ACT govt to investigate multi-sport ticket for AFL, NRL and Super Rugby
David Polkinghorne
Sports reporter at The Canberra Times
Date April 27, 2015 - 10:01PM
The ACT government will investigate introducing a multi-sport ticket in a bid to help bring back the Canberra crowds.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr says "no one owns" Anzac Day and he wants all football codes to work together with scheduling to ensure they all get a chance to host Anzac games in the future.
He also wants them to ensure they don't all play in Canberra on the same weekend because he thinks the ACT population isn't big enough.
Barr will also meet with the Australian Rugby Union this week and suggest the Australian and New Zealand capitals' Super Rugby teams play an annual Anzac fixture.
Greater Western Sydney chief executive David Matthews suggested the idea of a "Canberra sporting pass" to Fairfax Media recently, which would allow access to Giants, ACT Brumbies and Canberra Raiders games.
Barr said the government would discuss the idea with the three football codes and that there was also a chance to have cricket included.
He also wanted the three football codes to work together to ensure there are as few clashes as possible.
Barr also wanted to ensure there was a constant supply of footy in the nation's capital from the start of footy season until the end - so if the Raiders are playing away, then either the Brumbies or Giants are playing in Canberra.
He has been disappointed with the Canberra crowds this year and wants to limit night home games to be played from February-April.
"There's big costs in putting on any of these fixtures so the more turn up the better," Barr said.
"We want the codes to work together to maximise those opportunities.
"One of those things I'm interested in exploring is a multi-sport, multi-venue membership where you join up to Territory Venues and get a ticket to Canberra Stadium and Manuka Oval.
"That gets them access to three codes and a range of other events that might take place."
The centenary commemoration of Anzac Day falling on a Saturday opened the way for 12 hours of continuous football on the historic day.
GWS played the Gold Coast Suns at Manuka Oval, while the Brumbies hosted the Otago Highlanders on Anzac eve after they played the Waikato Chiefs at Canberra Stadium on Anzac Day last year.
The Raiders were disappointed they missed out, knocking off South Sydney in Cairns on Sunday instead.
Both the Brumbies and Giants want their Anzac games to become permanent fixtures.
Barr said all three teams would have the chance to plan "something special" in the future, provided they aren't all playing on the same weekend.
"We look forward to hearing the propositions and for the opportunities to be shared around the codes depending on what sort of special events they can bring," he said.
"No one owns it, but no one should be denied the opportunity to try and bring something special to Canberra."
Barr suggested the Brumbies and Wellington Hurricanes, in the capital cities of their respective countries, could develop a permanent Anzac game - played in Canberra one year and in Wellington the next.
He will meet with the ARU this week to discuss bringing a Wallabies game to the ACT.
Barr will meet the NRL next month and wants to host the Anzac Test and the City-Country game within the next two years.
"We had an outstanding success with the rugby league Test in the centenary year [for Canberra] so we'd be keen to get that back," he said.
"Rugby union has opportunity to have something capital to capital, Brumbies versus Hurricanes, has some potential and maybe that could be a home-and-away thing."
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/brumb ... mucsw.html 
