Comments on: Springbok Tests turned into a cheapskate sideshow

By: Craig

Craig — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:43:55 +0000

Yeah but they didn’t Nick

By: Nick Williams

Nick Williams — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 07:38:39 +0000

John Smi - Related to Captain Hooks “Right Hand Man ?” - All Pirates anyway. Wales should have won.- Nick Williams - Cardiff

(Report abuse)

By: Hennie

Hennie — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 20:23:45 +0000

I agree wholeheartedly with Tony. Let’s stop turning our test matches into cheap sleazy dancing acts which I believe should be OK for a strip club. Those dancers do nothing other than to annoy me.

I will also certainly not cough up R400 per ticket and when I get mad enough to do it, I don’t expect to be blasted off the park with their sound systems.

Let’s get back to real values and stop these sideshows and noisy announcers with their “gross” and over the top loud music.

Carry on like the present and you will see further dwindling of the spectator numbers.

(Report abuse)

By: Kevin

Kevin — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 18:53:13 +0000

I totally agree. Lets leave the hoopla and get on with the bloody game. What purpose do those inane dancing girls serve? Are we trying to strecth every bit of marketing possible out of the “show”? Its all about TV and how many ad slots they can sell - but please stop the diversions. Notice that the stands were not full for either of the tests - R400 a pop will make anyone choke on their biltong, so the belly dancers are not crowd-pulling magnets. What then are they doing there?

(Report abuse)

By: shane stoffels

shane stoffels — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 17:40:30 +0000

Tony, thanks for a short, but very balanced article. And also thanks for your response to Max. I wish people will cut Peter de Villiers some slack - let the man do what he is being paid to do. COACH. It is always easy to build on the failures of predecessors, and very difficult if the man before you left a remarkable record. Still, Jake did not get to the top (of winning the world cup) without his share of set-backs and/or losses. Will Peter be judged the same?

(Report abuse)

By: Tony McKeever

Tony McKeever — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 16:14:28 +0000

Max

Don’t be so GLOOMY!
South African rugby fans cannot get enough of rugby and draw every last drop of info out especially from the coach - and sometimes he says stuff when the best would be to just shut up and get on with the job of preparation.
Still I reckon you are going to be pleasantly surprised next Saturday and Peter will make you a proud man the Saturday after.

(Report abuse)

By: max

max — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 14:41:39 +0000

Tony McK, you have hit the proverbial ‘nail’ on the head! Peter de Villiers at the helm … ? Of course, he is trying his best but oh no, definitely not at this level! A case of “a small fish in a big pond” His attempts to emulate other great/successful coaches with familiar grand sounding words and statements are no more than a facade, but then, THIS IS AFRICA.

(Report abuse)

By: Dawn

Dawn — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 13:31:03 +0000

I wish all the ridiculous hoopla would be stopped. All the these grand opening and closing ceremonies use up a lot of resources and simply add to the cost.
I enjoy T20 cricket but could do without the dancers, dunking and “roving reporters” collecting inane comments from the crowd. No doubt a rugby match is the same.

(Report abuse)

By: Dawid

Dawid — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 12:01:22 +0000

Why do we as South Africans have to Americanize everything. Even a Zulu dancer dancing to Johnny Clegg’s Impi is so American.

(Report abuse)

By: Durban Poison

Durban Poison — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 10:10:00 +0000

A ‘pedigreed authentic breed’ - reminds me of Vernon Koekemoer! Hell, the test match alone certainly doesn’t warrant the R400 match ticket; having Vernon around to spice things (especially at tests up-country) would be a stroke of genius from the organisers!

(Report abuse)