Home Super Rugby finals can deliver Waratahs $1 million-plus boost to finances

SECURING home finals would not only represent the Waratahs’ best chance of winning a Super Rugby title, but provide a $1 million-plus boost to their finances.

NEW PLYMOUTH, NEW ZEALAND - MAY 31: Nick Phipps of the Waratahs is tackled during the round 16 Super Rugby match between the Chiefs and the Waratahs at Yarrow Stadium on May 31, 2014 in New Plymouth, New Zealand. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

SECURING home finals would not only represent the Waratahs’ best chance of claiming a historic first Super Rugby title, but provide a $1 million-plus boost to their ailing finances as well.

The Waratahs have been at pains to not get ahead of themselves all year but a season’s-best win over the Chiefs in New Plymouth — and results elsewhere — would have NSW officials quietly thinking about hosting at one least one final, and potentially the grand final at ANZ Stadium.

With three rounds left, the Waratahs are now first in Australia ahead of the Brumbies, and second overall behind the Sharks, who have no more home games this year.

With the Sharks and the Brumbies still to endure zero-point byes as well, NSW’s clash with the ACT outfit on June 28 shapes as the decisive battle for conference supremacy.

If the Tahs hold on to the Australian conference lead but only finish third, a qualifying final in week one at the Allianz Stadium would draw over 30,000 and be worth around $400,000 to the Waratahs.

But should they finish in the targeted top two and skip straight to hosting a semi-final in week two instead, that clash could see an even bigger crowd and $450,000 in the bank.

Under the Waratahs’ contract with ANZ Stadium, if NSW win and earn the right to host a grand final it would be played at Homebush and a crowd of 50,000-60,000 could see $800-900,000 pocketed.

Unlike rival codes, the host of Super Rugby finals keeps all profit minus a fee to the visiting team; $75,000 in week one, $100,000 in week two and $125,000 for a final.

The windfall would be enormously valuable to the Waratahs, whose precarious finances in recent years have seen huge cost-cutting and a $96,325 loss in the last financial year.

The financial impact of winning a first title would obviously continue flow on, as well, and history proves the best chance of triumph comes in playing finals at home.

Such is the difficulty of travel in Super Rugby, of 60 finals since 1996, only seven teams have won after travelling overseas.

The Tahs targeted a top-two finish, which gives the best chance of sleeping at home for two weeks of finals, but dictating terms by finishing top of the tree would be ideal, as obvious as it sounds.

If both teams ranked one and two win their semi-finals, the minor premiers host the final.

In 18 seasons, only one visiting team has ever won a Super Rugby final — the Crusaders over the Brumbies in 2000.