New Zealand rugby boss defends Wellington Sevens despite pitiful turn-out

New Zealand Rugby chief Steve Tew has defended the Wellington Sevens after a disappointing turn-out despite big-name players and the sport’s inclusion in this year’s Rio Olympics.

Once a showcase event on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and regarded as the New Zealand capital’s biggest party, the two-day tournament attracted less than 30,000 fans over the entire weekend.

In contrast, Australia is on track to have a sell-out 70,000 at Allianz stadium for the Sydney round of the series this coming weekend.

The Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens has attracted a full house – 120,000-plus fans over the three days of the tournament – every year for two decades.

Organisers in the New Zealand capital had hoped a feel-good factor generated by the debut of sevens this year at the Olympics – where the Kiwis are among the favourites to win gold – would revive interest in the short form of rugby union.

But even the presence of cross-code superstar Sonny Bill Williams in a New Zealand shirt failed to draw in the punters, and Tew admitted the numbers were disappointing.

“We still haven’t got enough people there to be satisfied, but I wouldn’t call it a disaster that’s for sure,” he told radio station NewstalkZB.