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It's also Super Rugby Finale. We can the season reaches its crescendo tomorrow, the Crusaders and the Chiefs playing out the final in christ Church. The Chiefs by the way with the wood on the Crusader so far with two victories this season. Overall, Super Rugby has seen a significant lift in interest this year. TV numbers are up. Nearly half the games decided by seven points or less. It's been good football. So Jack Mesley is the Super Rugby Pacific CEO and joins us this morning. Cob ond to
you Jack, Morning Andrew, how are you very good? Really looking forward to the game? I look forward also to the semifinals and the whole lucky loser thing, which, to be fair confused me. But the point is Super Rugby is back with its mojo. So what changed.
Well, we've had a real focus on making sure that our product on the field is as good as can be.
So we've had quite a bit of lower innovation over the last couple of years and have worked really closely with the match officials to really speed the game up that's been a real improvement, and then the results this year has been really really great in terms of how much jeopardy we've had in the competition, with close gains and unexpected results and teams that maybe hadn't done that well last year doing really well, which I think generated
a lot of interest. And around that, you know, we've added a lot of things for fans to engage with, like fantasy rugby and things like that. So yeah, it's been a great year and it all comes to a head tomorrow night in a great Grand Final, and you.
Have to also thank Morana Pacifica and also the Fiji and Drew for adding a whole lot of excitement and also wins to it. Of course, we also saw the removal of the Melbourne Rebels, so were those changes good?
Yeah, absolutely, I think you know, the Australian teams were definitely stronger with that, with that additional depth of talent with the Rebels players going to the other four franchises. So yeah, we saw some improvements across the board from the Australian teams and you know, Mowana Pacifica had their best year yet on the field with much better results just missing out on the finals. So yeah, I think all of those things have made for the really compelling
competition this year. And you know, even our team that finished last, the Highlanders, we had the between first and eleventh. The number of points is the lowest since two thousand and four in the competition. So you know, the Highlanders just were so unlucky on so many occasions. And that closeness of Cobb's been a real key thinking.
About MAINA PACIFICA as well. They proved that North Harbor Stadium cam worked. They had great crowds there, but the crowd numbers generally they're a bit low. I was watching the Chiefs of this as the Blues, of course, that amazing game which the Blues won, and I was surprised not to see at least close to us sellout. TV numbers are up, the crowds are still lagging.
Yeah, I mean the crowds are up year on year. We're up six percent year on year with a fewer number of games than last year. But yeah, some of those finals, early finals didn't sell out. We would have liked to have sold those out. The finals are difficult to sell out because you know you only have a couple of days to know the result, get planned and get up for sale. But you know, it's a key
focus of ours to increase the crowds. We're working very closely with all of the clubs on that, and yeah, I think we'll continue to work hard to get more more bumps on seats.
Well, the crowds are very important. Of course, broadcasting rights help pay for a lot of everything, but at the same time, crowds as where you make your margin. And I see the Crusaders complaining about the fact that they're fifteen thousand sent to temporary stadium which is gone next year. It's sold out, but they're only going to break even. So we really need to get fifteen thousand or more to these games. How can we do that, Well, we've.
Got to build the base, so we've got to bring new fans in, and so a lot of our strategies around around fantasy and gamification is to bring younger fans to the games and start to really ensure that those people are coming in and experience what a great product
we have. We got to do continue to get better at our marketing, making sure everyone knows when the games are on and those sorts of things, and then the clubs are doing a great job about creating an amazing experience in stadium, and we're pretty confident that when we get more people in, they're going to see what a great spectacle it is and what a great matchday of
the club's put on and come back. So it's all of those things that requires a really concerted effort for all parties and we're certainly focused on that.
Having said that, it's a bit disappointing that the cowbills are not going to be allowed into the ground by the Crusaders because that would have added to the spectacle.
Yeah, I mean the Crusaders have made that decision. I love the fact that the Chiefs have now built an app in which will play cow bells, and so I think the Crusaders will probably have more cow bells and maybe virtual cowboys and they ever thought imaginable in the ground tomorrow night, so I'm sure we'll be hearing lots of cow bells regardless.
I heard I heard some talk that the Crusaders or the Canterbury people have invented an app that plays sheep noises as well, so you could have the sound of cow bells and sheep at this game.
Fantastic. I mean, I love the banter that's happening between the two CEOs, creating some further interest in a big match, and.
It is a big match. I mean, the Crusaders have been coming all season long. They've got better and better and better. The Chiefs have been magic right from the get go. But now we come down to the game. So what do you reckon it's going to happen?
Yeah, as you said, I mean the Chiefs have got a really good record against the Crusaders, not just this year but from the last couple of years. I think they've won five of their last seven matches against the Crusaders and three of the last five down in christ Church. So everyone knows about the you know, the Crusader's dominance at home, but I think the Chiefs are the one team that probably are not marred by that statistic as our other clubs. So yeah, it's going to be a
cracking match. And the Chiefs the grand final in a row, Clayton McMillan's last match for the Chiefs, they've got plenty to play for, so yeah, and I think it's it's set up to be an absolute cracking match. And the conclusion of what's been a really good final series.
So onwards, onwards and upwards for Super Rubby. The Crusaders get to Kaha the new stadium next year. Twenty five thousand people are there, not fifteen thousand, and no drafts and that's going to be brilliant. So the product's going to get better down there. And I'm just like to congratulate you and your organization, but most of all the players for entertaining us on the field.
Yeah, thanks, Ed, You're right. It's the clubs and applies to coaching staff that that have put on a great spectacle. So we wish them all the best tomorrow.
Night, good stuff. Jack Measley is a Super Rugby Pacific CEO.
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