OPINION: Success at UJ Stadium could offer alternate blueprint for Lions
· Citizen
The successful turnout and atmosphere at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) Stadium during the Lions’ Currie Cup match against the Bulls on the weekend could be built on, rather than complicating matters as some believe.
The Lions played their third-round match at the university grounds in the relatively quiet suburb of Westdene after drawing fewer than 1,000 spectators to the 62,000-capacity Ellis Park for their victory over the Pumas the previous week, despite tickets costing just R40.
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The decision proved an overwhelming success, with the Lions confirming just under 4,000 spectators in attendance. This despite the match being played on a cold winter afternoon at a new venue.
The players embraced the occasion too, running in six tries to beat the Bulls with a bonus point.
The plan, however, remains to host their next home Currie Cup match against Boland at Wits Stadium before moving all foreseeable home fixtures back to Ellis Park.
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Ellis Park deemed unsafe
Lions CEO Rudolf Straeuli said before the move that he expected the games at UJ and Wits to be “an overwhelming success”. If they were, the union would use them to bolster its efforts to attract those audiences – particularly students – to Ellis Park through strategic marketing and collaborations.
“Ellis Park will always be the home of the Lions,” he said.
Failure to attract crowds to the crime-affected inner-city stadium has long been a problem for the Joburg union. It has gone to great lengths to clean up the area and improve safety, but many supporters still feel uneasy travelling to and parking in the precinct.
Lions could try both, for now
The game at UJ was a success, and you would expect a similar outcome when the Lions play Boland at Wits.
Some argue that is all the more reason to move all the Lions’ Currie Cup and United Rugby Championship matches to venues like those.
But why not do both? At least for now.
If Straeuli and the Lions board want to enjoy the benefits of bigger crowds at UJ and Wits from time to time, why not target those venues for selected fixtures?
At the same time, they can continue building support for Ellis Park through the marketing and collaborations Straeuli spoke about.
It doesn’t have to be one or the other. The Lions can capitalise on what worked at UJ without giving up on their traditional home.