The ACT Brumbies march to the final of the AAMI Super 12 has highlighted the amazing growth in Australian rugby crowds this year.

Overall, rugby crowds are now up by 16.9 percent across the three Super 12 provinces.

The weekend sellout crowd of 25,126 was a record for the Brumbies at Bruce Stadium, in a season that has seen their average crowd figure improve by 63 per cent.

Australian Rugby Union Managing Director John O’Neill said all three Australian AAMI Super 12 teams had an increase in support this year.

‘While the Canberra crowds have been outstanding we have also seen NSW crowds improve by 11.7 per cent and Queensland crowds grow by 5.8 per cent,’ Mr O’Neill said.

‘The upturn in public support can be attributed to the outstanding quality of football being played week in and week out.

Across the three provinces, the average attendance per game has lifted from 15,859 to 18,535.’

On April 15, a new Australian record crowd for AAMI Super 12 was set at the Sydney Football Stadium when 33,987 people turned up to watch the Waratahs play the Brumbies.

‘This has been our best year for ticket sales since the series started and I am confident that trend will continue for the upcoming Test games.’

‘Tickets for the Ford Australia Rugby Series are always in great demand and I expect this year we will see new Test match crowd figures entered in the record books.’

‘Sydney fans have wasted no time snapping up tickets for the Stadium Australia test match against New Zealand on July 15 for which there are only a handful of tickets left.’

Tickets for both Argentina’s Test match against the Vodafone Wallabies are selling strongly while the stage is set for Victorian fans to be part of a history making Nelson Mandela Trohpy match against the Springboks at Colonial Stadium on July 8.

That match will be the world’s first indoor Test match.

For further information please contact Derek Nelson at the ARU:
Tel: +61 2 9956 3444
Fax: +61 2 9955 3299
Website: http://www.rugby.com.au