Shameful lack of support for Kings

WHAT a shame it is that the turnout for this past weekend’s first Guinness Pro14 rugby match to be played at our beautiful Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was so poor.

Only 3 011 of the stadium’s 46 000 seats were filled and the Southern Kings ended up being convincingly beaten by Irish provincial club Leinster.

It is additionally cringeworthy that a member of the Irish media felt compelled to tweet: “Thus ends one of the most underwhelming and insipid sports events I’ve ever attended.” Worse, he was right. If we’re honest with ourselves, we must admit that Bay residents are often notoriously fickle when it comes to supporting sports and other events.

We like to complain we seldom get big gigs and games but then, at the first sign of lousy weather, for instance, many want to stay home.

Of course, the expectation of bad weather (which ended up clearing well before the game) – along with local rugby fans reportedly feeling miserable over the Boks’ devastating loss to New Zealand – cannot solely be blamed for Saturday’s lack of turnout and vibe.

Fans like to support winning teams and the fact that the Kings lost their first two Pro14 matches certainly did not help their cause.

Fans already have a tough time identifying with the new-look team and it will take time to see what these players are capable of, once they eventually start gelling.

They have the next three years to consolidate and rise to their full potential, and there is not a single Kings supporter who does not want to see that happen.

At the same time, the Pro14 concept is still alien to South African rugby fans.

It is never going to be Super Rugby, and getting to grips with – and warming to – a foreign format will not happen overnight.

Kings officials, however, must take some responsibility for this, since better marketing could have been done.

The first press conference ahead of what was meant to be a historic game only took place on Thursday.

Likewise, on the day, there was little planned to add to the hype and atmosphere, for instance, by way of autograph sessions with the players or live entertainment ahead of the game.

Let’s hope we get it right for the coming weekend’s home game against Italian side Zebre.