Just a quick FYI team - I reckon this crowd is particularly on the low side for Eden Park. Due to the fact it was a foreign opponent rather than a Kiwi rival AND because the NZ Warriors (also based in Auckland) were playing at exactly the same time. The week before against the Crusaders Eden Park had around 24k in attendance (still a lot of empty seat in a 50k stadium but a much better vibe)
The stadium's too big for the average turnout. They should follow the example of the 'Canes and spread out the home fixtures between EP, Albany and Whangarei.
Too expensive Too many rule changed No sense of tribalism I think this needs to be taken in consideration that they gotta bring the npc as the super rugby comp.
I'm Irish and worked as tutor in Auckland when I was 19. The PE dept I worked in had tickets to Blues and Warriors games on rotation amongst us staff. Went to see the Canes, Crusaders and Rebels play at Eden park. All night time games and a better atmosphere than this but still not full. Those were the days! Tuivasa-Sheck was playing for the warriors instead at that time. Love Auckland!
I had season tickets to a corporate lounge at Westpac Stadium and free test match tickets. I went to 1 All Blacks game and 2 Hurricanes games. Even with free tickets, I'd rather watch it on TV.
Yes all gone now...recent there. Like a cemetery with music.. rugby among lightweight s sprinters no defence.... puretrackand field guys... not big or strong enough for cup.....awfull
As for the attendances, I'm just blown away. There's barely anybody there. Super Rugby really struggling here with popularity, even in a country that has rugby as its national sport.
I can't believe it! I remember attending Blues games like a decade ago and they were full, always. Keep in mind this is when the Blues were at the bottom of the table consistently
@@mapper7310 Well that's just plain wrong, Eden park games are never full for Blues games unless it's the odd final. Because the Blues were the worst team has had a huge impact on their fanbase imo
Weather looks great at Eden Park. It's always raining in Ireland. Leinster Rugby have a great system, the RDS for most matches (18,500 capacity) and The Aviva (51,711 capacity) for bigger matches, they're 1Km apart. Visitors apparently don't like the RDS, Leinster fans love it! Kids can kick a rugby ball in the grounds, food is good for van takeaway, atmosphere great. One section look ancient the other parts look temporary but modern.
Different people have different definitions of the meaning of ancient when you talk about stands in stadiums. Tell them what you mean, while I laugh, also what the ground was orginally for and who you share it with. You right about the atmosphere in the RDS, because you are closer to the pitch, smaller stadium and the van food is way better than aviva stadium expensive cheap crap. Also more die hards turns up at RDS, while the chatterbox "social" crowd turns up at the aviva. Musgrave park for Munster food and drink for decades is way better than the Aviva and better value than the aviva. I am just delighted now we have a shed in Musgrave park to amplify our roar and stay dry. This season we got upgraded vans food which is a bonus, no extra costs. Popular too. Unfortunately there is no van food in the stands in Thomond Park.
Love being able to see round the stadium with you, it's a class looking ground. It's great you can wander around once you're in - Thomond Park you're much more limited to your section once inside.
I went to a concert while in Auckland back in December. Stayed in the CBD, no trains running so had to catch a bus down. Was alright for the walk down, but on the way back we were all sent onto the same road to wait for about a dozen at most buses to shuttle back and forth to the CBD. Had to walk home after waiting for an hour. Nice stadium tho.
Maybe you should go to an AFL game for some action and atmosphere. Went to the MCG Easter Monday. The bottom two sides were playing. There was just over 65,000 people there.
Thanks for taking us inside the famous Eden Park. Great to see the activities. Rugby has to adjust and quick to keep the fans coming in. Great stuff! Love it!
Thanks for the tour and the memories. I used to rent in Sandringham in the 90s so was a walk away. When I moved out of the area I used to park in Kingsland/Bond St area and walk it from there. These days living in Brisbane, they provide free buses from various large shopping centres to Suncorp or the GABBA, which is cool as parking is also an issue near those stadiums.
I remember in 2008 going to Loftus stadium here in Pretoria for the first time to watch the Bulls play the Reds. The noise was deafening and the flags looked like a sea. What an experience it was. Sad its not happening anymore.
Why are the South African crowds so bad at the moment. Is it still a COVID thing? Are the prices too high? Saffa teams have been playing some good rugby in both URC and Currie Cup. I don't get it.
@@thewielloyd988 I think its a combination of factors. The locals aren't used to the European sides like they were when the NZ teams played here which are our traditional foes. Also the marketing has been bad the last couple of years.
@@debeerpaul What a shame. Australian Rugby is woefully undermarketed too. Hopefully some rivalries with the Euro teams start to establish soon. Those South African stadiums are massive. That Blue Bulls v Pumas game the other week was insanely good yet there were only 15 people there to see it. Griquas stadium looks like a nice place to watch arvo rugby though.
@@thewielloyd988 I think they should make admission free for all to go and watch. I mean it would boost the game quality on tv. Also maybe bus in some poor school kids or communities to increase awareness of the game.
@@thewielloyd988 they are still charging people the exact amounts they charged for Super 14 , for a poorly marketed tournament. Also Bulls and Sharks have been dreadful , Bulls are on like a 10 game losing streak ...if Bulls and Sharks were playing good rugby and winning , the stadiums would be packed , both Pretoria and Durban are extremely loyal fanbases , but no one is gonna spent 10-15% of their paycheck for 3 tickets and food to watch their team lose . Stormers don't have these problems because they are playing entertaining and winning rugby
Great video. I've never been to Eden Park so good to have a close up experience of what it's like to be there. My local stadium is Sky Stadium. Ticket, food and beer prices are pretty much the same. Atmosphere is definitely the same as well, great when it's full but very flat when there's not many there
Really enjoyed that Mark!!! Great idea! Great to get the tour! Fine, fine stadium. PS ..for what it's worth, the prices are v cheap compared to here in Dublin and the equivalent in the Aviva or Croke Park
Very different to rugby in Britain. Our teams play in smaller stadiums that are pretty full. No chance of sitting in the wrong seat. From what I've seen Eastern European rugby is often played in big stadiums without a lot of fans. It's not bad, just different.
Should of seen what atmosphere was like at la Rochelle when they played Saracens in quarter finals in European cup I watched it on TV place was buzzing after they beat them
Hey Dude - really liked the tour. Always good to check out an arena I’ve never been to see. Anymore stadium tours you’d like to do (and film) I will def checkout. Always groovenus to get see a new place.
Awesome video Mark. Really fun seeing beyond the whiteboard and the experience in another country. Edinburgh had a similar problem for years, getting sub 10k (often sub 5k) into Murrayfield before they started playing at a smaller ground, and recently built a custom little pitch right beside Murrayfield. The SA teams really need to get some small local grounds for most of their matches and move into their big international grounds for the big derby games and the big knockout or European games that get a bigger crowd. Leinster play at 18k RDS, move to 51k Lansdowne for the Munster home game, one European game around Christmas, and then all of the knockout European games. I personally would prefer if we did some of those European games at RDS for full homefield. But we will sell 20k tickets for Friday so it will make more money for the club. As for the crowds, what is the season ticket approach like over in NZ? Leinster have 12k ST, so 2/3 of the RDS is presold each week, great starting point. all of the Irish teams have decent ST numbers too, Ulster looks to be 8.5k in an 18k arena, Munster 7.4k in 27k arena nad Connacht 4k in their 10k arena.
Yeah man I remember seeing Edinburgh at Murraryfield and it definitely gave me similar vibes. Eden Park has the #2 ground right there already, but there's bugger all seating - but honestly for games like the one I was at, it may have been more suitable if they put a bit of work into it (they won't cos Eden Park runs at a massive loss every year). Season tickets are pretty reasonably priced but I'm not sure about numbers. I know they also give a tonne of tickets away to sponsors
That's a really good point about Season Ticket holders. In NZ, fans purchase Membership "packages" which are tiered on price/games/benefits. For example, one package includes passes to three home games, while another all incl. all home games etc. As for exact numbers, not sure where to find that info but would shed light on the current state of NZ Super Rugby crowds. As a social observation, NZ crowds are hampered by; a. lack of public transport infrastructure, b. high cost of living = low recreational spending, and c. geography. Cities like Melbourne get crazy attendance for AFL games, but we probably couldn't replicate that attendance here (for reasons stated above). NZR are really good at taking Super games around NZ, the Hurricanes played in Palmerston North last week for eg., so maybe there's something about getting that balance right. Also, the (relative) quality of non-NZ teams really needs to improve, as they're probably 5-10yrs away from being truly competitive (and therefore entertaining).
It's always amazed me how a Country where rugby is their top sport, they have such small stadiums? Nothing like the mega stadiums Loftus, Ellis Park, Kingspark, Newlands or the FNB Stadium in SA! Just wondering... 🤔
Hey, great video and interesting seeing from a crowd pov! A big empty stadium reminds me of Edinburgh before they built their little ground, Glasgow fans called it “the library”! They’ve got their own little ground next door to Murrayfield now and it’s working well, good attendances a much more atmosphere! Also the teams still use the Murrayfield changing rooms and go through the crowd (although it gets cordoned off) to get to the pitch so you get up pretty close to the players and kids (+ rugby nerds) can get photos, autographs and high fives are the players are coming out for their warm up or post match. Interestingly for Glasgow, I think due partly to policing and also for popularity they try to avoid clashes with Celtic or Rangers football home games. Most home games tend to be the Friday night and post work with a few beers gets a good atmosphere, also if you still play you can go and drink responsibly or still go to the football on the Saturday! Six nations is the best though, Edinburgh fills up with travelling fans and from the Friday to Sunday there’s usually some revellers out enjoying themselves! Plus Murrayfield isn’t too far to walk to from the city centre and there’s bars all along the way! I went to Paris for France - Scotland this year and although Stade de France is less convenient to get to is a very impressive stadium and good atmosphere! Planning to tick off the rest of the away games over the next few years, Rome next!
There was an NRL rugby league game on the same day NZ WARRIORS so the team been on a winning streak so the whole country supporters and in Australia are on their bandwagon... So the stadium numbers has taken a hit with 20,000 at the league game. Also they been playing Super Rugby games on a Sunday as well which is traditionally been Rugby League day.
looks so nice and clean, streets without potholes, white picket fences... yea...i wouldnt walk such a distance to the stadium in durban,...lol..nice video Marc... too bad it was so empty
Great video yet again TwoCents !! Really is a shame that there is no atmosphere at most SupeRugby games anymore. often there are only big turnouts at finals which is sad. In ways i wish rugby games had atmospheres like football where there are chants and sold-out stadiums week in and week out.
went to Eden park in 1984 and watched the AB's v France . Went with my high school rugby club on a tour to New Zealand and Australia ....trip of a lifetime....it was a bit different back then
Lack of atmosphere is ruining many grounds. Having just attended my first Toulouse game in France it’s amazing the difference a bit of passion, music, and thought can make. Toulouse only holds 19,500 but unbelievable place. Unfortunately my home team Leinster have a long way to go would love to know where else rocks on game day?
That's such a lovely wee taste of current NZ rugby life at this level Mark. I'm Scottish and have visited NZ quite a few times. I've only seen two games live...Chiefs v Stormers (in Hamilton) and Highlanders v Reds (in Invercargill)...both in 2004. Eden Park looks a fantastic ground...just a pity it wasn't more packed. Quick question....why didn't you take the bus or train? It would have been a good chance to speak to fans in the build-up.
Great vid. Great stadium. Last time i was in Auckland, went to the blues vs cruz. It's undeniably the best stadium in nz for rugby. Can't help but feel sad for the state of super rugby tho, with the crowd size. 96-06, any game was a big deal. Nzru cannot survive if this goes on
Awesome Video, nice insights into what everything costs and looks like there. I must say pricing is really expensive😅. At Loftus Versveld you would have a ball of a time pricing wise. First of all the parking, about 8 years ago now, they revamped it there and built a shopping park there with enough underground parking capacity to basically accommodate 50K people give or take so you don't need to walk miles to the stadium anymore. Pricing is as follows for a normal Blue Bulls match: Parking R100 (8,77 NZD) Tickets ranging from cheap seats to grand stand seats R25-R150 (2,20-13,15 NZD) Beers cost between: R30-R40 each (2,63-3,51 NZD) depending on brand. And for food and snacks at the shopping park you can get anything from Grade A steaks to Mexican food or just buy at the local grocery store snacks that is also at the shopping park for the game. Inside, everything from mini donuts to chip-stix, french fries, hotdogs, pizza's etc, costing inside the stadium between R25-R100 (2,20-8,77) depending on your choice. It's interesting to hear and see the pricing differences between the two iconic stadiums. As for before or half time entertainment, usually a big local singer is organized with local DJ's for after the game parties at the beer gardens that are just outside the stadium at the Field B & C grounds.
It looked like Murrayfield during an Edinburgh match, although almost everyone would have been sitting in the East Stand (where the cameras were pointing). But you couldn't really wander around to the same extent as you did in there.
I'm astonished - I had no idea you were able to walk;-) . A bit alarming to hear that a league match would have any bearing on a Rugby crowd. That was good. I enjoyed it. Cheers.
On the note regarding cheap seats and then sitting where you want, Murrayfield used to be like that. Probably talking 10 years now I think about it, but when it wasn't trendy to support Scotland rugby and about the time the started to offer season tickets, you could buy the cheap tickets and walk down, they didn't even open the upper west stand - demand just wasn't there. Strolling in to see Scotland get pumped by the ABs for £30 was a good time. On Eden Park being dead, it reminds me of the French brand of clothing which obviously takes its name from Eden Park in NZ due to ex players - anyway, they also have a bar in Paris. We went there on a Six Nations weekend that Scotland were playing France on the Saturday... We went on the Sunday and they were closed - I get they don't normally open on a Sunday but for 6N weekend you'd think they would. It had a similar atmosphere.
You can park on the Balmoral side of Mt Eden and wallk 15 -20mins to Eden Park. There is always plenty of parking and no traffic problems there even on big game days.
This was a great video Mark. Good to see all the different aspects of a game day. Do you think the Blues and other super rugby teams would benefit from moving the games against the likes of the Force, Rebels etc. to a smaller stadium? Leinster generally play in the RDS (16.5k) and move the big games to the Aviva but when I started going to games most would be at Donnybrook (6k) and big games would be at the RDS or Aviva depending how big. Munster also move games from Thomond Park (25k) to Musgrave Park (8k) for smaller games. That would probably be a better model for the Blues as they're in different cities.
I lived in new Zealand for two years. I went to to super rugby games in Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland and Hamilton the only atmosphere was the P.A. but the NPC games has a lot more atmosphere than franchise clubs
You just gotta get your arse over to The Principality Stadium here in Wales. Our team may be struggling but our Stadium is tops 😁😁😁 Interesting walk around though, nice job.
Atmosphere was pretty great when I went to the final last year. Also remember going to the first game after lockdown against the Hurricanes and that was really good. I guess it depends on who they’re playing and what the occasion is.
Cheers for that insight on Eden Pk it looks like a Awesome ground especially if it was a sell out with the Mighty All Blacks playin would be something to behold Thanks for the tour of the formidable Eden Park !!!
I watch our local comp, the MLR here in the states, but the only international league I follow is super rugby. They used to have their games on ESPN during Covid. Sucked me in, sad it hasn’t drawn the same attention to others.
Great vid mate, I always thought Eden Park was huge so I looked it up. That's pretty small for a national rugby stadium mate, the capacity is only 45,000 thats exactly half that of Twickenham. Stade France is also 90, 000, the Aviva in Dublin is 60,000 same in Murrayfield and the Principality is in Wales is 75,000, used to be 80. Expensive food and drink is common to them all. It also looks pretty bleak around Eden Park mate, the Principality in Cardiff is in the city centre, easy to get to by train and park & ride but the best part is it's surrounded by pubs, bars and restaurants, so there is no need to buy stuff in the stadium, we usually have a few pints before we enter, it's nice to have a break then hit the pubs again after the game. There is usually 300,000 people on the streets of Cardiff on test match day, the atmosphere is electric. Cardiff Blues have a 10,000 stadium next door but are poorly supported as are the other Welsh regions, I have been watching the Blues on a cold wet day with only about 2,000 in the Arms Park. The fans of the old clubs like Neath, Pontypool, Bridgend etc have never taken to the regions. It's a real problem for the WRU.
I agree it's small for a city the size of Auckland but it's not really a National Stadium. Test Matches are played in all the major centres around New Zealand, whereas the stadiums you named are the sole places which host the Internationals.
@@AK-wc9rl and that's the biggest problem with NZ stadiums, all the grounds want to host the Internationals but it's not viable to build every stadium to true international level so they build them to the minimum qualifying standard. As a result Eden Park is too big for the Blues and too small for the All Blacks. Yet it hosts both.
Really enjoyed that walk around. Saw a Blues v Sharks game there in 1999 when I was doing a book on the Shark’s season. It was packed! But that’s the new Super Rugby Pacific for you. It’s on the decline. Just to give you a price comparison in NZ $ with the present conversion rate. I watch the Sharks in Durban when they play in the URC and recently the Heineken Champions Cup. Tickets (best seats) - $8 Tickets (cheap seats) - $4,50 Beer (500ml) - $3,60 Boerwors Roll - $3,00 Hotdog - $2,25 Chicken Burger - $3,00 Mini Donuts (20) - $3,20 Bottled water / Coke (500ml) - $1,70 After each game there’s a free music concert staged on Kings Park 6 alongside the main stadium with a flee market and about 30 food and beverage kiosks. I usually watch the game with my son and daughter who are in their teens. After the game they attend the concert and meet up with their friends while I have a braai with mates on an accompanying field (KP 10). We head home two ti three hours later. So a family afternoon/ evening packed with rugby and entertainment for about $45.
Its a lot like Kings Park in here in Durban when a team that isn't so popular comes to play the Sharks but when the game is a Sell Out or even a Bok match, totally comes to life.
Just a quick FYI team - I reckon this crowd is particularly on the low side for Eden Park. Due to the fact it was a foreign opponent rather than a Kiwi rival AND because the NZ Warriors (also based in Auckland) were playing at exactly the same time.
The week before against the Crusaders Eden Park had around 24k in attendance (still a lot of empty seat in a 50k stadium but a much better vibe)
warriors game was a good atmosphere
The stadium's too big for the average turnout. They should follow the example of the 'Canes and spread out the home fixtures between EP, Albany and Whangarei.
Thank you brother!
The food is definitely cheaper compared to Australia.
Also no one really cares about super rugby any more.
For a country that loves its rugby, mental how few people turn up for a super rugby home game
Too expensive
Too many rule changed
No sense of tribalism
I think this needs to be taken in consideration that they gotta bring the npc as the super rugby comp.
We just love Justin Marshall's voice too much.
Rugby is a b grade product to watch now days
The country has changed radically in the last 15 or so years. Rugby isn't that big now and is losing massive numbers at school level.
We don’t love rugby really. I’ve just been to the US and saw their sports culture and that’s what true love of sport is
I'm Irish and worked as tutor in Auckland when I was 19. The PE dept I worked in had tickets to Blues and Warriors games on rotation amongst us staff. Went to see the Canes, Crusaders and Rebels play at Eden park. All night time games and a better atmosphere than this but still not full. Those were the days! Tuivasa-Sheck was playing for the warriors instead at that time. Love Auckland!
Yeah man this one definitely is at the lowest end of attendances - the time clash with the Warriors game definitely didn't help
I had season tickets to a corporate lounge at Westpac Stadium and free test match tickets. I went to 1 All Blacks game and 2 Hurricanes games. Even with free tickets, I'd rather watch it on TV.
.al .no attendance... gone
Yes all gone now...recent there. Like a cemetery with music.. rugby among lightweight s sprinters no defence.... puretrackand field guys... not big or strong enough for cup.....awfull
As for the attendances, I'm just blown away. There's barely anybody there. Super Rugby really struggling here with popularity, even in a country that has rugby as its national sport.
I can't believe it! I remember attending Blues games like a decade ago and they were full, always. Keep in mind this is when the Blues were at the bottom of the table consistently
@@mapper7310 Well that's just plain wrong, Eden park games are never full for Blues games unless it's the odd final. Because the Blues were the worst team has had a huge impact on their fanbase imo
This year is the first time I've watched Super Rugby, I always assumed NZ crowds were way bigger than over here in Aus 😅
Cool video. Would love to see more of these types of videos to see what rugby games are like on the other side of the world
Do a European trip next season
RWC trip would be fun.
Let's like his video and help him raise funds for the trip. 🇿🇦🙌
You pay for it then cody
Have to get you to a Leinster match at one of these points! One Blues fan to another 💙
@@dimetilldeath surely he could wangle a press travel package with planet rugby. Gotta push for the percs
Weather looks great at Eden Park. It's always raining in Ireland. Leinster Rugby have a great system, the RDS for most matches (18,500 capacity) and The Aviva (51,711 capacity) for bigger matches, they're 1Km apart. Visitors apparently don't like the RDS, Leinster fans love it! Kids can kick a rugby ball in the grounds, food is good for van takeaway, atmosphere great. One section look ancient the other parts look temporary but modern.
Different people have different definitions of the meaning of ancient when you talk about stands in stadiums. Tell them what you mean, while I laugh, also what the ground was orginally for and who you share it with. You right about the atmosphere in the RDS, because you are closer to the pitch, smaller stadium and the van food is way better than aviva stadium expensive cheap crap. Also more die hards turns up at RDS, while the chatterbox "social" crowd turns up at the aviva.
Musgrave park for Munster food and drink for decades is way better than the Aviva and better value than the aviva. I am just delighted now we have a shed in Musgrave park to amplify our roar and stay dry. This season we got upgraded vans food which is a bonus, no extra costs. Popular too.
Unfortunately there is no van food in the stands in Thomond Park.
Give it a couple of months and it will be rainy and miserable in Auckland too.
As a viewer from the US I really appreciated the inside look! Thanks, someday I will make the trip.
If you do make sure you go to an All Blacks game as they're the best sport events in New Zealand and they always win at Eden park!
Brilliant tour.
Loved that.
Thanks.
Excellent video Mark! Hope you can do more of these out and about videos in the future, thoroughly entertaining!
Love being able to see round the stadium with you, it's a class looking ground. It's great you can wander around once you're in - Thomond Park you're much more limited to your section once inside.
Yeah I think Eden Park is a bit different like that in that it's all linked up! Means you don't really need to go in any particular entrance
I went to a concert while in Auckland back in December. Stayed in the CBD, no trains running so had to catch a bus down. Was alright for the walk down, but on the way back we were all sent onto the same road to wait for about a dozen at most buses to shuttle back and forth to the CBD. Had to walk home after waiting for an hour.
Nice stadium tho.
Maybe you should go to an AFL game for some action and atmosphere. Went to the MCG Easter Monday. The bottom two sides were playing. There was just over 65,000 people there.
Thanks for taking us inside the famous Eden Park. Great to see the activities. Rugby has to adjust and quick to keep the fans coming in. Great stuff! Love it!
Thanks for the tour and the memories. I used to rent in Sandringham in the 90s so was a walk away. When I moved out of the area I used to park in Kingsland/Bond St area and walk it from there. These days living in Brisbane, they provide free buses from various large shopping centres to Suncorp or the GABBA, which is cool as parking is also an issue near those stadiums.
Really enjoyed watching this, always wondered what it was like as highlights of super rugby often show stadiums to not be filled. Cheers!
Agreed atmosphere was flat when I last went! Would recommend mount smart for a warriors game! Fans really engaged just love their club
Nice ! Thanks for the tour of Eden Park bro 👍. It's quite a legendary stadium. Auckland seems also fine.
Nice work mate, thanks for the tour of Eden Park ! 👍🙏
That’s a great video! Would be really cool if you could similar vids on all the major rugby stadiums in NZ and give some historical background
I remember in 2008 going to Loftus stadium here in Pretoria for the first time to watch the Bulls play the Reds. The noise was deafening and the flags looked like a sea. What an experience it was. Sad its not happening anymore.
Why are the South African crowds so bad at the moment. Is it still a COVID thing? Are the prices too high? Saffa teams have been playing some good rugby in both URC and Currie Cup. I don't get it.
@@thewielloyd988 I think its a combination of factors. The locals aren't used to the European sides like they were when the NZ teams played here which are our traditional foes. Also the marketing has been bad the last couple of years.
@@debeerpaul What a shame. Australian Rugby is woefully undermarketed too. Hopefully some rivalries with the Euro teams start to establish soon. Those South African stadiums are massive. That Blue Bulls v Pumas game the other week was insanely good yet there were only 15 people there to see it. Griquas stadium looks like a nice place to watch arvo rugby though.
@@thewielloyd988 I think they should make admission free for all to go and watch. I mean it would boost the game quality on tv. Also maybe bus in some poor school kids or communities to increase awareness of the game.
@@thewielloyd988 they are still charging people the exact amounts they charged for Super 14 , for a poorly marketed tournament.
Also Bulls and Sharks have been dreadful , Bulls are on like a 10 game losing streak ...if Bulls and Sharks were playing good rugby and winning , the stadiums would be packed , both Pretoria and Durban are extremely loyal fanbases , but no one is gonna spent 10-15% of their paycheck for 3 tickets and food to watch their team lose .
Stormers don't have these problems because they are playing entertaining and winning rugby
I walked that exact path to go see Ireland v NZ last summer, it's a great arena. I love the layout.
I concur Phil. Also the the pretty surrounding streets, cafes, restaurants, bars and so on. Is their a stadium around to compare, i wonder....
Thanks for sharing 👌🏻. I’ve only been to Loftus, Newland’s and the new Capetown stadium.
Great video. I've never been to Eden Park so good to have a close up experience of what it's like to be there.
My local stadium is Sky Stadium. Ticket, food and beer prices are pretty much the same. Atmosphere is definitely the same as well, great when it's full but very flat when there's not many there
Great concept for a video!!
Now I feel like I've actually been to Eden Park. Nice work 2C!
Really enjoyed that Mark!!! Great idea! Great to get the tour! Fine, fine stadium. PS ..for what it's worth, the prices are v cheap compared to here in Dublin and the equivalent in the Aviva or Croke Park
What a nice area. Really enjoyed looking at the neighbourhood on your walk to the ground. Very cool.
Very different to rugby in Britain. Our teams play in smaller stadiums that are pretty full. No chance of sitting in the wrong seat. From what I've seen Eastern European rugby is often played in big stadiums without a lot of fans. It's not bad, just different.
Should of seen what atmosphere was like at la Rochelle when they played Saracens in quarter finals in European cup I watched it on TV place was buzzing after they beat them
Blues playing Drua in Fiji, that’ll be a good one to go enjoy both the game and atmosphere 💯
Really enjoyed this style of video 👍
Awsome video bru, I love nothing better than going to a rugby game alone👌👍
Hey Dude - really liked the tour. Always good to check out an arena I’ve never been to see.
Anymore stadium tours you’d like to do (and film) I will def checkout. Always groovenus to get see a new place.
Come to Churchill Park in Lautoka...for the Drua games
Awesome video Mark.
Really fun seeing beyond the whiteboard and the experience in another country. Edinburgh had a similar problem for years, getting sub 10k (often sub 5k) into Murrayfield before they started playing at a smaller ground, and recently built a custom little pitch right beside Murrayfield. The SA teams really need to get some small local grounds for most of their matches and move into their big international grounds for the big derby games and the big knockout or European games that get a bigger crowd.
Leinster play at 18k RDS, move to 51k Lansdowne for the Munster home game, one European game around Christmas, and then all of the knockout European games. I personally would prefer if we did some of those European games at RDS for full homefield. But we will sell 20k tickets for Friday so it will make more money for the club.
As for the crowds, what is the season ticket approach like over in NZ? Leinster have 12k ST, so 2/3 of the RDS is presold each week, great starting point. all of the Irish teams have decent ST numbers too, Ulster looks to be 8.5k in an 18k arena, Munster 7.4k in 27k arena nad Connacht 4k in their 10k arena.
Yeah man I remember seeing Edinburgh at Murraryfield and it definitely gave me similar vibes. Eden Park has the #2 ground right there already, but there's bugger all seating - but honestly for games like the one I was at, it may have been more suitable if they put a bit of work into it (they won't cos Eden Park runs at a massive loss every year).
Season tickets are pretty reasonably priced but I'm not sure about numbers. I know they also give a tonne of tickets away to sponsors
That's a really good point about Season Ticket holders. In NZ, fans purchase Membership "packages" which are tiered on price/games/benefits. For example, one package includes passes to three home games, while another all incl. all home games etc. As for exact numbers, not sure where to find that info but would shed light on the current state of NZ Super Rugby crowds. As a social observation, NZ crowds are hampered by; a. lack of public transport infrastructure, b. high cost of living = low recreational spending, and c. geography. Cities like Melbourne get crazy attendance for AFL games, but we probably couldn't replicate that attendance here (for reasons stated above). NZR are really good at taking Super games around NZ, the Hurricanes played in Palmerston North last week for eg., so maybe there's something about getting that balance right. Also, the (relative) quality of non-NZ teams really needs to improve, as they're probably 5-10yrs away from being truly competitive (and therefore entertaining).
Looks awesome! Flying over from Aus for a holiday and seeing a blues game at eden park. Good tip with the drive far and park.
Nice one!
I know you're all about Rugby but have you been to an NZ Warriors home match? Would love to see that.
Hahaha Mungoball
Love the new vids your putting out. Keep it up Cents.
I've always enjoyed going to Eden Park. Thanks for the video.
great video mate
1st time viewer and commenter. One of the most informative stadium vlogs I've ever seen! That was fantastic. :)
Awesome content bro!
It's always amazed me how a Country where rugby is their top sport, they have such small stadiums? Nothing like the mega stadiums Loftus, Ellis Park, Kingspark, Newlands or the FNB Stadium in SA! Just wondering... 🤔
Hey, great video and interesting seeing from a crowd pov! A big empty stadium reminds me of Edinburgh before they built their little ground, Glasgow fans called it “the library”! They’ve got their own little ground next door to Murrayfield now and it’s working well, good attendances a much more atmosphere! Also the teams still use the Murrayfield changing rooms and go through the crowd (although it gets cordoned off) to get to the pitch so you get up pretty close to the players and kids (+ rugby nerds) can get photos, autographs and high fives are the players are coming out for their warm up or post match.
Interestingly for Glasgow, I think due partly to policing and also for popularity they try to avoid clashes with Celtic or Rangers football home games. Most home games tend to be the Friday night and post work with a few beers gets a good atmosphere, also if you still play you can go and drink responsibly or still go to the football on the Saturday!
Six nations is the best though, Edinburgh fills up with travelling fans and from the Friday to Sunday there’s usually some revellers out enjoying themselves! Plus Murrayfield isn’t too far to walk to from the city centre and there’s bars all along the way!
I went to Paris for France - Scotland this year and although Stade de France is less convenient to get to is a very impressive stadium and good atmosphere! Planning to tick off the rest of the away games over the next few years, Rome next!
There was an NRL rugby league game on the same day NZ WARRIORS so the team been on a winning streak so the whole country supporters and in Australia are on their bandwagon... So the stadium numbers has taken a hit with 20,000 at the league game. Also they been playing Super Rugby games on a Sunday as well which is traditionally been Rugby League day.
Thank you for the video man, as a rugby fan moving to NZ soon I love the tips.
Go and experience a Warriors game.
Great video!
looks so nice and clean, streets without potholes, white picket fences... yea...i wouldnt walk such a distance to the stadium in durban,...lol..nice video Marc... too bad it was so empty
You have an understated sense of humour. Amazing vlog.
Great video yet again TwoCents !! Really is a shame that there is no atmosphere at most SupeRugby games anymore. often there are only big turnouts at finals which is sad. In ways i wish rugby games had atmospheres like football where there are chants and sold-out stadiums week in and week out.
Yeah the week before had 20k+ against the crusaders which would have been a lot better, but yeah they need better
Should come watch the Super rugby in Fiji. The atmosphere is insane.
Bet the price of tickets are cheaper.
Great video mate! Would be great to see this at other stadiums in the Super Rugby, NPC and Shute Shield if you get cross the Ditch
Thanks for the tour mate 😊
Any time!
Bloody hell you are along way from the action better off staying home and watching on TV. Thank you for the tour
went to Eden park in 1984 and watched the AB's v France . Went with my high school rugby club on a tour to New Zealand and Australia ....trip of a lifetime....it was a bit different back then
Lack of atmosphere is ruining many grounds. Having just attended my first Toulouse game in France it’s amazing the difference a bit of passion, music, and thought can make. Toulouse only holds 19,500 but unbelievable place. Unfortunately my home team Leinster have a long way to go would love to know where else rocks on game day?
good to see you out and about Mark - meeting your public :-)
That's such a lovely wee taste of current NZ rugby life at this level Mark. I'm Scottish and have visited NZ quite a few times. I've only seen two games live...Chiefs v Stormers (in Hamilton) and Highlanders v Reds (in Invercargill)...both in 2004. Eden Park looks a fantastic ground...just a pity it wasn't more packed. Quick question....why didn't you take the bus or train? It would have been a good chance to speak to fans in the build-up.
Would love to come and watch a match here, any match of any side.
Thanks for the vid
Great vid. Great stadium. Last time i was in Auckland, went to the blues vs cruz. It's undeniably the best stadium in nz for rugby.
Can't help but feel sad for the state of super rugby tho, with the crowd size. 96-06, any game was a big deal. Nzru cannot survive if this goes on
Awesome Video, nice insights into what everything costs and looks like there. I must say pricing is really expensive😅.
At Loftus Versveld you would have a ball of a time pricing wise. First of all the parking, about 8 years ago now, they revamped it there and built a shopping park there with enough underground parking capacity to basically accommodate 50K people give or take so you don't need to walk miles to the stadium anymore.
Pricing is as follows for a normal Blue Bulls match:
Parking R100 (8,77 NZD)
Tickets ranging from cheap seats to grand stand seats R25-R150 (2,20-13,15 NZD)
Beers cost between: R30-R40 each (2,63-3,51 NZD) depending on brand.
And for food and snacks at the shopping park you can get anything from Grade A steaks to Mexican food or just buy at the local grocery store snacks that is also at the shopping park for the game. Inside, everything from mini donuts to chip-stix, french fries, hotdogs, pizza's etc, costing inside the stadium between R25-R100 (2,20-8,77) depending on your choice.
It's interesting to hear and see the pricing differences between the two iconic stadiums.
As for before or half time entertainment, usually a big local singer is organized with local DJ's for after the game parties at the beer gardens that are just outside the stadium at the Field B & C grounds.
It looked like Murrayfield during an Edinburgh match, although almost everyone would have been sitting in the East Stand (where the cameras were pointing). But you couldn't really wander around to the same extent as you did in there.
Great insight into a top flight game the other side of the world. Cheers
I'm astonished - I had no idea you were able to walk;-) . A bit alarming to hear that a league match would have any bearing on a Rugby crowd. That was good. I enjoyed it. Cheers.
On the note regarding cheap seats and then sitting where you want, Murrayfield used to be like that. Probably talking 10 years now I think about it, but when it wasn't trendy to support Scotland rugby and about the time the started to offer season tickets, you could buy the cheap tickets and walk down, they didn't even open the upper west stand - demand just wasn't there. Strolling in to see Scotland get pumped by the ABs for £30 was a good time.
On Eden Park being dead, it reminds me of the French brand of clothing which obviously takes its name from Eden Park in NZ due to ex players - anyway, they also have a bar in Paris. We went there on a Six Nations weekend that Scotland were playing France on the Saturday... We went on the Sunday and they were closed - I get they don't normally open on a Sunday but for 6N weekend you'd think they would. It had a similar atmosphere.
Super
Enjoyed that
It’s the atmosphere that makes it worth while ..
You can park on the Balmoral side of Mt Eden and wallk 15 -20mins to Eden Park. There is always plenty of parking and no traffic problems there even on big game days.
That was a cracking little jaunt. I'm only ever in NZ for B&I lions tours
Awesome man, thanks.
This was a great video Mark. Good to see all the different aspects of a game day.
Do you think the Blues and other super rugby teams would benefit from moving the games against the likes of the Force, Rebels etc. to a smaller stadium? Leinster generally play in the RDS (16.5k) and move the big games to the Aviva but when I started going to games most would be at Donnybrook (6k) and big games would be at the RDS or Aviva depending how big.
Munster also move games from Thomond Park (25k) to Musgrave Park (8k) for smaller games. That would probably be a better model for the Blues as they're in different cities.
10.50 for a little can of beer??? FUCK THAT lol!!
Enjoyed this live in Christchurch never been to Eden Park on my bucket list
more of this content please!
Keen to see you review other grounds in NZ! Or do a tier list of stadiums in different leagues?
More of this content. Really enjoyed the out and about vibe
I lived in new Zealand for two years. I went to to super rugby games in Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland and Hamilton the only atmosphere was the P.A. but the NPC games has a lot more atmosphere than franchise clubs
You just gotta get your arse over to The Principality Stadium here in Wales. Our team may be struggling but our Stadium is tops 😁😁😁
Interesting walk around though, nice job.
Great video, more like this.
It’s like Bald and Bankrupt meets rugby
Atmosphere was pretty great when I went to the final last year. Also remember going to the first game after lockdown against the Hurricanes and that was really good. I guess it depends on who they’re playing and what the occasion is.
Love the weather
Thanks that was interesting. Be nice to compare the different stadiums in the rugby nations. Appreciated.
Awesome thank you for taking me to Eden Park.Great video 2cents
Most welcome boet!
60 Dollar seats seems fine to me, who paid £300 to go watch the Springboks play England at Twickenham.
That was a punch in the dick.
Eden Park is located in a leafy resedential area, surrounded with bars and resturants, all within a walking distance. Really nice.
Really like this analysis, it’s a total eye opener from a NH watcher. No wonder so few turn up. Ridiculous fees for buying online.
Cheers for that insight on Eden Pk it looks like a Awesome ground especially if it was a sell out with the Mighty All Blacks playin would be something to behold Thanks for the tour of the formidable Eden Park !!!
I watch our local comp, the MLR here in the states, but the only international league I follow is super rugby. They used to have their games on ESPN during Covid. Sucked me in, sad it hasn’t drawn the same attention to others.
Cool video. Come and experience Churchill Park, Lautoka when the Drua plays.
One of these days man!
Interesting to see atmosphere for club rugby games. French & some of the Irish clubs seem to have it spot on.
That Ferris Wheel ! Brilliant.. talk about clever marketing
Great vid mate, I always thought Eden Park was huge so I looked it up. That's pretty small for a national rugby stadium mate, the capacity is only 45,000 thats exactly half that of Twickenham. Stade France is also 90, 000, the Aviva in Dublin is 60,000 same in Murrayfield and the Principality is in Wales is 75,000, used to be 80. Expensive food and drink is common to them all. It also looks pretty bleak around Eden Park mate, the Principality in Cardiff is in the city centre, easy to get to by train and park & ride but the best part is it's surrounded by pubs, bars and restaurants, so there is no need to buy stuff in the stadium, we usually have a few pints before we enter, it's nice to have a break then hit the pubs again after the game. There is usually 300,000 people on the streets of Cardiff on test match day, the atmosphere is electric. Cardiff Blues have a 10,000 stadium next door but are poorly supported as are the other Welsh regions, I have been watching the Blues on a cold wet day with only about 2,000 in the Arms Park. The fans of the old clubs like Neath, Pontypool, Bridgend etc have never taken to the regions. It's a real problem for the WRU.
I agree it's small for a city the size of Auckland but it's not really a National Stadium. Test Matches are played in all the major centres around New Zealand, whereas the stadiums you named are the sole places which host the Internationals.
@@AK-wc9rl and that's the biggest problem with NZ stadiums, all the grounds want to host the Internationals but it's not viable to build every stadium to true international level so they build them to the minimum qualifying standard.
As a result Eden Park is too big for the Blues and too small for the All Blacks. Yet it hosts both.
@@louiscypher4186 💯
I went to Warriors that day and it had 19k people
We went to The Warriors game that night. It was loud and had 18,500 people there. Hmmmm
If they keep winning, they'll get some sell outs
Yeah man I heard it was cracking
enjoyed this...great to see Eden Park
Really enjoyed that walk around. Saw a Blues v Sharks game there in 1999 when I was doing a book on the Shark’s season. It was packed!
But that’s the new Super Rugby Pacific for you.
It’s on the decline.
Just to give you a price comparison in NZ $ with the present conversion rate. I watch the Sharks in Durban when they play in the URC and recently the Heineken Champions Cup.
Tickets (best seats) - $8
Tickets (cheap seats) - $4,50
Beer (500ml) - $3,60
Boerwors Roll - $3,00
Hotdog - $2,25
Chicken Burger - $3,00
Mini Donuts (20) - $3,20
Bottled water / Coke (500ml) - $1,70
After each game there’s a free music concert staged on Kings Park 6 alongside the main stadium with a flee market and about 30 food and beverage kiosks.
I usually watch the game with my son and daughter who are in their teens. After the game they attend the concert and meet up with their friends while I have a braai with mates on an accompanying field (KP 10).
We head home two ti three hours later.
So a family afternoon/ evening packed with rugby and entertainment for about $45.
Wow!
U need 2 come to lautoka or suva for drua games...ud ❤️ the atmosphere, but mostly the crowd...come to fiji
Loving this
It’s a far cry from the days when Jonah Lomu and Joeli Vidiri were terrorising opponents in the Eden Park Colosseum
Its a lot like Kings Park in here in Durban when a team that isn't so popular comes to play the Sharks but when the game is a Sell Out or even a Bok match, totally comes to life.
I was there back in 1973 went to school close by at edendale primary aged 7
Bro, you should definitely come and watch the Blues vs Drua at Lautoka and try out the fijian games atmosphere