Aussie sport’s comeback: What live crowds will be able to see
Sports-starved fans are preparing themselves for a glut of live action as vaccination rates allow the country to open again. This is what crowds will see.
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Sports-starved fans are preparing themselves for a glut of live action this summer as vaccination rates allow the country to open again.
After Freedom Day in NSW and the end of the world’s longest lockdown in Melbourne, sports stadiums across the country are ready to welcome spectators desperate to support their teams after being starved of action for much of the past two years.
Queenslanders and West Australians have been the beneficiaries of Covid’s impact on sport, able to host the NRL and AFL grand finals in front of thousands of fans.
But NSW and Victoria will quickly make up for lost time, with international football and cricket tests, tennis, motorsport and horse racing on the calendar in coming months.
More than 15,000 fans headed to CommBank Stadium to watch the Matildas beat Brazil in the first leg of their series last weekend. Capacity at the stadium was elevated to 75 per cent after NSW passed a 70 per cent double-vaccination threshold.
NSW Minister for Sport Natalie Ward said she and fellow “sports tragics” couldn’t be happier that Sydney was back.
“Thanks to people rolling up their sleeves and boosting our vaccination rates, we can now reap the rewards and enjoy the excitement of major sporting events like the Matildas blockbuster games, the men’s and women’s Ashes and a fantastic range of domestic competitions across multiple codes,” Ms Ward said.
The Ashes series will kick off in Brisbane on December 8 and both the MCG and SCG are likely to be heaving with fans over the Christmas- New Year period as summer starts to look slightly normal again.
Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley said the organisation was extremely excited to welcome fans back to stadiums across the country.
“It has been such a challenging year for so many, particularly in New South Wales and Victoria, and we can’t wait to give cricket fans the chance to enjoy a day out at the cricket with friends and family,” Hockley said.
“The Boxing Day Test is an iconic event on the Australian sporting calendar and there is nothing more exciting than hearing the MCG crowd roar for that first ball, especially in an Ashes year.”
Sydney Motorsport Park is on track to welcome 100,000 fans at separate Supercars events over the next month after organisers applied for their 5000-fan daily cap to be lifted to 10,000 per day under a Covid-safe plan as NSW vaccination rates climbed.
And in Bathurst, NSW, in December, more than 200,000 people will pack Mt Panorama for six days of racing.
The spring racing carnival will also be in full swing. The Victorian Government revealed 10,000 fully vaccinated patrons would be allowed to attend the Melbourne Cup on November 2.
And under the updated road map for Victoria, more and more fans will be allowed at venues.
“I want to see 80,000 plus people at the Boxing Day test on day one, that’s what I want to see,” Mr Andrews said last week.
The Australian Open crowds were at 50 per cent capacity last year and while fans will still have to prove they are fully vaccinated, more spectators are expected and fans from interstate are also likely to be able to attend.
Women’s sports have been among the hardest hit during the pandemic, with many competitions cancelled or postponed as well as fans being banned.
But along with the Matildas playing in front of thousands over the next week, the WBBL season is in full swing in Tasmania – despite a mini-lockdown hitch on the opening weekend – the WNBL season tips off on December 2, A-League women the following day and delayed AFLW season in January.
All will be in front of crowds but the biggest of them could be at the cricket as the women take on England in an Ashes series of their own before heading to New Zealand for the women’s World Cup.
READY TO FEED MORE CROWDS
As one of the head chefs at Sydney’s CommBank Stadium, Matt Stewart had nearly 30,000 people over for dinner last week, wining and dining fans at the first football events with a crowd since June.
The Parramatta stadium welcomingly burst to life as the Australian women’s football team the Matildas hosted Brazil in back-to-back international matches.
And the 530 staff feeding the crowd across two nights — in roles including customer service and catering — were delighted to turn lockdown frowns upside down.
“It was a busy couple of nights and so good to get back to work and to see the joy that live events bring to so many people,” Mr Stewart said.
“We’re looking forward to catering for a range of sport and entertainment events in coming weeks as the big events start to roll again.
“There are also so many smaller community, business and cultural meetings and functions that we also cater for in and around the stadiums.”
Mr Stewart is one of VenuesLive’s permanent catering and hospitality team which looks after CommBank Stadium, Stadium Australia as well as other NSW venues.
They have 60 staff officially on their books and a pool of nearly 2000 casuals.
Originally published as Aussie sport’s comeback: What live crowds will be able to see
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