Selling out with a smile: URC derbies all the rage again as fans vote with their feet

If doubt sprouts about United Rugby Championship (URC) derbies losing their lustre, it has been dispelled by fans voting with their feet.

This weekend's north/south derby between the Stormers and the Bulls is on course to be a sell-out and it will be the second in less than two months at Cape Town Stadium.

Last season a shade under 40,000 spectators attended the corresponding match but figures appear to be up in Cape Town with the Sharks' clash there at the end of December also attracting a full house.

Four days before last Christmas, amid a holiday atmosphere, 22,000 attended the Stormers' clash against the Lions.

The Bulls have also enjoyed enthusiastic support at home for their derbies. Last year's clash against the Stormers also brought out the 'sold out' signs, while the Sharks have also seen increasing numbers this season.

Despite the Stormers' patchy form, demand remains high to watch them at home.

“We sold out for the Sharks game on December 28, and we'll sell out this week. It's about 55,000 and that's great,” said Stormers director of rugby John Dobson.

A sell-out crowd in Cape Town means exactly that. Unlike other sporting venues around the country that cover seats with sponsors' branding thus dropping their capacity, Dobson explained the Stormers avoid that practice.

“We take some pride that we are the one franchise that does not do that.”

You could argue the Stormers have achieved exceptional attendances without trying too hard. They are 12th on the URC points table and they don't necessarily pull out all the stops for a more uplifting match-day experience. Their tighter budget dictates razzmatazz ranks lower in their order of priorities.

“We are not the best at that under our new ownership. We don't have beach parties, water slides, or have Qkumba Zoo, do they still exist, or Mi Casa playing. We don't give away a million comps. We are very much old school, but we are getting better at the match day experience,” Dobson said.

“We would have sold out twice in five weeks for league derbies and that's brilliant. I think we are the best-supported team in the URC in terms of match attendance. We just need to get better results.”

Of course, the Bulls have also contributed to making this another sell out in Cape Town. They have long been the arch-nemesis of the Cape team. Their reputation as the bully boys with the big budget and brutish forwards perhaps belies what they are really about.

Down south they are easily cast as villains with some of director of rugby Jake White's coaching philosophy perhaps standing diametrically opposed to that of Dobson's.

Given their shoestring budget it is remarkable the Stormers are able to attract the crowds they do.

We don't have beach parties, water slides, or have Qkumba Zoo, do they still exist, or Mi Casa playing. We don't give away a million comps. We are very much old school but we are getting better at the match day experience.

—  John Dobson

Unlike the Bulls, who are bankrolled by two of the four richest people in the country, the Stormers are still trying to build financial stability after being placed under SA Rugby administration.

Still they are getting good numbers and Dobson can barely believe the URC's popularity with stadium-dwelling fans. He can recall a time when fans were turned off by the prospect of endless derbies in Super Rugby. It, of course, made economic sense to play more matches involving teams in your own territory but at the same time it flew in the face of having a transcontinental competition in the first place.

In the URC, attendance and viewing figures have shot up with each passing season.

Stormers fans immediately warmed to the competition and while winning the inaugural URC came earlier than expected, it instantly brought back belief.

The team is now in a different phase of its development, but Dobson remains committed to the mantra that helped bring that early success. 'Making Cape Town smile' remains the objective and that is perhaps the punt those buying tickets are so willing to take.