‘The city can feel it’: British and Irish Lions fans descend on Sydney
Supporters of the British and Irish Lions are set to bring a $130 million boost to the state as the men in red prepare to play the Wallabies at Accor Stadium on Saturday night.
NSW
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A sea of red has descended on Sydney with 40,000 Lions fans bringing a $130 million boost to the NSW economy and pubs and hotels welcoming everyone except Italian referees through their doors.
The British and Irish Lions will play the Wallabies in the third and final test in front of a sold-out 83,000 strong crowd at Accor Stadium in Homebush on Saturday night.
Wallabies fans will be hoping for redemption after Italian referee Andrea Piardi failed to award a match-defining penalty in the 79th minute at the MCG to give the Lions the series. In the lead-up to the final game of the Lions’ gruelling tour Australian Hotels Association spokesman John Green said the banter and the beer will be flowing.
“You are going to see every pub in Sydney, not just the Irish ones, full of rugby supporters,” Mr Green said. “As long as you are not an Italian referee you are going to be welcome in Sydney this weekend.”
The players are staying at the Intercontinental Sydney at Circular Quay and have been spotted around town with the squad turning up to the delight of fans at the Coogee Bay Hotel.
“We have found the team as well as the fans get around to a lot of the iconic locations during their stay in Sydney,” Mr Green said.
And that helps keep the economy pumping. Minister for Sport Steve Kamper said the arrival of 40,000 Lions fans into Sydney had created a buzz in the city.
“When the British and Irish Lions come to town the city can feel it. The roaming fans have injected more than $130 million into the NSW economy,” he said.
“There is no doubt NSW is the home of the Wallabies. It was the scene of our last series win against the Lions. And I’m sure the Sydney crowd will lift the Wallabies once again to victory!”
Business Sydney spokesman David Jones said economic modelling by leading accountancy firm William Buck estimated the Lions tour is worth $410 million overall to Australia of which $130 million is being generated in NSW.
“A newly competitive Wallabies side has emerged at just the right time for the third and final test between these two great teams in front of 80,000 fans at a full capacity Accor Stadium to turbocharge the local economy,” he said.
“It’s exactly what Sydney’s hospitality sector including pubs and clubs have been hungering for along with accommodation providers, retailers and transport operators.”
Lions tours happen every 12 years and sports tour operator and British and Irish Lions fan Andrew Loughlin said he started planning his current trip to Australia while here in 2013, “just as the last one finished”.
“People here are exceptionally welcoming, they love sport and love to beat us when they can,” he said. “You’ll seldom find people who don’t say it’s the best experience they’ve had in their lifetime.”
The visiting fans have brought their spending power with them. Colin Nevett from Manchester’s Stockport rugby club arrived in Sydney on Monday evening for the final leg of a trip that had cost almost $20,000.
“I’ve been here so many times,” he said. “I’ve seen victory and defeat as well – it’s just the game itself.”
Not content with waiting until Saturday for his Lions fix, Mr Nevett is boosting the tourism economy with a visit to the big cat enclosure at Taronga Zoo on Wednesday.
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Originally published as ‘The city can feel it’: British and Irish Lions fans descend on Sydney
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