Low turnout baffles rugby fans

Safaricom beauties welcoming teams at the 2014 Safaricom rugby tournament at the Safaricom Kasarani Stadium September 27, 2014.There was a big drop in the number of fans who attended this year’s Safaricom Safari Sevens at Safaricom Kasarani Stadium compared to past tournaments. PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU |

What you need to know:

  • Kenya Rugby Union statistics show that only 55,000 fans turned out compared to the 85,000 last year despite the Westgate attack the same weekend
  • But a majority of rugby fans took to social media and expressed dissatisfaction with the turnout
  • But with restricted ways of ‘having a blast’ as the youth would prefer to put it,  including the now famous alcoblow patrols that were spotted in roads leading out of the venue, many a fan seemingly opted to stay away

There was a big drop in the number of fans who attended this year’s Safaricom Safari Sevens at Safaricom Kasarani Stadium compared to past tournaments.

Kenya Rugby Union statistics show that only 55,000 fans turned out compared to the 85,000 last year despite the Westgate attack the same weekend.

Speaking to Daily Nation Sport, tournament director Godwin Karuga said rugby fans still find it a challenge “to connect with the players” as the Safaricom Stadium is regarded “an athletics stadium”.

“That is why it’s imperative we get a rugby stadium in the near future,” said Karuga.

FANS DISSATISFIED

In a press statement, KRU boss Mwangi Muthee said: “The roughly 35,000 (spectators) on Saturday and almost 20,000 on Sunday may have looked to be in half empty or half full (facility) whichever way you look at the stadium.

“But those were comparable crowds to attendances in Gold Coast, Dubai, South Africa, Wellington, Edinburgh and Las Vegas (during the HSBC Sevens circuits) and certainly bigger than in Tokyo and Moscow at the World Cup last year.”

But a majority of rugby fans took to social media and expressed dissatisfaction with the turnout.

“Low turnout again...something is wrong, this is not the sevens we knew, no people at the village, no people at the stadium.” @SirAlexas tweeted.

He was supported by @carolmusyoka who posed: So... regarding the somewhat empty stands at #Safari7s... Was it a question of a large capacity or small crowds?

ALCOBLOW
Some of the aspects thought to have contributed to the significant decline in attendance in no particular order, include the gradual change of this event from a social one into more of a sporting one seem to be one of the key reasons for the decline of fan base.

In past editions, a huge chunk of attendance - well beyond the 70 percent mark - would stream into the venue for fun than the game. 

But with restricted ways of ‘having a blast’ as the youth would prefer to put it,  including the now famous alcoblow patrols that were spotted in roads leading out of the venue, many a fan seemingly opted to stay away.

The change in venues, with this competition shifting over the past few editions from the KRFU grounds in Ngong Road, to Nyayo Stadium just outside the CBD, and now to the Safaricom Kasarani Stadium is mentioned by most as a key factor that kept away interested spectators.

STAND OFF
Karuga, however, insists Kasarani is still the best stadium for the tournament.

“The location of the stadium makes security manageable unlike the RFUEA grounds and Nyayo National Stadium. The toilets and changing rooms were to the international standards with security within the stadium well-coordinated,” he said.

Disturbingly, however, the stand-offs and disputes between senior players and the KRU could have also been a factor.

The stand-off resulted from the now perennial delay in payments, and then, spilled over to the now (in) famous performance contracts.