The Bledisloe Cup is an annual rugby competition between Australia and New Zealand. Usually there are two or three matches played in those countries, but every once in a while, one will be held at a neutral site. In 2008 and 2010, a fourth match was held in Hong Kong, while Tokyo hosted one in 2009. The idea seemed to lose momentum after that though, until this year, when Yokohama was selected to host the third match. With the Rugby World Cup coming to Japan next year, this would be a good opportunity to see how the country handles the influx of foreign sports travelers.
The match was played at Nissan Stadium, where next year's final will also be held. This was also the venue for the 2002 World Cup final between Brazil and Germany, a game that I worked at. I also saw a J.League match here in 2009, so it was nice to return there after so long to see the stadium from a different perspective.
Rather than take the crowded train all the way, I walked about 2 kilometres from Kikuna Station, but there is no spot along the way where I could get a good exterior shot of the entire stadium. I arrived on the east side and walked around through the staff area to get to the main gate on the west side. The box office, an unassuming small, round booth, is located at the bottom of the staircase shown above. I did not have a ticket, but fully expected to find a Kiwi or Aussie with an extra, and was not disappointed. Prices were exorbitant, with four categories of seat depending purely on the location in relation to the pitch. In other words, the seat in the first row would cost the same as the seat in the last row, even in the upper deck. Simple, but silly. The most expensive category was on the west side sideline at 30,000 yen ($270), while the east side sideline was 20,000 yen ($180). The west side was shaded while the east side was in the sun for most of the match, so you paid $90 to avoid a sunburn. The other two categories were in the corner for 15,000 yen and the end seats at 7,000 yen. An unreasonable disparity and a large reason why attendance was only 46,000 in a venue that holds over 72,000.
On game day, prices went up by 1,000 yen so I was looking to pay no more than 8,000 yen to get in, and found an Aussie bloke with a ticket in the most expensive area who was willing to sell it to me for the minimum. I was very happy with the result as it was right at midfield on the west side, as you can see below. Note the word Stadium in the lower seats; I did not see if there was any word on the seats below me.
The upper deck is on the 7th floor of the building, and you have to take the exterior staircases that you see in the photo below. The lower deck is on the 4th floor if you are interested.
While walking up, I turned around to see the security lineup at the main gate. Bags are checked and you are wanded, but it is all for show and the line moved quite quickly. This may change next year.
Inside the concourses are barren, with only a few food stands, and none on the same floor as the upper deck. Instead, you must walk down one flight to where the concession stand is. It was poorly organized, with one line for beer purchases and the other for food. But the sign that explained this was only in Japanese, so the foreigners all lined up in the food line, which moved very slowly with only one cash register.
The food on sale was quite good though, and very reasonably priced. A stick of fried chicken was only 400 yen, while a sausage covered with rice cake was 350 yen. Interestingly, these prices were reversed at a different concession stand (photo below). Beer was limited to one variety but at 600 yen per can, was a good deal. There were also beer girls coming around during the action selling the same cans for the same price.
The interior of the stadium is a rounded rectangle, with two levels of seating all around. The pitch is surrounded by a running track, making everything a little bit farther away than it should be for rugby or soccer, but Japan is all about multi-use stadiums, so it is no surprise.
There are small scoreboards above each end zone that show replays and live action. It is difficult to move around and take pictures at different angles because tickets are checked at every entry gate. Entry gate numbers are formed by for the direction of the stadium (East, West etc.), then the deck (1 for lower deck, 2 for upper) and then the actual gate. So there are four "11" gates and it is important to recognize the side that you are sitting on.
I was happy with my seat at west 24, row 20, which was right behind the main camera bank. Before the players emerged, a group of taiko drummers performed. You can see the Bledisloe Cup in the photo below to the right of the All Blacks as they run on the field.
After the national anthems were sung, the All Blacks performed their haka, which is not a Maori war dance as many think, but a posture dance that celebrates many things, such as great achievements or important occasions. Some Maori consider it to be cultural appropriation but it has become a signature for New Zealand rugby.
With the festivities complete, it was time to get down to action. This was a dead rubber in that New Zealand had won the first two matches to retain the cup for the 16th straight year, another possible reason that attendance was not very strong. Australia was playing for pride, but they were awful, committing 10 penalties and 15 turnovers, including a bad pass that was intercepted and run back for the All Blacks final try, as New Zealand won easily 37-20. Rugby has a lot of infractions and the game saw few periods of continuous play, but when they did happen it was a lot of fun to watch.
New Zealand is the clear favourite to win next year's tournament and they showed it on this day. Will Japan be a capable host is the more pressing question. Certainly more concession stands and English signage will help, plus a more relaxed attitude among certain staff. One of the good things about rugby is that matches are short and fans rarely leave their seats during the action, so attention should be paid to the pre-game experience. Allowing fans free access to all areas for pictures and exploration is important. Most fans are not interested in finding unoccupied seats in better locations and will return to their own seat as match time approaches, so why not let them close to the pitch up to 30 minutes before the match begins? Another concern is ensuring that fans are not stuck in concession lines for 15 or 20 minutes due to limited staff behind the counter. Larger concession stands with organized queues will be necessary to handle the increased crowds at all venues. I don't know if I will be attending any of the games next year, but I hope that the organizers are able to make improvements in the fan experience so that visitors will have a positive impression of Japan when they leave.
Best,
Sean
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