Calabash Test could rake in R41m

Golden Lions president Kevin de Klerk has baulked at the suggestion that ticket prices for the historic Soccer City Test match between South Africa and New Zealand are too expensive.

While they have staggered the cost of tickets from R100 to R500, the majority of the 88791-seat stadium is in the top bracket, which has prompted accusations of greed.

The lower-cost tickets - exclusively for 5000 Sowetans at R100 each, with another batch at R350 - only account for 14000 seats at the stadium, while the remainder (74791) are priced at R500. But De Klerk said spectators, some of whom might still be licking their wounds next month after coughing up for the soccer World Cup, weren't being milked - even though the most a Tri-Nations Test ticket had cost before was R450.

"It's in keeping with what the pricing was last year and what is asked for this time around," said De Klerk.

"There are massive costs to staging the game in Soweto and there are no great profit margins for us.

"It's certainly not a case of us ripping off the client."

De Klerk defended the pricing by pointing out that it cost fans R1140 each to watch one of the three Bok games against the British & Irish Lions last year, saying they'd already had "an overwhelming response".

"I reckon we'll come pretty close to selling this thing out."

Free State president Harold Verster, whose Tri-Nations Test against Australia will offer tickets at between R200 and R450, said the price for the Soccer City match was "too high".

"Our people can't afford that."

But De Klerk got support from Blue Bulls chief executive Barend van Graan, whose union host the second match against the Wallabies.

Van Graan said their tickets ranged from R350 to R500.

"There are big guarantees to pay to Saru for hosting the Test," he said. "In our case, the R500 tickets are on the grandstand, which only has 1000 seats.

"But I could ask R1000 for those (grandstand) tickets and they would still go."

South African Rugby Union president Oregan Hoskins said his organisation did not prescribe the price of a Test match ticket. "A Springbok Test is an important part of a provincial union's commercial model and everyone understands that.

"All we ask of provinces is that they factor in prices that they believe will fulfil our strategic goal of achieving near capacity audiences, and that has generally been achieved in the Tri-Nations."

Were the Lions to fill the stadium (since 1997, Tri-Nations Tests have only sold an average of around 90% of stadium capacity nationally), they stand to make an estimated R41.5- million.

The R100 tickets amount to R500000, while those priced at R350 would make a return of R3.15-million, with the remainder bringing in about R37.9m.

From that amount, the Lions have to pay about R9.7 million in guarantees - as well as the money they owe Saru and the other 13 provinces for the two British & Irish Lions games they hosted last year.

That amount is believed to be between R10-million and R14-million.

Traditionally, the 18000 or so season ticket holders and suite holders - who have first option to buy a further 7000 tickets - get their allotment at a discount.

That, too, would take money off the top, as would things like stadium costs.

Still, the money they stand to make from the experiment is nothing to be sniffed at.

Asked if the main motivation for pricing tickets at R500 was to ease their pressing financial situation, De Klerk said: "It's not entirely the case.

"If we'd held the game at (the 65000-seat) Ellis Park, we'd have had similar type margins, we would have charged the same."

De Klerk revealed that the Lions had been called "racists in reverse" for offering the R100 tickets only to Soweto and not to areas such as Germiston.

"We saw the Soweto community as previously disadvantaged, but it seems like you're damned if you do and damned if you don't."