Only 13,583 fans attended the Wallabies' test against Fiji at AAMI Park last June.GETTY IMAGES
"Arvo" test rugby "could be a thing of the past" after the full cost of last year's "disastrous" June series was revealed this week, according to Georgina Robinson of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. Rugby Australia was "hit" with a A$7.6M reduction in matchday revenue last year, "thanks in large part to poor tickets sales" for the Wallabies' June tests against Fiji, Scotland and Italy. RA's "gamble backfired" when it moved the June fixtures to the "family-friendly 3pm" time slot to "make up for less appealing opposition." It was the first time in the professional era that Australia scheduled three afternoon fixtures in a row. RA knew there would be "blow-back from broadcasters and, indeed, free-to-air broadcaster Ten docked its rights payment in accordance with the advertising revenue hit it expected to take on the earlier time slot." But instead of making up the difference and then some on increased ticket sales, as RA hoped it could, "the punters stayed away." The Fiji test at AAMI Park attracted 13,583 fans, "Australia's lowest home test attendance on record." In Brisbane, just 21,849 went through the gates to watch the Wallabies play Italy and in Sydney, 30,721 "turned up to watch Scotland claim another Australia scalp 24-19." Last year's "disaster" ensured the idea was not so much as entertained for the upcoming three-test series against Ireland in June (SMH, 4/11).
