Tauranga's big screen televising of Sunday night's Rugby World Cup semifinal attracted good crowds – for the first half.
At halftime everybody disappeared inside the pubs, leaving only a few stalwarts to sit out the second half on the street, says one spectator.
The atmosphere was good, but technical problems saw the screen freeze and pixilate on occasion during the first half.
Event manger, Tauranga City Councillor Terry Molloy, estimates about 25 per cent of the street crowd left.
A spectator, who watched the game sitting on the street, says most of the street crowd left, either going inside the bars or home.
'I was very happy with it,” says Terry.
'There were several hundred people there and it will be even bigger next weekend. I was delighted with it.
'The first half wasn't good. Quite a few people left at halftime because of it, but in the second half they changed the channels – the second half was spot on.
'I would say 25 per cent of the street crowd left at halftime.
'I was very pleased with the crowd. They were well behaved. They were happy the ABs turned it on for them.
'It's a demonstration of what we can do with The Strand and the things we can look forward to in the future I believe.
'I think The Strand needs to create a more positive image and the 6pm to midnight crowd is the one we really want down there, more family orientated people who want to go out and have a good time.
'We need more entertainment down there and this was a good example.”
The crowd was a good mix with some families taking their children along, says Terry.
There were people who were primarily interested in the rugby and people interested in going to a bit of a festival atmosphere around the rugby.
'There were people there not interested in rugby at all, but they came down just to be involved.
'It was a good mix of people and they all thoroughly enjoyed themselves apart from the glitch in the first half.”
One spectator denied thoroughly enjoying the evening. There was nowhere to sit except on the grass at the side – or in the street, which she says was really uncomfortable.
21 comments
What a fiasco
Posted on 17-10-2011 12:47 | By Writerman
You might have thought such basics would have been trialled and checked first. Thank goodness we weren't an official world cup venue because I'd hate to think what kind of a stuff up our leaders would have made of that. At least with the current situation the embarrasmment can be kept within the region and doesn't need to be on a world stage.
It was pretty weak really...
Posted on 17-10-2011 13:03 | By quinn
Mr Molloy is trying to make this sound like it was a great success when in reality, for the supposed outcry from the community for some sort of effort to be made around the RWC, the turnout was pathetic. The big screen was a dud - slow frame rate made for a stilted flowing picture, there were pixels missing from the screen and the commentary and sound were just a bit out of sync. The crowd was well behaved he says - hard for a 'crowd' so small not to behave. Might be better next weekend but they will have to up their game re the quality of the broadcast. From what I saw it was a waste of the $10K the council put into the pot.
Posted on 17-10-2011 13:18 | By RobtDavies
Quinn forgets that if not for the work of Cr. Molloy, he'd have been sitting on his own in the middle of an open road listening to coverage on a transistor radio. Thanks for sorting the city out, Terry, and getting us a big screen to watch the ABs demolish the French next week!
some questions
Posted on 17-10-2011 15:04 | By JSmithington
Good on Cr Molloy for at least trying. But it would be good to know how many people actually attended. Also, if the screen froze does the bill have to be paid in full?
WOFTAM TO MOLLOY AND CO
Posted on 17-10-2011 16:43 | By PLONKER
Better to have gone to the bar the crowd was meger, the picture was shite and some, no HD anywhere to be seen on that lot, for what was paid it was something you would forget about paying the bill for that is for real. If there was a door charge that would all have been refunded in the real world. End result I left after about 15 minutes and went home, the hype did not live up to the real deal, you will certianly have to "pick up your act" next week for sure.
Local Support
Posted on 17-10-2011 16:54 | By Calm Gully
One of the reasons businesses don't organise events on the strand is because very few locals support them. There have been some wonderful concerts in the marquee during the world cup at reasonable prices (yes they are often tribute bands - BUT the ones we saw were very talented) If it were the real band - no-one would attend because of the price. Support is what this community lacks - everyone is an armchair critic. Hope there are more on the strand for the final. Go the AB's!
Hardly, RobtDavies....
Posted on 17-10-2011 17:17 | By quinn
My Dad always told me that if something is worth doing then it's worth doing properly. This big screen fiasco was just a rushed job from the time it was mooted and it showed in the results. The 'community', council and licensees have had literally years to plan for something like this. If this was Cr Molloy 'sorting the city out' then my standards may be alot higher than his or yours. All it really served was a few licensees who got to extend their licensed areas so that they had most of the people sitting in their pubs eating and drinking and watching the televised games on the screens inside the pubs. I really do hope next week is better and someone proves me wrong.
TYPICAL: COCKUP YOU WOULD EXPECT FROM TCC & CDB
Posted on 17-10-2011 20:59 | By Hebegeebies
CR MOLLOY is fudging it they should call him "SPINNING JENNY".Sounds like last night was a bit of a non event. What about Saturday night didn't mention that so wasn't TV up and running.Will Bronze final be shown ? Technically pathetic seems the best way to describe this little escapade.If the whole thing costs $50k and 1000 people view it thats $50per head. WOFTAM
FAMILY ORIENTATED
Posted on 18-10-2011 12:19 | By DRONE
Yes but someone has to pay the piper at the end of the day, that for any real business is not the Tauranga ratepayers because they can not send out meaningless over priced rates bills to all and sundry at a whimp. They actually have to sell a bit of food or booze or something, make a dollar then put some towards the likes of this. Anyway all CBD retailers get lumbered with a rates levy totalling $250,000 pa for Mainstreet to promote the CBD and organise stuff, events, help promote the CBD, yet we find little actually organised to happen from that quarter they seem to have lost their voice here, where are they now when you need them or are they just more of the usual Council payroll puppets like Priorityone and the Chamber of Commerce?
Where on earth do they spring from ?
Posted on 18-10-2011 12:38 | By KAMIKAZE
Don't be a dork Robert Davies CR Molloy couldn't sought this city out with a head start. The Big Screen TV was a dipstick idea fuelled by CR.Molloys mates at Priority One & the Chamber.If you support the notion that TCC ratepayers should fund this thing you are even sillier than you look.I think you may well have kissed goodbye to any political aspirations you may have had.
too late
Posted on 18-10-2011 17:54 | By traceybjammet
i didnt even know it was on and I would have arranged for the people I am going with top go down for the final but we already booked a table elsewhere what a disaster I would rather be down the strand
The wheels spinning but the mouse is dead.
Posted on 19-10-2011 18:28 | By Insider
The way it is being described it sounds a bit like a sandwich short of a picnic but most of the preponents of the Big Screen would know what that feels like.
SANDWICH A MISSING
Posted on 19-10-2011 20:14 | By WARTS N ALL
@ Insider well mate you got that wrong, they don't know that they are a Sandwich short of a basket lot here. If they did of course they would never have stuck the finger in the air for the $$$ on voting day. When ya got Turkey for dinner what do you expect, what else can you expect.
Seating
Posted on 20-10-2011 09:03 | By Bruja
Why don't the organisers set up a grandstand? The council has carpenters and equipment. They could build a grandstand to hold 500 people easy. It's onlt Thursday, there's heaps of time. Could be done in a day. Come on TCC!!! Get with thre programme!!!!
MORE SEATING
Posted on 20-10-2011 16:47 | By DRONE
@ Bruja, Dont think that is a good idea, by the time all the officials: think about, meetings, more meeting, scheming, Councillor "imput", decisions and muddling over who knows what and for how long and budget it out it will be time for the next WRC here in NZ, never mind the bill racked up by then for all the above. In fact I would think that 24 years still would not be long enough to get the plan right, just look at the mess to get a TV, just one TV!
Bruja that is being one short of a 6pack mate
Posted on 20-10-2011 19:43 | By POCO O POCO
A grandstand indeed stick it in the middle of Baypark or the Domain plenty of grandstand space there to view from- same number of viewers- ZILCH.Mark my words the dropkicking punts will win the day.Come in Spinning Jenny.
Permit
Posted on 21-10-2011 10:16 | By Bruja
.
TECH PROBLEMS MADE EASY
Posted on 21-10-2011 18:45 | By DRONE
Change it to the correct channel.
BLURRED
Posted on 22-10-2011 12:06 | By WORMTONGUE
Probably something to do with being the only big TV left available of course.
NAH NAH NAH NAH ....
Posted on 24-10-2011 16:44 | By Crash test dummies
I have had an amazing weekend, the games were amazing, the parties, the dancing, best NZ events yet, well actually one all weekend. Oh of course Tauranga did not even have one game, hmmm perhaps a TV screen is an adaquate substitute NOT!
BS JAFFA
Posted on 24-10-2011 22:48 | By CRUMPY
Go stay in JAFFA-TOWN, hit the track JAFFA and dont come back no more no more no more ....
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