The Wallabies are on track to sell out their return to Allianz Stadium on September 3 with corporate tickets flying off the shelves at prices higher than international pop sensation Justin Bieber.
Next Saturday’s Rugby Championship Test against South Africa will be the first international match held at the new $830 million venue, which opens its doors on Sunday.
It will be the second Test in the sport’s eastern suburbs heartland after Australia lost the decider against England at the SCG two months ago.
Rugby and stadium sources are tipping a sell-out, with corporate clients undeterred by record prices for hospitality packages.
Outdoor corporate boxes seating six or eight people are selling for almost $1200 a person, outstripping the likes of Bieber and Bruno Mars, who are charging about $900 a person for a similar package in November and October, respectively.
Single tickets to both entertainers were about the same as the price of a platinum Wallabies ticket ($249) and the cheapest seat in the house for Bieber is $100, double the price of a bronze category ticket to the Wallabies for a child or teen ($49).
Rugby Australia is charging some corporate clients more for Wallabies tickets at Allianz Stadium than Justin Bieber for his concert at the same venue later this year.Credit:Getty Images
Rugby Australia will be delighted at the take-up given their struggles in Perth and, likely, in Adelaide this weekend.
Indications suggest Adelaide Oval will be 10,000 to 15,000 short of its 52,000 capacity this weekend for the Test between the Wallabies and Springboks, despite tickets for the hill selling for $20. In Perth, organisers battled to attract 47,000 to the opening Test of the England series at the 60,000-seat Optus Stadium in July.
“We are aware from a business perspective of the commercial and fan engagement value of having the team ‘in market’ all week.”
Rugby Australia chief executive Andy Marinos
The Wallabies’ sales struggles in non-traditional markets prompted chief executive Andy Marinos to confirm to the Herald that the Test side’s “Camp Wallaby” experiment would be axed after this season.
Dave Rennie and the Wallabies will return to the traditional model of spending the week in the city in which they play in 2023, with venues for the two home Tests against New Zealand and Argentina yet to be decided, Marinos said.
The Wallabies are on track to sell out the new Allianz Stadium at Moore Park on September 3.Credit:Wolter Peeters
“It was something that the management team felt was important in their preparations for the World Cup next year, replicating and simulating the environment they’re going to be in over [in France], as well as giving the coaching team and the players that ability to get through a lot of work in a very short space of time,” he said.
“I think it will have served a purpose in that time, but we are aware from a business perspective of the commercial and fan engagement value of having the team ‘in market’ all week. I’ve spoken to [team manager Chris Webb] and Dave around that, and we’ll certainly be looking to improve that going forward.”
The Wallabies have been based on the Gold Coast while playing games in Australia and have attracted criticism for arriving in host cities late in the week, typically on a Thursday before a Saturday Test.
This week the Springboks are alone in Adelaide until late on Thursday, when the Wallabies fly in. Rennie’s team will do only one pre-game media opportunity there, at the ground on Friday, and fly back to the Gold Coast early on Sunday. They will follow the same pattern next week, only getting to Sydney for the captain’s run session at Allianz Stadium the day before the match.
It is a model that worked well for Rod Macqueen’s Wallabies, who based themselves on the Sunshine Coast and then Coffs Harbour, going on to win the 1999 World Cup. The model was used by Macqueen’s successor, Eddie Jones. But sluggish ticket sales in Perth and Adelaide this season have raised eyebrows.
“It certainly has an impact on our ability to promote and market in the week of a Test but, in saying that, that’s about us from an operational perspective and working around that a bit better,” Marinos said.
“We had record attendances through the England series in Brisbane and Sydney. Could there be better outcomes, yes. But we’re tracking well for the Rugby Championship and I think that’s part of working through the process.”
Watch every match of The Rugby Championship on the Home of Rugby, Stan Sport. Continues this Saturday with Wallabies v South Africa (Saturday 3pm AEST) and New Zealand v Argentina (Saturday 5:45pm AEST). All matches streaming ad-free, live and on demand on Stan Sport.
