ON THE eve of a sold-out World Sevens Series at Cape Town Stadium at the weekend, Mayor Patricia de Lille has fired a broadside at rugby bosses, saying fans in the city “deserve a better stadium than Newlands”.
It is the latest in a multimillion-rand saga to have rugby played at Cape Town Stadium.
In announcing a new deal yesterday in which the Cape Town Sevens would be hosted at the stadium for the next three years, De Lille said the city was in talks with SA Rugby about hosting a Test match at Cape Town Stadium.
The Sevens moved to Cape Town from Port Elizabeth last year, and De Lille said the city had decided to extend the hosting deal for the Cape Town Sevens for another three years (2016-18), despite not breaking even with regards to expenses and services provided last year.
“We approved with council yesterday, hosting the Cape Town Sevens for the next three years. The benefit to the economy in hosting the tournament was R539 million last year, which is why we decided to make this investment. We hope to break even one day, with all the services we provide for the event,” De Lille said at a Springbok Sevens press conference at a city hotel yesterday.
“Last year, the Sevens was a very, very big success. We sold 107 000 tickets, and this year I think we’ve sold 110 000 tickets already. It is also about showcasing Cape Town as a world-class destination, and we think the benefits are huge. We want our city to be the events capital of Africa, and hosting the Cape Town Sevens is part of reaching that goal.”
The Blitzboks have also spoken about the joy of playing at home to defend the title they claimed at the same stadium last year, with Neil Powell again highlighting the magnitude of a home event yesterday.
“If you look at last year’s statistics, this tournament was voted as the best event in the World Series. And that’s because of the food, the accommodation, the tourism around here and the playing facilities,” Powell said.
“Cape Town is one of the best cities to play in. It’s close to home, so it’s close to our families and supporters. It is massive for us, the team picks up energy from the crowd, and that helps them. Playing in Cape Town also gives us a chance to play in front of our family, friends and South African fans. That is something we will always treasure.”
The series’ five-star blend of exciting players, exhilarating action, festival atmosphere and breathtaking destinations have proven to be a massive hit all around the world.
Last December, the event was hugely popular in the Mother City, with all tickets sold out, the capacity crowd boosting the Blitzboks in their final victory over Argentina.
This year, tickets are sold out yet again for tomnorrow and Sunday. Apart from a packed stadium, there will also be live entertainment.
The Black Ties (1.30pm) will provide afternoon entertainment tomorrow, followed by a Battle of the DJs treat later in the evening (6.24pm).
The weather is expected to play along.