Field Theory by Hadyn Green

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Field Theory: Week Eight

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  • Tony Parker,

    Personally I'm not a great rugby follower so I can't understand how a game that's supposed to last 80 minutes carries on for another 3 or 4 and often changing the result. Why not blow the whistle at 80 just like other sports.

    Napier • Since Nov 2008 • 232 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    It only happens in games that have strict rules about stopping the clock when the ball is not in play. Rugby doesn't have that. Soccer has it even less. I have a feeling the games would last longer if they instituted that rule.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Tony Parker,

    Field Hockey doesn't stop the clock when the ball goes out of play and they blow for full time dead on the 35 minute mark at the end of each half.

    Napier • Since Nov 2008 • 232 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    What if somebody is injured?

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Ackroyd,

    ... meaning that it's probably shown overseas ...

    Some enterprising journalist might wish to actually find out if this campaign is intended to be shown here and internationally.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 159 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Semmens,

    I more or less held out to Easter with my "no rugby until Easter and no rugby after November" rule, although I did get free tickets to watch the Blues beat the Brumbies.

    The Hurricanes are dissolute, lackadasical and unwilling to work hard except when they realise - to late - it might be slipping away from them. I can't believe that the same Wellington closed shop who have foisted the useless Colin Cooper on us for years were able to appoint a complete outsider (the "up and coming" Mark Hammett if you believe the sycophantic poodles of the Wellington media) and ignore the the two fabuolus up and coming coaches in Peter Russell and Dave Rennie in their own franchise who together would have been a superb combination. The Hurricanes will continue to fail as long as the franchise is dominated by a bunch of second rate administrators in Wellington, and it'll serve them right.

    Anyway I am slowly becoming a Blues fan. As a migrant from Hawkes Bay my natural disinclination to support Auckland has made this a long journey, but after seeing that uniquely Auckland combination of raw power and skill finally get combined with some old time Auckland focus and nous against the Bulls I am almost won over. That was a great game. Here is to hoping the Blues can keep it up - they'll make easy work of the declining Crusaders (memo to Richie McCaw: It is the rugby season, swanning about in F-18's at Wanaka might be fun, but it is doing nothing for your form) if they can.

    I wanted to go to the RWC final, and was willing to play anything up to $4000 for two tickets, but the whole ticketing structure appears to be designed to soak foreigners (and locals) by forcing them to buy packages. It looks increasing like it might be held here, but it is primarily for the entertainment of our economic colonial masters.

    Since I live less than ten minutes from Eden Park, I think I'll do what all my neighbours are planning to do - rent out my house for a grand a night and take a two week holiday in Thailand during the RWC.

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report Reply

  • Naly D,

    I can't believe that the same Wellington closed shop who have foisted the useless Colin Cooper on us for years were able to appoint a complete outsider (the "up and coming" Mark Hammett if you believe the sycophantic poodles of the Wellington media) and ignore the the two fabuolus up and coming coaches in Peter Russell and Dave Rennie in their own franchise who together would have been a superb combination.

    I agree kinda. I put Russell and Rennie at the top of the list, but Rennie didn't apply for the position and Russell isn't liked by the players in Wellington because he had a hand in Newland's 'hand of slog', apparently.

    Wellington • Since Sep 2008 • 307 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Semmens,

    Russell isn't liked by the players in Wellington

    So the non achieving rock stars of the Hissycanes don't like getting dealt to by the hard men from the franchise provinces? Well boo-hoo to them. That sort of whiney attitude is the exactly the reason the Hurricanes seek fufillment in makeup, stupid haircuts and on field insolence instead of doing the hard slog that is required to win.

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report Reply

  • Keir Leslie,

    For `dealt to' read `randomly assaulted'; very few people like getting punched during sports games.

    If you want to be Millwall, nobody will like you. Deal with it & don't be surprised when other people don't want anything to do with you.

    Since Jul 2008 • 1452 posts Report Reply

  • Yamis,

    On crowds I've crunched the numbers...
    Blues got 17,700, which is a sellout I hear (above), they did get 23,000 for their opening game v the Hurricanes at NH stadium though.

    Hurricanes had 19,777 which according to the radio commentators was the worst crowd for a Hurricanes - Crusaders clash by MILES. They said the first few were soldout, two years ago they got about 31,000 and now this year they got 10,000 less. The commentators might be wrong though.

    Chiefs got 11,000 for the game at the Mt against the highlanders. This was their lowest crowd of the year.

    NZ crowds to date: 17 games averaging 15,006
    Last year the NZ average from 30 games was 13,922 so it's up a bit. What happens from here will depend very much on the form of the teams.

    Averages by team:
    Blues 18,566
    Chiefs 14,100
    Hurricanes 13,676
    Crusaders 21,111 (up 5,000 on last year due to ground being finished I guess)
    Highlanders 5,983 (should they be relocated to Southland?)

    Since Nov 2006 • 903 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    It only happens in games that have strict rules about stopping the clock when the ball is not in play. Rugby doesn't have that. Soccer has it even less. I have a feeling the games would last longer if they instituted that rule.

    Rugby used to be loose with the final whistle, but now the referee does stop the clock for some things, and the hooter seems go off at a set time. It's my impression that they stop the clock for video referee decisions, significant injuries etc.

    I'm not sure why the game went so far over on Friday, were there just no stoppages in play after the hooter? Or was the hooter delayed for some reason?

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Hadyn Green,

    There were no stoppages and the official clock hit 80mins just before the TMO play

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2090 posts Report Reply

  • Naly D,

    So the non achieving rock stars of the Hissycanes don't like getting dealt to by the hard men from the franchise provinces? Well boo-hoo to them. That sort of whiney attitude is the exactly the reason the Hurricanes seek fufillment in makeup, stupid haircuts and on field insolence instead of doing the hard slog that is required to win.

    Newland is a fuckwit. He's a risk, not an asset.

    There were no stoppages and the official clock hit 80mins just before the TMO play

    The clock we were looking at said it was four minutes over when the final try was reviewed. The clock hit 80 just before the final lineout.

    Hurricanes had 19,777 which according to the radio commentators was the worst crowd for a Hurricanes - Crusaders clash by MILES. They said the first few were soldout, two years ago they got about 31,000 and now this year they got 10,000 less. The commentators might be wrong though.

    No, they're not. It was an embarassing turnout, though not as bad as that fucking Ranfurly Shield game. That Cru match 2 years ago had an amazing turnout - double the previous match I think. But the crowd at this year's one had a much better atmosphere, it was like they knew Hadyn was there and decided to say 'fuck you, we can too chant!'

    I was in Auckland and tried to get to that Blues game. 'GROUND SOLD OUT!' screamed the banners when I rocked up.
    I watched the recording on MYSKY last night and there were grey seats fucking EVERYWHERE. Not just the 'oh I'll go for a piss' kind of smatterings, these were clumps of 20 or so in the middle of stands full of people. I was so fucked off.

    Wellington • Since Sep 2008 • 307 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    I watched the recording on MYSKY last night and there were grey seats fucking EVERYWHERE. Not just the 'oh I'll go for a piss' kind of smatterings, these were clumps of 20 or so in the middle of stands full of people. I was so fucked off.

    Season ticket holders?

    I wonder why sports venues don't do like airlines and oversell some events? They must be able to guarantee for a domestic game that some season ticket holders won't turn up and sell an additional couple of hundred tickets five minutes before the game starts.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Keir Leslie,

    Safety rules, possibly, and assigned seating?

    Since Jul 2008 • 1452 posts Report Reply

  • Yamis,

    Hurricanes crowd averages in recent seasons
    2006: 26796
    2007: 22541
    2008: 18122
    2009: 14925
    2010: 13677

    So basically they have halved in four years. Must represent a drop of about $1 million in revenue using some basic calculations. Mind you, it would have to halve again and then some to reach Highlander type levels.

    At some point in time I might have a look at average crowd sizes in NZ when NZ teams play each other v teams from OZ and teams from SA. Might shed some light on whether the conference type format will work or not.

    Since Nov 2006 • 903 posts Report Reply

  • Yamis,

    Since Nov 2006 • 903 posts Report Reply

  • LegBreak,

    I wonder why sports venues don't do like airlines and oversell some events?

    Hillsborough

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1162 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Semmens,

    Hmmmmm... the WRFU loses $500,000 and the HBRFU makes a (modest) profit of $18,0000. Who are geniuses here again? Where should the NZRFU be looking for coaches and ideas for how to save professional rugby in the lower North Island again?

    Jesus, Wellington and the Hissycanes can't even compete with a D grade soccer team playing in a boring no-name Australian competition.

    Can't play, can't make money, can't compete, can't do sweet fuck all really... The rank arrogance of the Wellingtonians posting here makes me hope the whole crappy lot of them go down the gurgler of bankruptcy. It'll be good riddance to bad rubbish, it isn't like Hawkes Bay along with Taranaki and Manawatu (and maybe a few players from Wellington, but only if they feel like it mind) wouldn't be able to organise and run a team that was more profitable and successful than the Hurricanes, that is a prettly low barrier after all.

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    Hillsborough

    Well I'm not suggesting letting more people into the venue than it can hold. But if a condition of your season ticket is that you turn up within 10 minutes of kickoff, they could then second sell those tickets to walk ups. It seems foolish to have seats empty when you could sell them.

    And Hillsborough wasn't a problem of overselling. It was a problem of bad crowd management. Some parts of that ground were half empty at the same time as people were being crushed in another part.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • LegBreak,

    Wasn’t the area for Liverpool fans oversold? I know that wasn’t the only factor, but I thought it was in the mix.

    Not sure what the answer with season ticket holders is. It amazed me that for the final Phoenix match there were tickets going for $100 on TradeMe yet there were around 1000 yellow seats.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1162 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    Exactly. You could reduce the price on your season tickets a little to compensate for the fact that they can't turn up halfway through a game, and still make money on the deal.

    Turning people away from a venue where they are empty seats is illogical.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Yamis,

    Fact is though that the season ticket holders have bought those tickets. So they've already got money for them and a right of paying for a season ticket should be to not go if you don't want to or to turn up when you like. Good luck telling a season ticket holder who's arrived 8 minutes before the game that somebody else has just been given their ticket and now the ground has made double the money from it. Meanwhile season ticket holder finds somewhere else to spend their money next year.

    Since Nov 2006 • 903 posts Report Reply

  • Yamis,

    Maybe they should page people outside the ground "Would Eric Bloggs, please make your way to your seat now, the game is about to really fucking take off".

    Since Nov 2006 • 903 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    Fact is though that the season ticket holders have bought those tickets.

    Hence my suggestion that you'd need to change the nature of the tickets, and discount them a little further.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

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