Sevens dancing to new beat
Ongoing efforts to revitalise the Wellington Sevens tournament have entered the next phase with the announcement of an entirely Kiwi entertainment lineup.
Performers for the two-day tournament in January include The Koi Boys, Kings, MAALA and Christchurch-based band nomad.
Rounding out the entertainment lineup will be popular 2000’s act Nesian Mystik who will reunite solely for the Wellington Sevens.
It is the latest ploy by organisers to bolster dwindling attendance numbers at the two-day rugby event.
The 2016 event saw about 14,000 people turn up to Westpac Stadium on Saturday, and 15,500 on Sunday, in a ground with a capacity of 34,500.
Wellington Sevens general manager Steve Dunbar said he was happy with how the changes for 2017 had been received by the public so far.
‘‘Social media-wise and anecdotally I’m getting personal feedback that the changes are positive. We’ve listened to what the fans have been saying, so we’ve enhanced the food offerings and the entertainment package.’’
While pre-sale tickets for the summer rugby event have been on sale since September, ticket sales numbers will not be disclosed until after the January tournament, Dunbar said.
Despite crowd numbers having been been down over the past couple of years, Dunbar said the
"We've listened to what the fans have been saying, so we've enhanced the food offerings and the entertainment package." Wellington Sevens general manager Steve Dunbar
passion of those in the stands had not changed.
He believed organisers were on the right track at getting more people into Westpac Stadium next year.
‘‘We need to be making changes along the way and that’s what we are committed to doing. It’s about looking at the entire fan experience and just trying to build on it.’’
The tournament is scheduled to be held in Wellington for the next three years, but Dunbar was hopeful the event’s 20th birthday would also be celebrated there in 2020.
Nesian Mystik vocalist Te Awanui ‘‘Awa’’ Reeder, who currently lives in the capital, said the band was looking forward to getting back together and ‘‘having a jam’’.
‘‘We know it [the sevens] had its challenges previously and let’s hope we can be a part of the change in culture around that and getting the people back.’’