NSW losing games, fans and now money
NSW losing games, fans and now money
Greg Growden
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Concerned Waratahs officials believe the NSW Rugby Union will struggle to make a profit this year because of plummeting home crowds.
Several days after the worst attendance for a NSW-Queensland match in Sydney during the Super 12/14 era, NSWRU chief executive Fraser Neill admitted that a fifth straight year of healthy profits was unlikely.
"Forty per cent of our income comes from the gate takings, and the gate has been hammered this year," Neill said yesterday. "Let's just say we will be pushing it to make a profit, that's for sure."
The fall in Waratahs home attendances is alarming, and indicates again that Sydneysiders are more interested in winning teams.
With the Waratahs making the previous two Super finals series, the NSWRU benefited richly from regular 30,000-plus home crowds. Last year, the Waratahs had an average home crowd of 29,929.
This season, with the Waratahs struggling near the bottom of the Super 14 ladder, the average has slumped to 23,755 - with just one of their five Aussie Stadium games passing the 30,000 mark.
But this year's lack of interest in the long-running grudge match between NSW and Queensland, which only attracted 21,872, was of most concern to NSW officials, as it meant there were 16,348 fewer people in the stands than when the interstate rivals last met in Sydney.
In the corresponding fixture at Aussie Stadium in 2005, a near capacity crowd of 38,220 was there, while in 2003 and 2001, there were 35,000-strong crowds. After such an appalling performance by both teams on Saturday night, Waratahs officials are now worried attendances for their final two home matches could drop well below 20,000.
These poor crowd figures hit the NSWRU profit margins. NSW's latest budgeting figures are based on an average home crowd of 31,000.
The Waratahs' home success last year enabled the NSWRU to record a $1.6 million profit for the 12 months to October 2006, while 2005 reaped a profit of $2.9m, 2004 ($709,898) and 2003 ($804,899).
Neill said NSW had already made budgetary cuts to overcome the sizeable drop in revenue. But he said there would not be dramatic cutbacks, especially of staff numbers or player recruitment.
"We made steps about three weeks ago to make certain discretionary cuts," Neill said. "We have had our managers in and told them if something is not essential, we'll cut it out now. We are also working on being more efficient in numerous areas.
"What is fundamental to the core of the business, we have to keep going. It is all the extra stuff, which, when things are going well, you can try. But when things are tight, you can cut them out. You just have to be a bit more conservative."
Neill said there was no point approaching the ARU for extra funding.
"Rather than go cap in hand to the ARU, there should be a longer review in how we can work better with the ARU on a more efficient basis," he said. "If there is an area where we are duplicating, we should have a single source. That is not just us, but with all the states.
"This has all taught me what is really important in business. You can market as much as you like, but, in the end, you have to have a winning team which is playing well."
In an attempt to show the Waratahs could still achieve winning streaks, coach Ewen McKenzie is likely to rejig his starting line-up for Saturday night's match against the Highlanders at Aussie Stadium.
McKenzie was contemplating starting back-up prop Matt Dunning, hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau and back-rower Wycliff Palu.
"We haven't got too much to come from outside, but we obviously have some Wallabies on the bench," McKenzie said. "So we will probably explore giving them an opportunity to start."
Dunning could be used on the tighthead side, replacing Al Baxter, who has a shoulder complaint.
Although halfback Josh Valentine is unavailable with a knee strain, Brett Sheehan, who has rib damage, may be in line for selection.
