Covid Passes

[Heathen]

Report in tomorrow's Mail suggesting clubs may reduce their capacity below 10k to avoid the expensive need to employ more staff for the required checks. Restrict it by ticket sale reduction.

Possibly too late with advanced ticket sales for boxing day games?

Agreed.

There will be a few games on Boxing Day with more than 10K fans - although it depends who the home teams are - I imagine Sale, Wuss, Falcons, Sarries (even Wasps?) might not get up to 10K.

What was yesterday's attendance?

[DGP Wasp]

What was yesterday's attendance?

Looked very sparse on the telly, with north stand looking almost empty.  It was clear from the noise and the pictures that a lot of those there were in Munster red.  While their money is as good as anyone's for this game, they won't be back, and the decline in attendance is a real concern.  Take the Munster fans out of the equation for yesterday, and how many does that leave?  Boxing Day will hopefully reverse the trend a bit, but we can't add all the additional Christmas whistles and bells every week.

[Neils]

From my seat I thought the Wasps support was pitiful vastly outnumbered by the Irish.

[Vespula Vulgaris]

I understand the club is focusing on profit over revenue when it comes to attendances now, but I do worry that it might not have been thought through properly.

Without some way of driving engagement in the club numbers are only ever going to go one way. Rugby fans tend to be drawn from a much older demographic than most sports, and the last few years have made it harder and harder for those formerly dedicated supporters to attend.

So if we aren't attracting younger fans we are screwed. Clearly we arent going to do it with on field results, so what is the plan?

It feels to me that the plan is to concentrate on the non rugby business for long term revenue and just hope and pray the rugby side of things doesn't spiral into oblivion.

[Neils]

From the limited discussions I have had I think your last paragraph almost hits the nail on the head. Get the whole business in good fettle then apply same to the Sports clubs.

[Shugs]

To be fair the external signs we are putting out are good - new training facility, upgrades to the ground (not our cash but an asset upgrade), one of the best TH’s in the world signed.

[Laterontoday]

Results are loosing the kids.  Two dads and sons sit in front of me, all season ticket holders.  Yesterday neither son was present, neither wanted to go; they are loosing interest because of the results.  Youngsters have many other outlets for their interests and watching the current results and bad luck is not appealing to them and they are the future.

[Vespula Vulgaris]

To be fair the external signs we are putting out are good - new training facility, upgrades to the ground (not our cash but an asset upgrade), one of the best TH’s in the world signed.

Absolutely, we ate clearly building a sustainable business. But what are we doing to attract new fans? To bring in Millenials, Gen X, even Gen Z?

Nothing that I can see. It's all aimed at people who already know and follow the game and the club.

[WonkyWasp]

     We spent over 2 hours with a patient  neighbour 5 days ago trying to get me a Covid pass  Out of date passport, no mobile, no 'smart' mobile, no driving licence (can't drive), no bus pass (no bus out here) ,,,, but yes !! A photo of me in Blue Card Mobility thinggy.  Only look 3 months dead in it so allowable, but not to Surgery Receptionist who demanded I turn up along with photo to be identifiable with photo. We did that next day to be met by different Receptionist  who sorted everything (we think and hope)  and said there was no need for me to have to be there as we know each other.  I now have an Email thing which I'll never use or need. Oh well.  I just hope I get to the Christmas Cracker after all this! 

[Shugs]

To be fair the external signs we are putting out are good - new training facility, upgrades to the ground (not our cash but an asset upgrade), one of the best TH’s in the world signed.

Absolutely, we ate clearly building a sustainable business. But what are we doing to attract new fans? To bring in Millenials, Gen X, even Gen Z?

Nothing that I can see. It's all aimed at people who already know and follow the game and the club.

Agreed. I think we should keep it simple and use the opportunity our 32,000 seats give us. Why not let under 10’s in for free from next season? Everyone likes something for free and they’d obviously bring at least one paying adult. Add in the fact they’ll maybe have food and drink and it makes sense. More importantly you start to hook in your future fans.

[WonkyWasp]

We visited Irish years ago when they were at Reading, and much to our surprise my husband was reckoned to be my Carer and got in free!.  It never happened anywhere else.

[Heathen]

I also think that the 'casual fan' who was primarily a soccer one, was drawn in when we moved to Coventry. I know quite a few who bought STs for several seasons. When the gloss started to fade on Wasps performances and the fortunes of CCFC took an upturn and then a return to our stadium, they have little interest in rugby now and have subscribed in numbers to STs for the soccer club.

Coventry in terms, of sport was primarily a soccer city - this was aligned to the significant heavy industries manufacturing base in the area.

Yes - Coventry Rugby Club were a top flight club years ago, but with the advent of the professional era, that essentially saw them slip down to the second echelon.

If the Sky Blues did make it back to the hallowed land, then there would be 30K attending every home game.

Wasps fans from the old heartlands - Repton Ave, Loftus Road and Adams Park, are feeling more and more disenfranchised by the club.

Communication from the Club is very poor. I had a quick look at the website today and there are zero match reports linked to results page.

The club has to seriously rethink it's offering to fans past and present, otherwise rugby will become non significant at the CBS.

[Tervueren]

I also think that the 'casual fan' who was primarily a soccer one, was drawn in when we moved to Coventry. I know quite a few who bought STs for several seasons. When the gloss started to fade on Wasps performances and the fortunes of CCFC took an upturn and then a return to our stadium, they have little interest in rugby now and have subscribed in numbers to STs for the soccer club.

Coventry in terms, of sport was primarily a soccer city - this was aligned to the significant heavy industries manufacturing base in the area.

Yes - Coventry Rugby Club were a top flight club years ago, but with the advent of the professional era, that essentially saw them slip down to the second echelon.

If the Sky Blues did make it back to the hallowed land, then there would be 30K attending every home game.

Wasps fans from the old heartlands - Repton Ave, Loftus Road and Adams Park, are feeling more and more disenfranchised by the club.

Communication from the Club is very poor. I had a quick look at the website today and there are zero match reports linked to results page.

The club has to seriously rethink it's offering to fans past and present, otherwise rugby will become non significant at the CBS.

+10, at least

For starters:

Drop the en-er-£$%^-mundo trumpet (it is like the announcer hits a break point in whatever he is watching and leans over and hits the trumpet button, there is little evidence he is actually watching the match), put useful information on the big screen (at the Gloucester match there were 3 penalties awarded for knock-ons), give prompt details about substitutions. Make sure the players come round at the end of the match, this seems to have returned recently but for a while it was "match over - off we go". Update the web-site, with squad information.....

Other gripes, giving us credits to use where we have to phone up to use them, how much time do they think we each have free in a day?

[MarleyWasp]

After being a season ticket holder for all but one season since 1998/99 my passion has been waining over the past few years. With Covid getting me used to Rugby only taking up 2 and a half hours of my weekend as opposed to the 8-9 hours it takes to get to a home match and back, the axing of Pete Nuttall, the frankly embarrassing matchday experience we now have to endure and the lack of Covid compliance inside the stadium, the passion has pretty much gone. I suspect this will be my last as a season ticket holder for a while. It costs me the best part of £45 to get to the Stadium, park and back home again and if I am not enjoying going, why continue to spend the money?

Sunday was just the third European home game I've missed since Ulster at Loftus Road in September 1997. On Friday I got pinged and had to have a PCR test. I'd been undecided about going all week, mainly because I'd reached the point where I was more interested in the Grand Prix then the match, and when my result came back negative I actually felt annoyed that I had to make a decision about whether to go or not. When I realised this I thought why am I going?

[Vespula Vulgaris]

After being a season ticket holder for all but one season since 1998/99 my passion has been waining over the past few years. With Covid getting me used to Rugby only taking up 2 and a half hours of my weekend as opposed to the 8-9 hours it takes to get to a home match and back, the axing of Pete Nuttall, the frankly embarrassing matchday experience we now have to endure and the lack of Covid compliance inside the stadium, the passion has pretty much gone. I suspect this will be my last as a season ticket holder for a while. It costs me the best part of £45 to get to the Stadium, park and back home again and if I am not enjoying going, why continue to spend the money?

Sunday was just the third European home game I've missed since Ulster at Loftus Road in September 1997. On Friday I got pinged and had to have a PCR test. I'd been undecided about going all week, mainly because I'd reached the point where I was more interested in the Grand Prix then the match, and when my result came back negative I actually felt annoyed that I had to make a decision about whether to go or not. When I realised this I thought why am I going?

This is really sad to read. I'm not saying I blame you at all, I know for a fact other long term supporters are feeling equally disenamoured (is that a word?), but that the club doesn't seem to notice, or if they do then they don't care.

The fact is that for those of us who have been around a long time getting to marches is a big deal. And so when the match day enjoyment is gone, the only thing left is habit, and Covid has broken that.

Add to that the very real health risks to a supporter group who are at the older end of the spectrum and you have a big problem.