Durban is generally touted as the country’s surf capital. But such is the hype surrounding the upcoming Super 14 clash between the Sharks and the Bulls that even the surfers are talking rugby.
The city’s two English-language daily newspapers have devoted pages and pages to the upcoming clash. And even the Zulu-language Illanga newspaper has carried a picture of the Sharks in a newspaper that normally devotes most of its sporting coverage to soccer.
And to keep the hype going, DJs on East Coast Radio’s Big Breakfast show have challenged their counterparts at Radio Jacaranda in a dare to see whose fans are the most loyal and passionate.
The war of words between fans has been raging on blog sites set up by two radio stations for fans to vote for their team. More than 37 000 votes were counted in the first 24 hours.
While local rugby fans are gleefully anticipating the trophy going to the boys in black and white, the city’s hospitality industry has been licking its chops at the thought of all the Bulls’ supporters increasing the occupancy rate of hotels and bed-and-breakfast establishments.
Durban Africa’s CEO Lindiwe Mahlangu said that during the weekend of the semifinal clash between the Blues and the Sharks hotels had been packed to capacity.
Admittedly the 12 000 delegates attending Africa’s biggest tourism trade show made for impressive numbers, but Mhlangu said Bulls supporters descending on the city were likely to ”continue the tourism momentum”.
Within hours of the tickets going on sale on Monday they were snapped up. Several fans from both teams spent Sunday night sleeping outside the stadium in a bid to get tickets.
However, the Daily News reported that the VIP lounge of Coyote Supersuite in Absa Stadium still had 150 tickets available for the big game. The newspaper quoted co-owner Steve Haag as saying that standing only tickets priced at R1 200 were available.
They were expected to be snapped up by Thursday night. The ugly scenario of black-market touts has also reared its head with KwaZulu-Natal rugby officials warning against buying the tickets.
Throughout the city various drinking establishments have advertised the setting up of big screens for patrons to come and watch the match.
Stickers carrying the Sharks logo are to be seen on nearly every second car while the more enthusiastic have been seen mounting Sharks flags on the back of their bakkies.
Such is the passion of the final. One blogger said: ”It’s feeding time and Bulls are on the menu”, while another retorted ”Ag pleeze! Julle Sharkies is net grootbek!” [Oh, please! You Sharks are just big mouths]. — Sapa