By Faith Dehghan
I’ve never truly understood the undying passion sports fans feel for their team until I attended a Springboks game. Rugby is integral to South African culture, and the Springboks are the pride of the nation. Yet, the steep cost of tickets means that only a small portion of the population can afford to see them live, making live rugby an experience reserved for the few.
Attending a rugby game was always on my South Africa bucket list, so I was ecstatic when my friend and fellow McGill law student, Caroline Crossley, invited my fellow interns and I to see her play. The Canadian women’s rugby team was playing a match against the Springboks women’s team as an opener for the South Africa vs. Italy match. Tickets for the day ranged from R525 ($40.67) to R4 075 ($315.70), but we were lucky enough to receive friends-and-family tickets from Caroline.
While $40.00 for a live sports game doesn’t seem like much, it is a hefty price for many South Africans. To put it into perspective, the monthly Social Relief of Distress Grant provided by the South African Social Security Agency is only R 370 ($28.67). The cheapest Springboks ticket costs more than some South Africans’ entire monthly budget.
The match itself was incredible. It was so special to be able to cheer Caroline on and watch Team Canada defeat the Springboks. It was like having a little piece of home in South Africa. The second match was just as amazing. We transformed from our Team Canada red and white to Springbok green and gold. The energy of the crowd was magnetic and despite knowing very little about rugby, I found myself invested in the game. The Springboks crushed Italy and the stadium came alive. In that moment, it didn’t matter who we were or where we were from, we were all united in our love for the game.
But there was something missing in that sea of green and gold: diversity. The majority of the crowd was white, primarily Afrikaner to be specific. White South Africans make up 7.2% of South Africa’s population, majority of which are Afrikaners. Take this statistic alongside the fact that 10% of South Africa’s population owns 86% of the country’s wealth, and it doesn’t take much to see that there is an immense wealth disparity. Rugby is a game enjoyed by many South Africans, irrespective of race or wealth, yet only a fraction of fans get to actually experience a game live.
Costs need to be lowered so that rugby can truly become a sport for all. For example, one may contrast a Springboks game with an Orlando Pirates game. The Orlando Pirates are a local football club, based in Soweto. The passion South Africans hold for the team is quite strong, if not comparable to the Springboks. Yet, the crowd at the Pirates game I attended was much more representative of South Africa. And not-shockingly at all, tickets to Pirates games are much more affordable, costing an average of R 60 ($4.66).
Live rugby shouldn’t be a luxury reserved for the wealthy. After all, what is a national sport if most of the nation that loves it can’t afford to experience it in person?