IT’S early days no doubt but Singapore looks to have failed to score big points at the first opportunity.
In the last few years, there has been a fair amount of media coverage on Singapore’s attempts to convince SANZAAR to accept a team to be based in the island republic to be included in an expanded Super Rugby competition.
Much too was said about the state-of the-art facilities at the new Singapore Sports Hub, especially the climate control feature at the main stadium.
Maybe it was recognition of Singapore’s efforts or simply politics but after Japan edged out Singapore as the 18th franchise in Super Rugby beginning this year, SANZAAR decided to make Singapore a venue for three of the Japan Sunwolves matches.
Among the factors to be watched closely in Singapore by SANZAAR is crowd support and that was where the island fell short, very short, while hosting its maiden Super Rugby game – between the Sunwolves and South Africa’s Cheetahs – last week.
Form the pure rugby perspective it was one hell of a thriller, with eight tries scored in the latter’s 32-31 comeback victory.
Super Rugby is just one step below Test rugby and how often do you get to watch top level rugby in tropical Southeast Asia?
But even the chance to see players with World Cup experience failed to attract more people to the stadium.
A few press reports quoted the attendance at 8,808 while a few more said 8,039 fans were at the stadium. This at a venue that can seat 55,000 people.
The poor crowd support couldn’t have come at a worse time for SANZAAR that has to deal with falling attendances also at most of the other venues in New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, the three original members of the competition before its expansion.
The next big test of interest in rugby in Singapore is on April 16/17 when it hosts a leg of the World 7s Series after a 10-year break.
There is much interest in wanting to be a host for one of the 10 legs in the series and Singapore was awarded one leg beginning the 2015/16 season with fellow new venues Vancouver, Sydney and Cape Town.
There were reasonably big crowds in Sydney and Vancouver, with an average of about 30,000 on each of the two days, and Singapore will have to be mindful of that.
Some may remember that several years ago Singapore also had the same rights.
They hosted one leg in 2002 and from 2004 were awarded the rights until 2006 but lost this due to poor crowd support.
History could repeat itself but we will only know in another four years when the current rights expire.
Elsewhere, defending champions the Highlanders Friday managed to check a late comeback by 2014 champions the Waratahs in Sydney to win 30-26, which gives them three consecutive wins against the Australian side they also beat in last year’s semi-final.
It was also a good evening for another New Zealand franchise the Hurricanes as they sprinted away in the second-half to bet the Force in Palmerston-North.
In the north, the Six Nations tournament goes into its final round this weekend, with the highlight being early Sunday’s game in Paris between England and France.
The English have already won their Triple Crown (wins against all the home countries) and the overall title but a triumphant finale against France will give them their first Grand Slam since 2003.
France has done poorly against England in the last five Six Nations, winning only once. The cracker of a game between the two was last year, when England won 55-35.
Last year’s champions Ireland will want to bring back some respect for Irish rugby when they play Scotland earlier on Saturday but so too the Scots who are on a roll after their success last weekend, their first win in 10 years against the French.
Like the French against England, the Scots also have a 4-1 win/loss deficit against Ireland in the tournament, including a 40-10 trouncing at Murrayfield last year, but Scottish hopes are higher this year.