WP Rugby failed its fans

The writing is on the wall.. Spectators / fans will not put-up with this nonsense for long.  Wakefield must catch a wake-up and also lose some of that girth..

We went to watch the Stormers play the Bulls at Newlands on Saturday, as we have done for many years to support our rugby team.

It was very disappointing, to say the least, that the ‘big’ screen was not working. I have to put the word big in quotes because the Newlands screen is so out-dated and technologically deficient that watching it has never been as easy thing to do. Most of our rugby stadiums in South Africa have large HD television screens that enhance the viewing experience for the loyal spectators who pay their hard-earned money to watch their teams at their home ground.

But not WP Rugby at Newlands. Despite having the most loyal supporters in world rugby and the largest crowds for any provincial team in the world, the disrespectful and arrogant management of Newlands and Board of Western Province Rugby do not think the gate-takings that brings them in more cash than any other union should be used to reward those loyal locals by offering them a 21st Century screen to enhance their regular experience at the ground.

It has never been a good enough screen.

And now, on Saturday, even that miserable low-tech, low-definition, analogue small screen did not work at all. Not only did the screen not work but there was no sound for the sponsors dancing troupe before the match.  

Spectators love to watch replays of moves and scores. The new World Rugby/SANZAAR rules allow refs to consult the ‘Big Screen’. Even players like to have a quick look at their moves. But this was impossible at Newlands on Saturday. (And very difficult on any normal game day.)

This is just not good enough. Thelo Wakefield and Mark Alexander, you should both hang your heads in shame. What are you doing in your positions, if you can’t ensure that you get even such a basic thing right? You should be acutely embarrassed that you believe you can treat your good supporters in such a patronising and disrespectful manner. WP Rugby is not a Mickey Mouse rugby union, or a high-school Glee Club, so you two ‘executives’ should stop behaving as if it is. Have either of you got any shame at all?

There are simply no excuses for such failures. You cannot say it was the first game of the season. You cannot say you didn’t know. You cannot say anything. You DID NOT even offer an apology on the, mysteriously still working, PA system.

Did any one bother to check the screen and music systems after you switched off the lights at the end of last season?

Thelo Wakefield and Mark Alexander, you have failed your loyal supporters, you have failed your fantastic players, you have failed your more deserving dancing troupe and you have failed your big-spending sponsors, DHL and the other sponsors.

You are telling spectators to rather stay at home where they will get a more enjoyable experience. Should we stay away until the screen is fixed? Or until it is replaced? You obviously don’t give damn about this abject failure.

Jannie Durand, CEO of Remgro, please will you do something about this? It is clear Wakefield and Alexander do not care how badly they treat the union, players, sponsors or supporters.

We expect to see an immediate public apology by these two executives. And a new HD screen that enhances the experience of all spectators

Source

Machiavelli, you are not entirely happy are you? 
That is pretty kak style from WeePee, but let us not forget they are somewhat cash strapped at the moment. 

 As a rugby supporter (not a WP / Stormers supporter) i detest the obnoxious way in which my fellow spectators are treated by a union which employed and support thieves and scoundrels who have stripped the cupboards bare and now rely on outside help to bail them out.  The cash tight-spot is not the cause of the fans, supporters, spectators but must clearly be laid at the feet (of clay) of these buggers who are hell-bent on self enrichment.
You betcha I am not entirely happy!

 I'm a WP man through and through, but this complaint is right on the money. I've watched the decline over the last decade and I'm actually surprised we haven't gone the way of Boland and the Kings yet. Hopefully Remgro can kick some life into them. It's not worth the bother to go to Newlands for a game no more.

 After watching the cheetas vs lions game, it seems many people do not bother going to stadiums.

Get rid of the obsolete Currie Cup. Nobody gives a shit about it anymore anyway. Reduce the number of boring and pointless rugby games played over the course of a season. That way the hunger to watch rugby will be increased, because the games played will be of much greater significance, and in the case of Super Rugby, of much greater quality too.
It is like this, if you have been snacking on biltong and chips all day, how much do you crave a fillet steak? Correct. Not at all. But when you have nothing to eat all day, how tempting does that very same fillet sound? 

 Theo Wakefield is a fat blob who should be fired yesterday.  We need a Louis Luyt!  

 The problem is not only money and crap management. The flawed Super Rugby competition is what started it all. It is too long and drawn out and takes centre stage for too long a period. I know that I am at risk of being accused of beating the same drum but I will say it again. The NH has got their competition set-up and formats right. They have managed to keep the interest in both the domestic and European competitions as well as the 6N alive. In fact the interest is growing. The reason? They play all competitions over the entire season with the different competitions in blocks, so to speak. They have certain weekends set aside for each competition. The players playing in the European competition are the same ones who play in the domestic competitions. The only times when sides are "weakened" are the times when they have the 6N competitions, when the international players are withdrawn. 
Supporters keep on filling the stands in all tiers of competitions, even when they know their sides have next to zero chance of winning. Remember that the European competitions are played in two tiers among more than double the number of sides that they have in the SANZAAR competition. In addition, they also have a U20 and women's 6N. What are the chances of SANZAAR even contemplating a Women's or U20 Rugby Championship, let alone having bo th a women's and U20 competition? More important what are the chances of them even thinking about it?
Even the amateur clubs are functional and are playing in league competitions and are well supported. Berkshire is one of the smallest counties in England and there are 18 amateur rugby clubs. 

 Wow - so the SH teams must follow the NH system and end up with a system stretched over 4 months - with matches fit in with the local competitions - and long breaks between matches.    Sure - you know better than anybody else

Yep. Just as I thought. You still do not understand the way the NH rugby works. Remember how you tried to school me into believing that it was not possible for two clubs to play each other on two consecutive weekends in the European competitions? What you are suggesting is exactly what the NH competitions are not. The 2016/17 English Premiership, for instance started on 2 Sep 2016 and the final is on 27 May 2017. That is almost 9 months. The European competitions started on 14 October 2016 and the final is on 13 May 2017. That is seven months. WTF so you get eight months from? The key which, after years of trying to explain to you, is that the teams that play in the domestic competitions are no weaker than the teams playing in the European competitions. That is unlike the CC where you are faced with a watered down nothing competition, with teams stripped of their top players. People don't go watch those games. FFS, SANZAAR, are battling to get bums on seats for the fecking Super Rugby circus.

 Balls and a long list of BS statements.

Typical cop-out when you do not have a leg to stand on.

Dofdoos  
This is because you use a thread on the issue of poor maintenance by the WPPRU to raise another completely different issue - useless brainless idiot.   Can you read - stooge? 
Why not start a thread on the issue and see what happens.   But I doubt whether you ass creep knows how since all you do is jab - mostly totally disconnected with threads it is under. 

 RE: WP Rugby failed its fans
March 03, 2017, 07:59:03

Dofdoos 
This is because you use a thread on the issue of poor maintenance by the WPPRU to raise another completely different issue - useless brainless idiot.   Can you read - stooge? 
Why not start a thread on the issue and see what happens.   But I doubt whether you ass creep knows how since all you do is jab - mostly totally disconnected with threads it is under. 

I rest my case.. time to move along 
@Ruckers Forum Ed
This will cost you the board.  It already only exists for a few name callers.

 OK. Maybe I should always bear in mind that we have someone like ComradeMike on board. One who you have to spoon-feed to make sure that he understands the angle that you are coming from. 
Let me try and make life easier for the old codger.
1. The WP are in financial difficulties. Everybody knows that.2. Draad mentioned that the involvement of Remgro could help.3. Beeno said that Wakefield, etc has to go and that someone like Louis Luyt is needed. For the benefit of Maaikie we have to stress that he obviously did not really mean Louis Luyt but rather someone like him.
I agree with that but I also think that their issues go way beyond that and that was why I started off my first post with: "The problem is not only money and crap management."
Then I added that it is also due to SANZAAR etc, etc, etc.
In other words, in addition to the financial and managerial issues that the WP has, there is also something else. I am sure that ou Maaikie was the only one who did not see that.

 That may be a bit clearer - but I think the financial difficulties have been solved by the  new Remgro subsidiary.   There will be upgrading because they will ensure sound financial management.
WP went from a wealthy fr anchise to being bankrupt because of poor financial management and a poor performance scenario  under Coetzee.
Saturday there was 35 000 spectators at the game and we must see how that develops over the next few months.    

 That may be a bit clearer - but I think the financial difficulties have been solved by the  new Remgro subsidiary.   There will be upgrading because they will ensure sound financial management.
WP went from a wealthy fr anchise to being bankrupt because of poor financial management and a poor performance scenario  under Coetzee.
Saturday there was 35 000 spectators at the game and we must see how that develops over the next few months.    

 Does that mean that you might now consider retracting these remarks: 
"Balls and a long list of BS statements....."    
 ..and
"Dofdoos 
This is because you use a thread on the issue of poor maintenance by the WPPRU to raise another completely different issue - useless brainless idiot.   Can you read - stooge? 
Why not start a thread on the issue and see what happens.   But I doubt whether you ass creep knows how since all you do is jab - mostly totally disconnected with threads it is under. "