Support Highlanders or lose them: Reid

In the US they often black out local games (unless they're sold out) - there's no reason not to do it here.
We also need to get rid of the night games altogether - if Sky wants the Aussie market they can delay the broadcast over there.
As you say a lot of the ORFU's problems stem from their greed (collectively with the NZRFU of course) over money for TV - in doing so they've canabalised their base (their local fans).
I think a US style draft (that gives the poorest performing teams the first pick of the new players each year) would help too.
Notice none of these things involve a stadium - the stadium's just a Muldoon-style think-big solution to a problem that's a lot more subtle than just throwing money at it.
I actually think we should let all the franchises fail - that would get them out of the Sky contract and they could reset the whole thing.

Of course Dunedin doesn't want the Highlanders any more, that's plain to see. They probably don't want an NPC team either, just like they don't want a new stadium which might bring something interesting to a small town that has nothing going for it. I read an article that said "Dunedin is a town struggling for relevence" which must be true if we can't even hold on to a rugby team. Dunedin seems to be filled with a whole bunch of negative people who are too scared to do anything to help the city. What happened to the place I grew up in? I would be gutted to lose the Highlanders and if we do we'll be playing in the heartland championship.

There are some really good arguements as to why we should let the franchaise sink or swim. However being an avid supporter (along with about 40 odd of my friends) through the 80's and 90's, the Highlanders haven't got a chance of surviving the professional era unless Sky television delays coverage of the home teams game within 100km of the stadium. They sell their soul to the devil (at the highest price) to get television rights and then complain that they can't get people through the gates. They can't have it both ways. Sky do a fantastic job of marketing 'the best seat in the house' etc. The franchise of the late 90's didn't have this to contend with as much as they do now. We also used to have afternoon games, rather than night games in the middle of winter, I know where I'd rather be.... I took my boys for the first time last year to the only 2.45 game of the season and they absolutely loved it (Only 4 and 6). The Highlanders need more of this and if they put it on, you'd get me and all my friends and their families back in the stadium. Get the kids involved as these are the supporters of the future. Grow some balls and tell Sky what you want, they do it in other countries so why not here?

Bad timing , Richard Reid. The overwhelming majority of Dunedin citizens have been scandalised by being ‘press ganged’ as rate- and tax-payers to pay for the substantial proportion of the costs of the Foresight Bad Stadium, and now you hope to touch them up for the gate charges to prop up the dying enterprise upon which the new stadium will rely to help defray further costs to Dunedin rate-payers. Perhaps you are only asking the stadium supporters (15,000-20,000?) to put their money where their mouths were. Whatever, you have put the hard-word out so you will understand if we are all watching to see the gate-numbers this weekend.

Yes - it's very interesting that Richard Reid has finally come out and said this once the decision about the stadium has been made.
He says "He acknowledged there were reasons for low crowd numbers, including the season's early start, disappointing team performance, other leisure options and less disposable income." Well, obviously there is going to be even less disposable income if the new stadium goes ahead. The new stadium is not a solution to the Highlander's woes, no matter what the "powers that be" are trying to tell us, and it's certainly not the solution for Dunedin's future either.

I thought the main justification for the stadium was for "A" grade Test matches that Carisbrook is not suitable for.
On that basis it doesn't matter if the Highlanders are around or not really, I mean, it's not as if from the sounds of things there is much in the way of revenue being pulled in anyway.
Seriously though, the Highlanders need to win much more than they loose.
That would solve most of their problems.
Pretty simple really.

Use it or lose it - is that your latest strategy to garner support for the team Richard? This is the sort of arrogance that sees Dunedin giving rugby the flick. Surely the Highlanders administration cannot be so clueless as to be wondering why such a poor product, presented at over the odds prices in inhospitable conditions can be so unloved by the general populace?
At full flight in the late 80s and 90s the Otago NPC team and the Highlanders were easy to support - there was continuity between NPC and super rugby, the team from the coach up reflected the Otago community and were clearly a part of and involved in it. They also had the audacity to demonstrate a personality. They were identified with a tough, uncompromising and attractive brand of rugby that was uniquely rooted in Southland and Otago. Win or lose you could still support them because they were "Otago". You could go to a ground anywhere in the country in your Otago jersey and identify and be a part of something special.
It's the same reason all successful sporting franchises of the world retain their fans - they develop an identity and mana beyond the "product" they present.
Unfortunately successive administrations and teams have managed to piss that all away in the Highlanders case. What do the Highlanders represent now? - soft, homogenised, bland rugby from an equally soft and bland group of individuals by the looks of things. Why would I want to identify myself with or support that?

Yes, the story was in part about the highlanders franchise and the problems they have as the smallest franchise, but more about the issues and inequalities they face in that position in regards to gate takings and the population differences. Obviously moving the franchise to small town Invercargill would be madness, and would have the same issues magnified greater. It seems the glass half empty, citizens against virtually everything brigade, small in numbers as they are are everywhere spreading their misery.

As a Dunedin expat living in Christchurch I see the Highlanders as the team I support. I'm too old now to be going to stadiums on cold winter nights, but I follow them on TV.
Living in Crusaderland can be a lonely place for us.
How much of a Southland (and North Otago) feel is there for the team?
Southlanders ar part of the Highlander set-up, and this needs to be emphasised. It's good to see more of them in this year's team.
In my young days the annual Otago-Southland matches were the highlights of the year (apart from the odd test) with visitors descending on us from 'down south' and us returning the compliment to Invercargill.
Go the Highlanders! U beat the Crusaders last year. A repeat, please!

Give the franchise to Hawke's Bay.

If there is a risk that Dunedin may lose the Highlanders, then it is too risky to build the new Stadium. The financial viability of the Stadium relies on large crowds at rugby. But projected crowds are based on those during the golden years of Otago Rugby in the 1990's. Otago Rugby has now lost its fan base. The fundamental problem expressed by Richard Reid is the same as that expressed by opponents of the Stadium: Dunedin just does not have a big enough population base to support it. It is notable that Richard Reid has waited until the decision has been made to proceed with the Stadium, before expressing these views. Over the last couple of years, Otago Rugby has been very quiet about the crowd numbers at Carisbrook.

Sounds like a good poll topic.
I choose option b.
The franchise is tired and really has nothing to do with Otago rugby any more.

There are several things I don't agree with in the Reid interview.
The most compeling is that people need to "get past some of the team's performances".
If the team wins say four games on the trot this season then more people will go to watch.
No one wants to see their local team humiliated week after week, especially when people follow sport as a distraction from all the doom and gloom of job losses and finacial strife in the world today.
I think that people are rather ambivolent towards the Highlanders these days and Otago Rugby as well.
To re-create the glory days of 98 and 99 will be a requirement to get the type of support the franchise needs.
Will that happen in the near to medium term with a team that performs poorly?
If the Highlanders did get the chop then logically, the Crusaders would be required to included Otago/Southland and sub unions in their catchment.
Then there would be a southern franchise with a population that could support it with minimal draft players.
Alternativley, just move the Highlanders to Invercargill where sport seems to be better supported.

Which side are you on - I think you just explained why the economics of a 30,000 seat stadium won't work ....