The Munster – All Blacks game last week got a lot of coverage here in New Zealand, probably unprecedented for a midweek game and certainly as much, if not more, than some of the big weekend tests have got. And it’s still going on. There’s been a lot of comment about the famous Munster fans and the respectful silence they give to visiting teams at Thomond Park when a penalty kick or conversion attempt is being taken. In fact, the man who had the honour the respect at Thomond last week, All Black Grant Fox, was quite taken aback. “It’s quite an amazing experience. You feel the eyes of everybody in the whole stadium on you and to be honest, it’s a little unsettling. I had never experienced anything like it.”
So now Super 14 team Auckland Blues would like their fans to emulate the Thomond Park experience and have Eden Park fall silent when kicks are being taken at the Auckland stadium. Auckland Blues CEO Andy Dalton says “The atmosphere at these stadiums is absolutely electric. Then when the eerie hush falls across the ground, it just adds to the excitement and drama. We want our fans to be part of that experience.”
Eden Park serves as home to the Blues, as well as being Auckland’s main sports stadium, and is currently being redeveloped in time for the 2011 world cup, where it will become the first stadium to host two Rugby World Cup finals. It held the first in 1987.
Both Eden Park and Blues management aim to push this to the fans in the upcoming Super 14 season and hope it will catch on. Blues marketing manager Grant McKenzie is optimistic the fans will give up on the jeering and whistling and fall silent for visiting kickers – “If this adds to the drama of the game-day experience, then that’s what we are after. I’m confident with Rugby World Cup 2011 on its way, our rugby faithful will be keen to embrace this move in the coming season.”
Munster, however, never needed a marketing manager, initatives, or pressure from management to mould their fans into what they are. They’re just born that way.
