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DIEHARD
02-12-05, 08:10 AM
We all know that the Gold Coast is Australia's seventh largest city, the fastest growing region in Australia and one of the most fertile rugby league markets in the world, tapped or untapped.

But having a new National Rugby League club on the Gold Coast offers unique opportunities that I find both exciting and intriguing.

First off the Gold Coast offers the opportunity for an ideal annual away trip for fans of all rugby league clubs from around the nation. And I believe we will host a far greater proportion of not only away fans but visiting club supporter groups than any other rugby league club removed from the Sydney market. So there are really some exciting opportunities for the Titans to build a culture of hosting away fans and being the annual away trip making visiting the Gold Coast the Les Catalans of the National Rugby League.

(Les Catalans Dragons being the new French Rugby Super League club based in Perpignan, a club nearly all British rugby league fans are marking in their calendar as an annual get away.)

The attraction of following their team to the Gold Coast coupled with the already high proportion of NRL club supporters from other teams other than the Broncos and Titans in SEQLD (With many already established chapters of club supporter groups.) and of course the already inherent domestic tourism in the Gold Coast, will insure rival clubs have great representation at Titans home matches and I believe this will really transfer to exciting match day atmosphere at Robina stadium and our enhance our reputation with fans of rival clubs.

And after the game we also have the best nightlife in the nation to enjoy and by day the nation's best beaches.

I am really looking forward to the Titans being regarded as not only passionate and enthusiastic fans but warm and welcoming hosts to rival rugby league fans. Play hard, cheer hard but at full time, win or lose, always willing to extend the hand of sportsmanship and the offer of a post match drink or chat.

But as usual I digress from my point.

I see the Gold Coast Titans becoming ambassadors of rugby league to the world.

International tourism to the Gold Coast already accounts for approximately 20 per cent of the 80,000 people that visit the Gold Coast on a daily basis, a figure (International aggregate) expected to double by 2012, a mere four years after the introduction of the Gold Coast Titans to the National Rugby League.

And I truly believe that the success of the Titans will not only be fortified by thousands upon thousands of Queenslanders getting behind the Titans and the many merits of the great region of Gold Coast itself but I believe Titans crowds will feature considerable foreign elements, enjoying their first rugby league experience.

This will be a matter of fact and it is a demographic I would like to see the Titans actively pursue and cultivate. The Titans will be the hottest ticket in town and I think it is important that every overseas tourist knows this.

I am sure the majority of tourists would greatly appreciate having the unique experience of attending not only a football game of the local side but also in a game they have probably never seen or even imagined before. I am sure we can bring across many of our international guests.

It would be an exciting prospect for visitors to the Gold Coast, certainly sure to be cherished memories of their stay at the Gold Coast. I think merchandise sales alone would benefit from a purely tourism angle.

What greater souvenir is there of the Gold Coast than a jersey, t shirt or cap of the Gold Coast football team? Who play this fantastic sport they have never seen before? A sport unique to any other that couples skill, speed and strength in equal regard. As soon as they return home I am sure when talking to family, friends or collegues that one of their best experiences and memories of their time in Australia would be their visit to Robina Stadium.

I'd like to see every international tourist leaving the country with some form of Titans merchandise in their luggage. Not only see our products in Rebel Sports and K Marts but also to feature prominently in airports (Along with match advertisements.) and souvenir stores.

I'd like to see an entire strategy devised to capture the tourist market. Advertising in airports in the form of Titans posters, presence in Qantas, Jet Star, Virgin and international airline promotional material found in aircraft, shuttle buses placed in key areas for tourists and comprehensive advertising in hotels.

Maybe the Titans could go as far as to employ a tourist liason officier who is multi lingual, especially in Japanese. Who knows, as I said, exciting and intriguing times are ahead.

The influx of visitors new to rugby league to our stadium also flags the necessity for a user friendly environment at Robina Stadium for people with non rugby league backgrounds so they can get maximum enjoyment out of the match.

The Titans should follow a similar path to the Melbourne Storm at Olympic Park, a team and home ground I frequent regularly. The Storm obviously are in a non-rugby league market so they take a lot of steps to hold the hand of the patron.

These include, well at least they did last time I visited a match, on screen reasons for penalties given (PENALTY - OFF SIDE) and the ground announcer also telling the ground what certain rulings were for, something even seasoned rugby league fans would appreciate. We also need to make sure that we feature a tackle count on the screen, something even the Brisbane Broncos at Lang Park fail to do which is sometimes very frustrating.

We may also find ourselves in a unique situation where we may actually sign our stadium in multiple languages and maybe even produce free flyers with background information on the Gold Coast, the Titans, the game of rugby league and of course the rules.

We need to make the match as digestible for visitors as possible, not only from overseas but from Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia.

I am sure the Gold Coast Titans will do their bit for raising awareness of rugby league in the other states. And they will be personally responsible for bringing rugby league to many people from overseas, you never know, the Titans may be responsible for inspiring some international development.

Bringing tourists, not familiar with rugby league to Titans matches also means we need to show off rugby league in its best light. Which luckily will be easy with an absolute world class football stadium and precinct in development, large passionate crowds led by a supporter group, large and loud representatives of rival teams in the away supporter bay and of course a fantastic football team displaying the very best of the brilliance of rugby league.

Having a world class stadium is vital especially the fact that the Titans home ground will be rectangular to enhance the rugby league experience. (Another advantage soon to be shared with the Storm, with us both getting new world class rectangular stadiums in 2008.) Fans will be right in on the action and the overall experience will be overwhelmingly enjoyable. They say it is harder to compete for the entertainment dollar these days, I don't fully subscribe to the theorem but what I do subscribe to is that patrons demand and expect top quality facilties, service and value and I am confident will deliver on every level.

The Gold Coast will not only be a jewel in the rugby league crown, heralding a new era of rugby league but they will be our ambassadors to other NRL club fans, the rest of Australia and the world.

The only problem I forsee is getting a ticket! Don't fool around, get a season pass!

DeeGan
02-12-05, 08:49 AM
Good article DIEHARD - let's hope that passion continues through to 2007 :)

DeeGan

Queenslander
02-12-05, 08:58 AM
Very good article DIEHARD, great reading :thumbsup:

Kingytek
02-12-05, 09:34 AM
Nice spread Diehard.
I had a thought, anyone know players in the QLD cup? The few that I know love playing away games in Townsville because of the night out afterwards. We should be using this to our advantage because I can garentee that the thought will be in the back of the minds of the visiting sides to the gold coast from 2007 onwards that they aren't 100% focused on the game at hand.
This is when we STRIKE! :box:

Dakink
02-12-05, 12:17 PM
What a great read Diehard!!

The Original Idiot
02-12-05, 04:03 PM
^ Totally agree.


I had a thought, anyone know players in the QLD cup? The few that I know love playing away games in Townsville because of the night out afterwards. We should be using this to our advantage because I can garentee that the thought will be in the back of the minds of the visiting sides to the gold coast from 2007 onwards that they aren't 100% focused on the game at hand.
What, they don't like playing games at Burleigh cause of the nightlife?