It's time South Africans come to the party in Europe
Ticket sales for Saturday’s clash between the Bulls and Stormers have already passed the 30,000 mark. That’s more than the capacities of every English Premiership club, 11 French Top sides and, apart from the odd occasion that Leinster and Edinburgh play at their national stadiums, every other non-South African team in the United Rugby Championship.
South Africans are clearly passionate rugby fans but context is key. The ‘North-South’ derby, as this 85-year grudge match is known, carries great significance no matter what competition is hosting it. It is a rivalry that cuts the country in half and reaches into deep cultural undercurrents that one could feasibly trace beyond the Boer War at the turn of the 20th century and all the way back into the 1700s.
Which is why the sight of empty seats over the past fortnight for Investec Champions Cup and Challenge Cup matches in South Africa requires some honest analysis.
Let’s start at face value. Some grand old stadiums were practically yawning into the void created by the absence of fans. Ellis Park, the 62 thousand seat behemoth that served as the stage for both South Africa’s first ever World Cup win as well as Siya Kolisi’s first Test as captain, was less than five per cent full for the match against Newcastle Falcons.
The Sharks also struggled to attract a sizable crowd for their 45-5 win over Pau in the Challenge Cup earlier this month. Of greater concern, though, were the poor attendances in Cape Town and Pretoria. For their match against the two-time defending champions La Rochelle, the Stormers barely scraped together 11,550 fans last weekend. The Bulls managed to pull a few more for their contest with Saracens, but only just. A little more than 15,000 turned up to watch their team beat the English champions.
These figures simply aren’t good enough and should not be accepted by players, coaches or the suits at SA Rugby headquarters. South African rugby is failing to give a decent account of itself and must find a way of rectifying the situation or face the threat of alienation.
Whether South African fans like to admit it or not, the sport’s ecosystem in the Republic now needs a welcoming home in Europe. This is especially true after the divorce with their Australian and New Zealand partners. If this current relationship doesn’t work then South African clubs might be constrained to a purely domestic competition.
To be sure, the potential TV revenue generated by subscription paying fans means that northern hemisphere clubs should benefit greatly from the inclusion of the South Africans in the long run. And with the Anglo-South African bank Investec now a title sponsor of the Champions Cup, the symbiotic relationship has been strengthened. But European supporters need convincing that they’ve hitched their wagon to a partner that takes this union seriously. So far, there’s been little evidence to suggest that they have.
Speaking on The Ruck Rugby Podcast, Stormers coach John Dobson did not shy away from the fact that crowd numbers in the EPCR have been disappointing. But rather than cite indifference, he suggested this is a consequence of ignorance.
“I don’t think the South African public yet understand how good a team La Rochelle is, or who they are, or who Saracens are,” Dobson said. “There is a big educational piece there.”
There’s a good chance you need no education on the pedigree of clubs containing Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje, Jonathan Danty or Will Skelton. Those of us who endlessly trawl through social media, and consume torrents of content from vloggers and podcasters, know the ins and outs of every major team in Europe. Around braais and barbecues, at bars and bus stops, we’re able to share our knowledge and passion with a like minded rugby nause. However, we need to accept that the majority live outside of the bubble. Work is needed to bring them in.
A few teams might benefit from playing in smaller stadiums. The Lions should leave Ellis Park immediately and never play there again. It is a wonderful Test arena – perhaps the greatest anywhere in the world when it’s packed – but it has become a soulless, vacuous pit that has become an embarrassment. Literally any other venue would do. Down the road at the University of the Witwatersrand lies a largely unused football stadium that can host 5,000 people. Use it. Create demand. Sell out for once. Who knows, it might be the kick up the backside Johannesburg’s franchise sorely needs.
As for the rest, smaller venues might play a helping hand but there is enough goodwill at the Stormers, Bulls and Sharks to at least try and leverage before more modest homes are occupied. Here, the clubs themselves must follow through on the education drive that Dobson spoke about.
Activations in shopping malls and in public spaces must help make the public aware that a ‘Champions League of rugby’ is taking place on their doorstep. Star players could help spread the message that they are now a part of something truly special. That the cities of Cape Town and Pretoria are connected to some of the sport’s most iconic institutions. That Manie Libbok nailing a last minute kick to beat a European juggernaut is an utterly astonishing moment because of a history that stretches beyond the 80 minutes of the match.
European fans have been split on the South Africans participation in ‘their’ tournament. Some gripes, such as travel fatigue, exorbitant costs for visiting fans and the amount of carbon emitted by long haul flights are hard to argue against. But the cultural concerns have stuck in the throat of South African supporters who’d have liked a warmer reception and less European exceptionalism.
But this is a two-way street. It’s no coincidence that nostalgia for the old Heineken Cup seems to be at an all-time high. Unless South Africans come to the party, what once was will forever eclipse what could be.
Comments on RugbyPass
Yeah nah he comes across as a funny bloke, but that stopped abruptly after the Nutcracker Prince debacle✋
1 Go to commentsAt this point I can’t watch him without thinking he’s a dirty slimebag. He should have been banned for the same amount of time that Quinn was out. It took Tupaea near on a fricking year to get fit enough to play again and his leg will never be the same. The other crap thing is that he was at ABs level and now he has to claw his way back there when he could have had several games under his belt.
4 Go to commentsThe Black Ferns 7’s have been without Captain Sarah Hirini now since Dec 23 in Dubai where she suffered a bad ACL injury - hopefully she is on the road to recovery for Madrid and Paris. Now also have Tyler King and Shiray kaka on the Injured List but the Team still found a way to win in Singapore and claim the overall Title.
1 Go to commentsUtter grub, hope he gets his leg broken. Shocking he is still playing after intentionally breaking quinn tupaeas knee
4 Go to commentsGreat to see NZ 7s teams finally coming into form and playing at the level that is expected of them.
2 Go to commentsChief Cheapshot on the market again.
4 Go to commentsCrusaders went all in to buy Hotham and Kemara staight from Hamilton Boys. Then they picked up Reihana and Hohepa; all have been dropped for superstar Havili, who is a very good fullback, that’s it. Ennor and Goodhue were schoolboy stars too but went backwards at the Crusaders. Maybe they have finally decided to give another poach Levi Aumua the ball?
13 Go to commentsJoe S has some talent to pick from. The Reds loosies look the best in Super? Aus might just give Razor a headache this year. Int. experience v Cantab greenhorn:) Should be fun.
13 Go to commentsEnd to end play, “THE FANS” this game was entertainment of the best. The conditions added to the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsSorry to say, but sadly the sadas were just ordinary and havilli at 10 as an abs selection just won’t cut it. He’s better suited in the centre’s and is a victim of past charge down kicks, he’s too slow under pressure. There’s better talent further north and I don’t mean dmac however I believe razor will sort him out. A feature of his presents on the park is the fact that the guys will follow him.
13 Go to commentsMarler was brilliant throughout both in the scrum and open play. His slap made virtually no contact with Ramos who milked it for a penalty when he could have been a decent sportsman and laughed it off, it was non-violent and shouldn't have been penalised. Smith failed repeatedly to kick when necessary and put up a couple of bombs into the TLS 22 that just handed back possession at key moments to the other side.
3 Go to commentsCros was outstanding and rightly awarded France TVs player of the match award. Mallia was brilliant as usual (the y is below the 6 on a UK keyboard and he deserves better than that). Level also seems to have been scored harshly as he walked the ball into touch under pressure from a Lynagh kick from well outside his own half which should never have led to a 50-22. Agree with BullShark that Dupont, while class at times, seemed to go missing for patches in the second half with props, hookers and wings frequently filling in at 9 as he couldn't get off the deck and up to the next ruck on time. A 7 by his standards at best, his kicking was also too long, too often. Kinghorn's overall contribution was worth well more than a five.
4 Go to commentsThe Harlequins team must be in minus figures. Did the reporter actually watch the game?
4 Go to commentsHow on earth did Walker escape a red card? Not dangerous? Dupont has his face in a mask earlier this season. Shocking decision. What is the point of TMOs? We had the Fassi ‘non-penalty try’ yesterday and now this.
2 Go to commentsCould have been a different result but yet again French tv able to affect the result by not showing the very clear high shot on harlequin centre if this would have been on a French player would have been on screen at least five times
3 Go to commentsAmazing. The losing team’s ratings are higher than the winning team’s. Mallia definitely didn’t deserve a y. What game were you watching? Should have got a w or an x. ADP hardly featured in that second half. At one point I wondered when he’d been subbed. Seems to me as if he gets an automatic 9 just for getting onto the team sheet.
4 Go to commentsI’m sorry. That second half was far from enthralling. It was painful to watch.
2 Go to commentsVery generous! If you’d missed the game, reading this you’d conclude that it was the Quins front row that cost them the game. Marler getting a blanket 6 for his demented contribution to the game. Puzzling.
3 Go to commentsCan’t see Toulouse beating Leinster at this rate.
7 Go to commentsADP was having a very average game until winning that penalty for Toulouse, sticking his big head in the way. “The head of God”?
7 Go to comments