{"id":21449,"date":"2013-07-26T18:19:42","date_gmt":"2013-07-26T16:19:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/time-for-a-rugby-black-out\/"},"modified":"2013-07-26T18:19:42","modified_gmt":"2013-07-26T16:19:42","slug":"time-for-a-rugby-black-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/time-for-a-rugby-black-out\/","title":{"rendered":"Time for a rugby black out"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s do or die today \u2013 and Port Elizabeth<\/a> needs to deliver a complete \u201cblack-out\u201d of the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium to see off the Lions.<\/p>\n

Win or lose today \u2013 is one of the most important days in the history of our city and rugby in the Eastern Cape. At 7:10pm, 15 men dressed in the Kings\u2019 black will run onto the pitch at the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium. They carry with them the dreams of a city in need of hope. It\u2019s a responsibility that we are sure Darron Nell, Alan Solomons and their charges are not taking lightly.<\/p>\n

But what are we as a city going to be doing to support them? Tonight when the Lions emerge from the players\u2019 tunnel to face our Southern Kings<\/a> they should be met by a sea of black. They are not only playing the 15 men on that field \u2013 they are playing the over 1 million people who live in this city. Deafened by the noise and shocked by the sight of our supporters they should be left in no doubt that we will not give up our chance to play at the highest level without a fight.<\/p>\n

This is a call to action. We need the rugby-loving public of this city to show that the faith shown in Nelson Mandela Bay and the Southern Kings<\/a> was not misplaced. If we do not, the battle will be lost before it is even fought.<\/p>\n

There are still some tickets for tonight\u2019s game. Get there! Don\u2019t leave a single seat empty. Show you care and show the world the spirit with which you have supported your team in the Vodacom Super 15.\u00a0 What has happened this year at Nelson Mandela Bay stadium has been amazing and infectious \u2013 not only in the city but across South Africa.<\/p>\n

We as a city, as a region, have proven one thing; we deserve the right to take part at the highest level. Despite being rank outsiders we managed to win some games and run some of the most established teams in the tournament close. Take into account that we only had four months to build a team and prepare for our first season in the most demanding tournament in world rugby.<\/p>\n

We are a community who were starved of rugby and we have shown our appreciation for the opportunity provided by the South African Rugby Union over the last season.<\/p>\n

Winning this playoff series will have a myriad of positive spinoffs. It will mean stability on the rugby field, it will mean having a product which will be attractive to possible commercial partners and it will mean continued economic gain thanks to the presence of big-time rugby in the province.<\/p>\n

In order to make the stadium viable we need to have a professional team as an \u201canchor tenant\u201d. The stadium has the potential to become one of the main drivers of the city\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n

SARU commissioned Grant Thornton to do a study of the economic impact which hosting two major events at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium had on the economy of the city.\u00a0 The 2011 IRB 7s tournament generated R154-million. The total direct vendor spend was R87-million, the contribution to tax was R30-million, the flow to low income homes was R32-million and it sustained a total of 690 jobs both temporary and permanent to the tune of R53-million.<\/p>\n

The 2012 England test figures were as follows:<\/strong><\/p>\n