MAILBOX: SARU sold the seats, but lost the fans

This open letter from BizNews tribe member and Springbok rugby fan Johnny Black to SARU has laid bare frustrations over ticket pricing at recent Test matches. Black paid R1,350 a ticket, R5,400 in total, for a Sharks side against the All Blacks, only to watch prices drop as kickoff approached and the stadium remained largely empty. He says the same pattern played out at the Springboks vs Wales match in July. His argument: charging a premium upfront while failing to fill seats undermines the atmosphere fans pay for, and risks losing loyal supporters altogether. He warns SARU has had his money for the last time..By Johnny Black.An open letter to SARUWell, SARU, congratulations. You got my money.I paid R1,350 a ticket for four tickets — R5,400 in total — to go and watch a young Sharks side (their Springboks unavailable) play the All Blacks. I reluctantly paid what I felt was a ridiculous price because, for me, going to a live rugby match, with my family, is about more than just watching the game. If I simply wanted to watch the rugby, we could have stayed at home, sat on our couch and watched it on TV.You go to the stadium for the atmosphere. The noise, the excitement, being surrounded by thousands of people all caught up in the game.Instead, I paid R1,350 to sit in a stadium that was so empty we could pretty much have sat wherever we wanted.And then, to make matters worse, as the game got closer, tickets started being sold at significantly lower prices. So those of us who bought early and paid full price were left feeling a bit like mugs. And before this is dismissed as a once-off mistake, I had almost exactly the same experience at the Springboks vs Wales match in July — paying top price for tickets, only to see prices plummet as it became clear that there simply weren't enough takers.Surely this is not rocket science? If you want people to come to the stadium, make the tickets affordable enough to fill it. Get some atmosphere going. Create some demand. And then, as tickets become scarce, increase the price.Instead, it seems to have been done the other way round. Charge a premium price upfront, leave the stadium half empty, and then start dropping the prices when the damage is already done.So yes, SARU — you got my R5,400 this time. But you won't get it again. And judging by all the empty seats — and the reaction from plenty of other rugby supporters — I have a feeling I'm not the only one..Read more:.SARU's four-city fiefdom is following Welsh path to ruin: Tommy Bedford.You've got my money guys. But you've lost my custom.Maybe it's time to remember that the people sitting in the stands are not just there to provide revenue. They're part of the product..Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. Register here.Support South Africa’s bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here.

MAILBOX: SARU sold the seats, but lost the fans

Related Stories

BN Daybreak: DA's R4bn probe; Masie on AI healthcare; Summerton on serial acquirers; US Markets

DA leader Mark Burke's former company Kastelo targeted by SARB on crypto deals

SARU's four-city fiefdom is following Welsh path to ruin: Tommy Bedford

SA rugby's ticket strategy prices Bok fans out of stadiums — and puts grassroots rugby at risk