Bumper crowd for shield defence

http://www.sportsground.co.nz/Article.asp?SiteID=20394&ArticleID=39950

A bumper crowd is to be expected for Hawkes Bays first Ranfurly Shield defence of the year vs Otago this weekend.

This is the second time in two seasons that the Napier based Hawkes Bay Magpies have claimed the Ranfurly Shield. Many people across New Zealand would agree they thoroughly deserve to be holding the shield again following some superb Rugby to claim it against Counties Manukau a week earlier.

The somewhat unique occurrence of this region holding the Shield is a massive draw card for fans to attend the game. It will be the first time in 2014 a Shield match has been hosted at Mclean park in Napier and the Hawkes Bay union manager Jay Campbell quoted that roughly 7000 tickets had been sold for the event and that they were hoping to top the crowd number they had for last years shield game which was more than 14000. Last years shield match in Napier took place 6 days after beating Otago by a point and they went down to Counties Manukau 27-24 in that match.

In terms of Marketing this is a positive spin off for the Hawkes Bay Rugby union. A great opportunity for Hawkes Bay to Market themselves from a different angle in regards to hosting a shield game which attracts no doubt there biggest crows of the season to date and increased inland revenue for the Hawkes Bay Rugby Union. This is of vital importance for napier to continue to grow Rugby in that region.

In my opinion the shield is a great way to promote the game of provincial Rugby and gets people from family, punters and groups of friends attending the game for a great afternoon out. It also increases the chances of bringing the best out of the players due to the extra support they are receiving.

From a management perspective they have employed good customer relations ethos by extending the the number of embankment seats to 9000 which in order allows more people to attend the spectacle. The human resources department now need to do their best to ensure that the extra fan base that have been recruited for this special event stay on regardless if the shield stays or goes.

The points I have mentioned in this analysis mention the marketing and management key aspects regarding this event and how it will positively effect the Hawkes Bay Rugby team and the people who support the province..