Matfield says lower prices could fill stadiums on All Blacks tour

Victor Matfield believes organisers of the All Blacks’ South African tour would have drawn larger crowds by reducing prices for matches involving United Rugby Championship teams. He said premium pricing was more suitable for the three Tests against the Springboks than for the provincial fixtures.

The tour began with 47,130 spectators at Cape Town Stadium, which holds 55,000, as the Stormers faced New Zealand. Tickets for that match cost between R650 and R1,350, leaving more than 7,800 seats unoccupied.

Attendance fell sharply when the All Blacks met the Sharks at Kings Park. Only 14,759 people were present at the 46,000-capacity Durban venue. About 25,000 tickets had been sold, but cold, wet conditions contributed to the much lower number inside the stadium.

The Bulls’ meeting with New Zealand at Loftus Versfeld attracted 30,930 spectators. The Pretoria stadium can accommodate 50,000, meaning the crowd was well below its full capacity despite the involvement of the touring side.

Matfield said fans were willing to pay more to watch South Africa play the All Blacks, but argued that provincial games should have been priced to encourage full venues. He also criticised the arrangement under which SA Rugby took control of stadium operations for the tour.

Under that system, Loftus Versfeld season-ticket holders and box owners could not use their existing allocations without paying again. Matfield said the extra cost of reclaiming a box, including an amount of R50,000 in some cases, had discouraged some regular supporters from attending.

The Lions’ match against New Zealand at Ellis Park on 25 August is the final fixture against a South African URC team. Tickets range from R250 to R1,350. The first two Tests, at Ellis Park and Cape Town Stadium, are sold out, while seats remain for the third Test at FNB Stadium on 5 September, priced between R1,650 and R4,000.