Attendance at the Currie Cup final was 12,500 – only 20% of the stadium's capacity.
South African rugby was somewhat let down by poor marketing and low attendance at the final of its premier domestic tournament, the Currie Cup.
The match itself was riveting, played at Ellis Park between the Lions and Griquas, and will surely go down as one of the tournament’s classics.
The Lions were heavy favourites after topping the league table, thrashing the Griquas 37-7 two weeks earlier, and playing at home on a three-game winning streak.
But the Kimberley-based Griquas turned up on the day, matching the URC- and Springbok-stacked Lions for every try and kick.
Epic Currie Cup final
A 72nd-minute converted try put them one point ahead, seemingly enough until the Lions hit back with a penalty two minutes from time.
The hooter sounded and referee Christopher Allison blew for full-time. The Joburg crowd cheered… but he was then alerted to an infringement and called for the TMO, which found a Lions player had slapped the ball down.
The resulting penalty gave the Griquas the win, and just like last year’s final at the same venue, a last-gasp kick snatched the title from the Joburg side.
Fireworks erupted, confetti fell, and a contingent of proud Griquas fans celebrated with unrestrained joy at their first Currie Cup title since 1970. But the mood was otherwise gloomy, with many Lions fans booing the referee before leaving quietly, some angrily.
From an objective standpoint, the game was scintillating. Lions coach Mziwakhe Nkosi saw this and had no hard feelings congratulating Pieter Bergh on his tactically-fought win.
Currie Cup final attendance 20% of stadium capacity
Yet poor organisation and marketing saw a meagre attendance of 12,501 – only 20% of Ellis Park’s 62,567 capacity.
Empty seats were partly due to the Griquas’ status as a smaller union and the Lions’ low home attendances in recent years, but a delayed match-time announcement and poor ticket promotion contributed even more.
Even on the media front, journalists only received their parking permits the day before. Further logistical issues arose on match day, and only a handful of outlets showed up — no more than for a standard URC fixture elsewhere.
For a tournament as old as the Currie Cup, and for a home Lions final, the day simply didn’t live up to the occasion.
