Every now and then, things go a little bit wrong for the people responsible for scheduling rugby games in New Zealand.
Happily for those who follow rugby, when it goes wrong they’re forced to put on a big game at the right time. Cluttered calendars mean schedulers have theirhand forced and put big matches on at a time of day when members of the public will actually pay to go along and watch at the stadium.
When the Hurricanes host the Chiefs in a Super Rugby semifinal today in Wellington, they’ll do so at the perfectly sensible time of 4.35pm. The more television-friendly slot of 7.05pm is generally preferred for such matches – setting up kickoff for that time of night in winter when the sofa looks very attractive; the TV remote is your friend. Sadly, it’s a time when a trip to the stadium looks very unattractive – particularly for young families.
Hence, fewer people at the grounds for rugby.
The rescheduling of today’s match has come about because the Warriors were already booked in to kick off – and be screened on Sky TV – in the primetime slot.
Whenever the schedulers land a rugby game with an afternoon kickoff, the sport seems almost sheepish about it. Fans have a great time, with seemingly everyone in the stadium commenting on how lovely it is to be watching footy at a decent hour. Early season afternoon kickoffs at Eden Park are a taonga.
Rugby fans in Wellington should enjoy this rare nicely timed match while they can.
