The Free State rugby union offices were hit this week by a small ”tsunami” of supporters booking and buying tickets for the 2006 Currie Cup final in Bloemfontein.
Harold Verster, president of the union, said on Thursday: ”People just swamped us and we are still barely handling the requests still streaming in for tickets.
”With no rugby Test or any other event within the past 100 years have we experienced this situation.”
The last Currie Cup final played in Bloemfontein was in 1994 at the next door former Springbok Park cricket pitch, which at that stage could only handle about 15 000 spectators.
”We could have sold 60 000 tickets for Saturday’s game if we had place for everybody,” said Verster.
Playing down unhappiness over the availability of tickets in Bloemfontein, Verster said there were just about 38 000 seats available in the stadium with more than 60 000 willing takers.
”The demand is much bigger than what we have available.”
Verster said groups like suite owners, season ticket holders, players, SA Rugby and sponsors naturally had first choice.
”At the end there are not many tickets available for the open market, but we do everything we can within security guidelines to make more space available.”
Verster said the demand for tickets could be the result of successfully branding the Cheetahs.
On Thursday, many businesses in Bloemfontein had already decorated their premises with a range of Cheetahs team colours, especially orange, in preparation for Saturday’s game.
Street stalls and people at robots selling caps, shirts, flags and other team memorabilia in the Cheetah’s orange and the Blue Bulls blue team colours have been doing business since Wednesday in the city.
There is also a drive on local radio and in local newspapers for Free State rugby supporters to wear orange on Friday and Saturday.
The rugby stadium, Vodacom Park, has even inherited the name ”House of Orange” after the Cheetahs successfully qualified for the Currie Cup final against the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks last weekend.
Cheetah team manager Naka Drotske agreed that Free State Rugby had worked hard in establishing the ”Cheetah culture” in Bloemfontein and the province.
”The Blue Bulls have created something [Blue Bull character] in Pretoria the last three to four years that many others are jealous about and we decided to try the same in Bloemfontein.”
Referring to the local ticket rush, Drotske said it seemed they were succeeding in raising the spirit of supporters, especially at semifinals and finals.
”It’s just amazing,” the former Cheetah captain said in describing the atmosphere in Bloemfontein.
Verster said the success of the Cheetahs under coach Rassie Erasmus and its young management team the past two years had also played a huge role in establishing support for the Cheetahs. — Sapa