Hamilton Sevens’ success undeniable
If you were at FMG Stadium Waikato on February 3 and 4, you’ll know Hamilton’s debut on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series circuit was a success.
Energy, colour, boisterous fans and spectacular rugby – and the sold-out stadium looked brilliant in the television broadcast.
The city’s first foray into the Sevens brought with it some unique factors, which columnist Max Christoffersen noted in his interesting ‘‘two takes’’ piece on the event in the February 10 edition.
One of the selling points – and successes – of our first Sevens tournament was activity on the Mill St Field. Yep, Max is right – there were carnival rides, and yes, the All Black Sevens couldn’t quite nail the victory the home. Max suggested purist fans didn’t want to play Tiddlywinks at the event, and, as far as I am aware, that wasn’t on the entertainment menu.
The Mill St Field was a crucial part of the fan experience: the promoters saw an opportunity to go beyond a rugby tournament and make it a festival. The stadium was zoned to allow different types of fans access to what they wanted. The ‘‘purist’’ fans Max referred to were, by and large, in the Brian Perry Stand, while the ‘‘party people’’ were happy in the WEL Networks Stand, giving them quick access to the popular additional activities.
Which explains why that stand looked empty from time to time – the fans were out the back, enjoying dodgems, carnival rides, and dancing to music played by DJs. That’s what they bought into.
The event is rugby focused, but it is not just about the game: it’s about the whole package. It’s very reasonably priced: $97 for an adult two-day pass (considerably cheaper than many other entertainment or sports events), with discretionary spending on top of that totally up the patron. Max suggested the ‘‘purist’’ rugby fan would be up for $200 a day to attend, but they might’ve instead decided to bring an empty bottle to fill with water and a packed lunch and snacks (which was allowed) – meaning they only bore the cost of the ticket.
Bar initial glitches with the wristband system, the event was trouble-free and the feedback from fans has been overwhelmingly positive. Many can’t wait to get amongst the fun next year, when the Sevens will be held on Auckland Anniversary weekend.
The cost (both finances and resources) of the event to the city was a major point in Max’s column, and it’s important to restate the council’s position. Ratepayers didn’t underwrite this event financially: all the risk was taken by the promoters, 37 South, and NZ Rugby. Council staff were involved in running the event – but it’s important readers understand that is par for the course with major events. Our staff, particularly those with H3, are tasked with helping deliver the major events at our venues – whether it’s the Sevens, the international cricket at Seddon Park, or a concert or indoor sporting event at Claudelands. Providing staff support to major events is integral to us securing them for our venues and our city. The amount of salaried council staff time for the Sevens was minimal compared to the 1500-odd staff and volunteers deployed by NZ Rugby and 37 South.
The cost of the council staff, and securing and delivering major events, is budgeted for, and management are tasked with ensuring we stick to the budgets we’ve set. We’ve done that in the case of the Sevens and, in fact, the council scored a small cash surplus from the event through the commercial arrangements. That will be noted in financial reports back to the council. We reckon a cash surplus is a great result for the city, particularly since the stadium would’ve been otherwise unused on those two days.
Securing the Sevens also ensured we made (and make) further use of our stadium, which we think is a sensible use of ratepayers’ investment in it. Hopefully Max sees the sense in that too.
The Sevens enhanced Hamilton’s reputation as a city that does major events well. We proved we could put together a private-public partnership to bring an event to Hamilton, make it work and – crucially for the council – not have to pay a hefty price for it, or take a risk. The Sevens brought in visitors from outside the city and they spent money in town while they were here.
The Sevens wasn’t a fiasco: it was a well-run, well-received and brilliant event we were proud to host.
Perhaps Max (and any other doubters) will buy a reasonably priced ticket to next year’s Sevens, bring a packed lunch, and come and experience the fun and excitement themselves – because the action isn’t only on the field.