A thought on membership and NRL v AFL #'s

[kimlo_]

I saw the crowd figure for the opening AFL game @ the MCG last night and it was over 72,500. The competing sides were outright 15th and 16th last season. There are only 2 games in the entire NRL calendar that would draw anywhere near that figure and thats the SOO and the G/F yet these guys do it in the 1st regular season game of the year...

Was checking the relative pricing: bulldogs home game $20-$30, swans home game $20-$75 at the same stadium yet the swans averaged 63,000 to their 3 ANZ games last year. Our premium membership is capped @ 800 and are the best seats in the house, going for $350. The swans' is $660 but doesn't include away games although gives priority grand final ticket purchasing.

So the pricing and relative cost of m'ship is cheaper between codes yet the AFL club with the lowest m'ship level is the kangaroos with 22,000 and the highest is Adelaide with 48,000. The Kangaroos were on the brink of collapse and possible relocation to the Gold Coast. We are a bigger state and our team reaches more people than the kangaroos do and they're essentially a financially struggling suburban side and our club can only obtain 3800 members? I can guarantee you that there are probably 100,000 bulldogs jersey owners in Western Sydney alone. A decent membership costs around the same price as the jersey.

If there's a 2nd Sydney AFL team in the Western Subs heartland by 2012 and they're performing and people take to them like the Gold Coast folk have done to the Titans then Penrith, Parra, Bulldogs and Wests should be put on notice....

*Posted By another Member On bulldogs Forums* (Thought this is very interesting)

Why is the NRL's numbers and memberships compared to AFL's so horrible? How much members do the broncos have btw considering the average is 33,000 for the afl clubs.

 

[nopatience101]

Broncos passed the 10,000 mark for full season members this year, not 3800....

 

[DIEHARD]

I think rugby league has really missed the opportunity to entrench our support in the culture and fabric of our cities.

Maybe it was because we never had a proper rectangular football field in Sydney until the late 1980s or that we lost so many BRL teams and our local competition has been so overshadowed.

In Victoria following a team is something you are a born into.

I think we can get our sport where it should be, but it will take a lot of work. What the NRL is doing with memberships is a great start and we can get more inventive after we lay that foundation. A Lang Park like stadium in western sydney would also be a huge ally.

The Gold Coast Titans admission into the NRL will also have a positive effect on rugby league in QLD. In terms of crowds and derbies but also now not every rugby league fan in southern Queensland is instantly a Broncos fan. So now maybe people wont be so casual and start buying merch, membership and showing their colours.

It's also a great shame Brisbane lost a 2nd rugby league team.

What is also disappointing is the apparent lack of travelling away support in Sydney. Their fans don't seem to want to travel across town to an away match. Over in the Super League thousands of club fans follow their team around. That is another thing that should be encouraged.

I'm sure we will get there in the end.

 

[DIEHARD]

Broncos passed the 10,000 mark for full season members this year, not 3800....

It was from the Bulldogs forum, so they mean Bulldogs membership.

Great work on membership numbers from Brisbane, North Queensland, Gold Coast and Melbourne. All have commendable numbers.

 

[Russo]

The problem with alot of the membership bases is that League fans know they can get a ticket to a game because most stadiums don't sell out thus fans can pick and choose what games they go to.

Places like Skilled and Energy Australia and Dairy Farmers which are smaller more boutique stadiums will when there teams are going well and fans supporting them via the on field performance and the clubs promoting the benefits of membership increase numbers hopefully to the point of where that is the only way you can guarantee a seat at the stadiums is to be a member.

AFL really promote hard the benefits of membership and have for decades and fans buy memberships so as not to miss out on the big games. Yes their stadiums in Melbourne may be bigger but for a blockbuster where both teams have 30-35000 members that means 70,000 already in a 85,000 seat stadium before you even add in members like MCC and AFL. Thus you need to be a member.

Great result for the Broncos this season, first time over 10,000 members. [eusa_clap.gi [eusa_clap.gi

Diehard out of curiousity what was the member base for the Titans last year compared to this year with the new home ?? It will only continue to increase in time when locals visit the place no doubt.

 

[nopatience101]

Broncos passed the 10,000 mark for full season members this year, not 3800....

It was from the Bulldogs forum, so they mean Bulldogs membership.

Great work on membership numbers from Brisbane, North Queensland, Gold Coast and Melbourne. All have commendable numbers.

Then post it in the Rugby League section not the Brisbane Broncos section?!?!?!

 

[kimlo_]

Ah, sorry i had basically bookmarked the broncos part of the forum so i never knew there was other sections in the forum. Sorry about that, thanks for moving to the right place admin.

i think rugby league should use smaller stadiums with a maximum capacity of 30k that way there will be more members because people won't always be assured a seat

 

[schmix]

I can think of 3 main reasons why AFL might have a larger membership base:

1. Apparently AFL is like a religion in Victoria. Everyone has a team. Rugby league in Sydney really only covers half the city. Apart from a small pocket on the Northern Beaches, and another at Bondi, the Eastern Suburbs and North Shore pretty much shun the game. AFL has done a really good job of marketing themselves to these areas, where most people probably have the money to fork out $660 up front for season tickets.

2. AFL is a s**t game to watch on tv. There is too much going on off the ball, it is too unpredictable to follow well with cameras, and the ball constantly travels huge distances every 10 seconds. Rugby league, on the other hand, is pretty much made for tv. It has a pattern so it's easy to follow, and the ball only travels more than 10-20m once a set, so cameras can catch everything. This is shown by the fact that league games are consistently in the top 10 watched tv programs every year (or something like that, they always figure heavily in lists where afl does not).

3. It's a culture thing. If you're an AFL fan you go to the games, no questions asked. If you're an NRL fan you can take it or leave it. Probably because of point 2.


I know there are a few people here who are obviously big fans of the Broncos, but rarely, if ever, go to games. I'd be interested to hear why this is the case. Not in a "I'm going to say you're a crap fan" way, but out of genuine curiosity. I have it pretty easy as far as getting to games goes. I go with my Dad, he pays and drives. The effort on my part is pretty minimal, so no judgement from me if you don't get to games for whatever reason.

 

[mick]

RL is unfortunately "made for television". This is something that has really stuck with the code - all the action is right there, a lot of the viewing is live and getting to the game isn't promoted because there's more $$$ to be made from TV advertising than getting people through the gates. Sad, but true.

I hated AFL for pretty much my whole life, and still can't really stand the game, but I must say it's very different in real life as opposed to TV. I went to a Fitzroy match in 2005 (free work function) and it was far more entertaining than on tv - you don't just see the fumbling around, there's stuff going on all over the park. Still hate it, though. [icon_lol1.

 

[Coxy]

RL is unfortunately "made for television". This is something that has really stuck with the code - all the action is right there, a lot of the viewing is live and getting to the game isn't promoted because there's more $$$ to be made from TV advertising than getting people through the gates. Sad, but true.

I hated AFL for pretty much my whole life, and still can't really stand the game, but I must say it's very different in real life as opposed to TV. I went to a Fitzroy match in 2005 (free work function) and it was far more entertaining than on tv - you don't just see the fumbling around, there's stuff going on all over the park. Still hate it, though. [icon_lol1.

Agreed. And excellent summary of it schmix, that pretty much is my view on it too.

 

[Kee]

AFL really know how to promote.NRL fall down badly in this area.
If you live in Victoria,WA or SA then AFL is shoved down your throat in every media outlet possible.Living there and no league you find yourself brainwashed into going to a game and chosing a team to support.
Going to a game and watching it on tele is totally differant.Little men in white coats come running from everywhere all through the game.What for I have no idea [icon_shru

Got free tickets to the Gabba,atmosphere and crowd where unreal but we just looked at each other and decided to walk out and go home and watch real footy on TV.

In answer to the question on why so many league fans dont go to the games.My reasoning is because we have a large supporter base especially in Qld and it is not just a matter of jumping a bus and going to a game.Sydney people dont seem to want to travel across town and to an extent I understand why when the traffic is crazy and prices are so high to get into a game.Paying big money for Fox so stay at home and watch it there.Myself I love to go to the game and then I love to get home and watch it on tele and take all of the game in and see the bits that are missed while you are at the actual game.If we lose?Nah not so keen to watch it happen again icon_smile

Maybe if the NRL could look beyond five weeks and put out the yearly draw with days played like other codes seem to be able to do then more would be attending games who live out of the SE as cheap airfares can be booked up for the weekends when our teams play well in advance when the airfare sales are on.Talking Qld only here but sure its the same in NSW.

 

[Nashy]

Ah, sorry i had basically bookmarked the broncos part of the forum so i never knew there was other sections in the forum. Sorry about that, thanks for moving to the right place admin.

i think rugby league should use smaller stadiums with a maximum capacity of 30k that way there will be more members because people won't always be assured a seat

That would lose them money. 30k seats at an origin match? That wouldn't work. Plus we would then have stadiums everywhere, not being used.

 

[mick]

Ah, sorry i had basically bookmarked the broncos part of the forum so i never knew there was other sections in the forum. Sorry about that, thanks for moving to the right place admin.

i think rugby league should use smaller stadiums with a maximum capacity of 30k that way there will be more members because people won't always be assured a seat

That would lose them money. 30k seats at an origin match? That wouldn't work. Plus we would then have stadiums everywhere, not being used.

Agreed.

Along with that, kimlo, maximums of 30k at the stadiums would only worry Brisbane fans. The average Sydney game gets around half of that.

So it'd negatively impact pretty much just on us, and we're the club who needs NO help at all when it comes to crowd figures. Also interesting to note that the following stadiums can't hold 30k:

Gold Coast, Parramatta, Toyota Park, Brookvale Oval, Olympic Park, CUA Stadium (Penrith), EnergyAustralia Stadium, WIN Stadium, OKI Jubilee Stadium, Bruce Stadium, Dairy Farmers Stadium and (I think) Mt Smart Stadium.

That's right, IIRC, Suncorp, the SFS and Telstra Stadium are the only league venues which can hold more than 30k!!

 

[guppy]

I know there are a few people here who are obviously big fans of the Broncos, but rarely, if ever, go to games. I'd be interested to hear why this is the case. Not in a "I'm going to say you're a crap fan" way, but out of genuine curiosity. I have it pretty easy as far as getting to games goes. I go with my Dad, he pays and drives. The effort on my part is pretty minimal, so no judgement from me if you don't get to games for whatever reason.

I'm one of those people. I'd like to get to more games but apart from a few people at work, none of my mates are Broncos fans so I only really go if one of their teams are playing mine.
Then because we all like to have a few drinks, we have to use public transport which sucks at the best of times. On top of that, most of the stadiums in Sydney are pretty awful. I like the SFS and that's about it. Parra stadium isn't too bad, but it's in Parramatta. Brookie has no parking and you have to put up with Manly fans. ANZ Stadium (the worst of them all) lacks any kind of atmosphere and is in the middle of nowhere. The others are just too far for me to even bother thinking about.

In the last few years I've only been to semis/grand finals with my mates from work because brokers give us free tickets to butter us up.

Honestly though? They're all just excuses. It's easier to get the boys around to watch it on tv and then head over to one of the local pubs for a couple of drinks afterwards. 5 live games on tv a week is too hard to resist.

I really admire the crew down here that head out to every game they possibly can. They could whinge about how far they have to travel and how much it all costs but they don't. I think that's fantastic.

By the way, I think it's awesome that you go along with your dad too. I miss going to games with my dad since he moved back up to QLD.

 

[Nashy]

I was working a rotating roster the past two years, and couldn't get a membership, or very rarely had game days off.

This year I'm 2 / 2 though. Can't wait for tomorrow nights game!

 

[Guest]

The AFL has just marketed their brand better then the NRL has for too long. The NRL have finally caught on and playing the catch up game. Yet there is a lot of money that needs to be spent to get the national presence of the sport up to the level of the AFL and it just isn't there. The super league war may be a blame but it may also been a god send as well. We just to get back all the supporters to spend their money at their clubs in membership, merchandise, sponsorship and get to games.

The NRL has only realised just recently that this is what needs to be done for NRL teams to survive and gain a profit. For too long all NRL clubs and juniors rugby leagues clubs have been living off the profits from pokie machines. They also woke up to the fact that sponsorship also only goes so far as well. It is the idea if you want to see a good show you have to pay the money.

You look at Brisbane as an example the only club in the past few years or more from the NRL that has made a profit and it was a pretty good profit. Like 5 - 11 million (someone confirm that please). Where all the NRL clubs in Sydney are running at a loss, Souths lost 4 million last year due to the massive upgrades PHAC and Crowe put forward. Parra and Penrith also made a loss (2 million) but their leagues club just pump that hole over anyways.

Geography also has worked wonders too for the Vic's. For the Melbourne based teams they all only play out of the MCG and Telstra Dome (again can someone confirm). With Sydney teams pretty much everyone has their own home ground and the facilties at these places is just not enough to draw large crowds of the big spenders but does attract the general punter who likes the atmosphere of the small grounds. Upgrade the grounds will help to a degree. Brisbane and the rest of the QLD based teams have always had luck due to the isolation of supporters that if you want to see rugby league live you need to end to Suncorp. Plus the success the club has had and the players the club has produced over the past 20 years has also an effect on that too.

So for NRL to move forward and clubs too we need to join our clubs. For too long supporters have not bought the concept because no-one has ever explained it correctly and finally clubs are starting to do that as most clubs are all increasing in both ticketed members (season ticket holders) or non ticketed members (your basic package members).

 

[kimlo_]

Ah, sorry i had basically bookmarked the broncos part of the forum so i never knew there was other sections in the forum. Sorry about that, thanks for moving to the right place admin.

i think rugby league should use smaller stadiums with a maximum capacity of 30k that way there will be more members because people won't always be assured a seat

That would lose them money. 30k seats at an origin match? That wouldn't work. Plus we would then have stadiums everywhere, not being used.

Agreed.

Along with that, kimlo, maximums of 30k at the stadiums would only worry Brisbane fans. The average Sydney game gets around half of that.

So it'd negatively impact pretty much just on us, and we're the club who needs NO help at all when it comes to crowd figures. Also interesting to note that the following stadiums can't hold 30k:

Gold Coast, Parramatta, Toyota Park, Brookvale Oval, Olympic Park, CUA Stadium (Penrith), EnergyAustralia Stadium, WIN Stadium, OKI Jubilee Stadium, Bruce Stadium, Dairy Farmers Stadium and (I think) Mt Smart Stadium.

That's right, IIRC, Suncorp, the SFS and Telstra Stadium are the only league venues which can hold more than 30k!!

Well, As for Brisbane, gold coast and titans no i wouldn't recommend that they have 30k stadiums, but clubs like the bulldogs for example have a 80k stadium with 15,000 fans in it, what kind of atmosphere is that ? Not really encouraging to go is it, but if the stadium was smaller and more noisier people would much rather go there, 30k wouldn't worry any club really besides the QLD clubs.

 

[Nashy]

^ Did you want to comment, or just quote what's already been said? eusa_think