Cape Town - We’re way past the point of having to ask when we will be able to see more than 2 000 fans at rugby matches.
Last October, rugby’s governing body in South Africa announced that fully vaccinated supporters would be allowed to attend club and professional games while observing Covid-19 health guidelines.
Since then, 2 000 fans have been allowed at matches, but some five months later we’re still sitting on the same number, and for the bigger part of the last two years fans weren’t allowed at stadiums.
So, what gives? With an exciting Test season coming up, one can only hope that things change from what seems to be nothing more than an arbitrary number barring more fans from live games in open air.
When ticket sales were announced for the upcoming Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town in September, SA Rugby chief executive Jurie Roux was hopeful that there would be some good news in the weeks to follow.
“It will be 995 days since Cape Town last hosted a Sevens event when the Rugby World Cup kicks off, and we can’t wait,” Roux said last month.
“The global vaccine roll-out has allowed the return of capacity crowds around the world and we’re expecting that experience to return to South Africa by the time of the Rugby World Cup.”
Roux also said that the global vaccine roll-out had allowed the return of capacity crowds around the world and that the expectation was that SA would follow suit before the September event.
“We are planning for a packed stadium with more teams, more action and more at stake than ever before for a Cape Town event,” he said.
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“We’re envious of sports events around the world, which have seen the return to full capacity stadia and are very much looking forward to enjoying that experience in Cape Town once again.”
Up to 55 000 fans could walk into Cape Town Stadium for the three-day spectacular if capacity crowds are allowed.
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Close to 60 000 tickets were snapped up as sales opened for the Rugby World Cup Sevens on the first day, with a total of 23 817 purchased by FNB clients as part of their “earlybird” partnership with the tournament, while another 36 183 were purchased in the first six hours after public sales opened at 9am last Monday - of these, 23 247 tickets flew off the virtual shelves in the first hour.
But what a pity would it be if it’s prevented from happening?
More pressing at the moment, however, is the Springbok Tests and even the United Rugby Championship and Currie Cup.
The Currie Cup hasn’t exactly been a crowd magnet, but the door should still be open to more fans. Whether crowd capacity is taken into account or a percentage system replaces the number 2 000, it’s about time things change.
@WynonaLouw