
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More details on Suafoa’s season
… he would have to undergo six weeks of radiation treatment (every weekday from February 26 to April 9) as an extra precaution. What followed almost defied belief. He continued to train, and even appeared in two Super Rugby Pacific matches through his radiation treatment (starting against the Hurricanes in round 3, and then coming off the bench the next week against the Waratahs in Sydney), until fatigue and ongoing fitness challenges finally got the better of him. -
In terms of TV audience, the Rugby World Cup comes third after the Soccer World Cup and the Olympic Games. I doubt that the RL will ever reach this level. Rugby's loss of audience is only regional (Australia and New Zealand). In Europe and Japan, stadium attendances and TV audiences are breaking records. The Leinster - Northampton semi-final drew 80,000 spectators on Saturday.
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An interview with Laghlan McWhannell
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/350270429/blues-lock-laghlan-mcwhannell-finally-gets-super-rugby-chance-after-shocking-injuryGood to see some better rugby coverage recently
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@cgrant said in Blues 2024:
In terms of TV audience, the Rugby World Cup comes third after the Soccer World Cup and the Olympic Games. I doubt that the RL will ever reach this level. Rugby's loss of audience is only regional (Australia and New Zealand). In Europe and Japan, stadium attendances and TV audiences are breaking records. The Leinster - Northampton semi-final drew 80,000 spectators on Saturday.
well, you know, more like 11th, after 3 soccer tournaments, two different olympics, Wimbledon, the Superbowl, and the NBA finals.
but your point about the European club game is super valid, and links in to @Duluth point about the competition. It's got history, and most importantly prestige. Also fans and media don't seem to spend their entire time either badmouthing the comp or talking about it in terms of international hopes.
For all that though, is there any domestic rugby comp in the world that is sustainable? English clubs are falling over themselves to go under. French clubs appear to be backed up by owners. Same in Japan. Are the players just paid too damn much for what they actually bring in? (at club level i mean).
Sorry, just realised this is the Blues thread.
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Sotutu signed with the Blues until the end of the 2026 season
Hoskins Sotutu Re-signed till 2026 — Blues Rugby
Powerhouse No.8 and form player of DHL Super Rugby Pacific, Hoskins Sotutu, has extended his time at the Blues through to the end of the 2026 season. Sotutu, a pivotal figure in the Blues squad, has shown outstanding form throughout the 2024 DHL Super Rugby Pacific season, solidifying his status as
