All Blacks test at risk of being an event for the well-heeled - Editorial

Eden Park will host our greatest rugby rivals in September. Photo / Getty Images

Editorial

• The Springboks’ upcoming match at Eden Park is highly anticipated, marking their first visit to the ground since 2013.
• Ticket prices range from $170 to $280, with corporate packages reaching $1299, sparking debate over affordability.
• Concerns arise about pricing out grassroots fans, especially during a cost-of-living crisis.

It is not often the Springboks come to Eden Park.

The All Blacks’ great rivals have only visited the home of New Zealand rugby three times this century and were last guests there in 2013.

Despite its flaws for fans, the stadium in Kingsland is one of rugby’s historical cathedrals.

So, when we learned the back-to-back world champion South African team were scheduled to play there in early September, it instantly became the test of the year.

The All Blacks haven’t beaten them in their past four attempts and Scott Robertson hasn’t beaten them ever. Last year, England came close to breaking the All Blacks 31-year winning streak at Eden Park.

This match against the Boks is one of those games you want to take your children to, one of those encounters you can see yourself talking about for years afterwards.

So, it was expected ticket prices were going to be steep. But to see just how expensive may have caused some to choke on their lunch.

Remember, Eden Park doesn’t have a roof - not yet anyway. So the game could be impacted by poor weather. To avoid being rained on, a premium seat at Eden Park was being sold between $170 and $280. Some were even more expensive.

New Zealand Rugby is also selling corporate packages – a match ticket, access to a communal lounge and shared bar – for $899 a person.

Some were up to $1299, sparking debate over value for money at a time when there is a cost-of-living crisis and many companies have been forced to make large-scale redundancies.

New Zealand Rugby must also be careful not to price out its grassroots fans from seeing their heroes play out their dreams live.

Watching the All Blacks, certainly in Auckland, is already at risk of becoming an event attended only by those who live in the city’s leafy suburbs.

As many of us will recall, some of our fondest childhood memories were of attending afternoon All Blacks matches and running on to the field afterwards, pretending to be Sid Going, John Kirwan or Christian Cullen.

For many families of four, attending a match now is simply stretching their household budget too far.

Rugby’s brains trust acknowledges it is in the battle of its life for eyeballs and competes against other forms of live entertainment. New Zealand Rugby needs to balance making money, attracting new fans and not turning its back on the loyal following it has by making Eden Park the Twickenham of the south.

Ultimately though, the tickets to this mouth-watering fixture against the Boks will only be overpriced if it doesn’t sell out.

Supply and demand.

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