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The Springboks’ dilemma: The champions that can’t fill up stadiums at home

Despite winning any major rugby competition anyone can think of, securing back-to-back Rugby World Cups, and dominating against any opponent who dares to stand in the way of their victory, the Springboks continue to fail to fill up stadiums to capacity during their home games.

It is no secret that coach Rassie Erasmus and his entrusted staff, have put together an undeniably historic team and culture as far as South African rugby. Unlike the majority of their opponents, the Springboks face a challenge of potentially having too much extraordinary talent, as it can make it a challenge for the technical staff to put one team together.

Due to their newfound success, the Springboks have garnered massive favour and support, not only from some proud and patriotic South Africans who celebrate mzansi’s excellence on any given chance, but from rugby fans from all corners of the world who have expressed admiration for what Rassie and his team have been able to put together.

Considering this worldwide popularity, one would expect local support for the boys in green and gold to be at an all-time high, possibly selling out every single game. However, ticket pricing has been an ongoing conversation, as a significant portion of South Africans have raised concerns over being priced out of the Springbok games, with the

Recently, the Springboks clashed against the Barbarians in the Qatar Airways Cup to mark the start of the upcoming season. As expected, Rassie and his men put on a clinic, where they gave their opponents and the world a glimpse of what SA rugby is set to look like this season. By the time the final whistle blew, the Boks boasted a 54-7 lead over the Barbarians, securing their third Qatar Airways Cup in as many years.

With the current state of SA rugby, the interest in games has shot up exponentially, resulting in rugby games becoming must-see entertainment any time they have home games scheduled. However, fans and citizens could not help but notice the countless rows of empty seats, despite the overwhelming interest. According to some netizens, this can be credited to the absorbant ticket prices, that regular south African cannot afford.

Also see: How much is acceptable? Springbok vs Barbarians ticket prices frustrate fans

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