Blues fans: Can new CEO Karl Budge spark Eden Park energy for Super Rugby Pacifc?

Enticing fans back to stadiums is an inherent challenge rugby confronts.

Karl Budge knows that’s why he was hired as the new Blues’ boss.

Cost, choice, comfort, changing demographics and a lack of in-stadia evolution all contribute to fewer fans attending games.

This trend is far from exclusive to rugby.

But with Auckland FC and the Warriors stealing the march for fan experience in recent years, Budge is tasked with mobilising the Blues fan base.

The Blues fans are there. Last season – one year after the Blues claimed their first title in 21 years – viewership for their games increased 33%.

Luring those supporters back to Eden Park is among Budge’s top priorities.

“We know it’s not been good enough from a fan perspective,” Budge states.

“We know we’ve got to invest more in our fan experience. That’s why I’ve been hired. I’m not employed for my second XV rugby minutes. I’m here to unlock the fans and show them they’re our priority.”

Budge certainly boasts vast experience and a track record in delivering high-quality sports events.

A career that started as a 21-year-old at Tennis Australia, working under Craig Tiley, whom he rates as a sporting visionary, Budge cut his administrative teeth abroad.

After 18 months with Tennis Australia, Budge joined the WTA tour in London, progressing from there to Beijing where he helped the Asia Pacific region expand from two to 11 tournaments.

He then turned down a job with an NFL team in favour of working for Manchester United, only for his United Kingdom visa to fall through.

Returning home wasn’t on his radar, but a chance to lead the ASB Classic proved a dream role.

Budge transformed the Auckland tournament, men’s and women’s in successive weeks, from its low-key boutique status to a premier summer event.

In his nine years at the helm he lured superstars Serena and Venus Williams, Caroline Wozniacki, Naomi Osaka, Juan Martin del Potro, Jo Wilfried Tsonga, Stefanos Tsitsipas – and in one year pulled in $3 million for Tennis Auckland.

“That was a privilege of a lifetime and a lot of why I took this job too,” he says of the Blues.

“They were my first kids. I felt like New Zealand was void of sophisticated entertainment experiences. We had some good sports and music events but I hadn’t seen something that was a true entertainment experience.

“Tennis is a wonderful sport you can do that with. You don’t have to be a diehard to understand what’s going on. Our intimacy was a real strength. You could get people so close. It was an incredible journey.”

When Budge assumed charge, the ASB Classic had 17,000 people through gates. In his final year, 105,000 attended. It also gained global recognition as the best international tournament five times.

“I’m not sure we got any more tennis fans. That was the real key. We made it an event people wanted to be at. I’ll be forever proud of those tournaments.

“Venus Williams has won 57 trophies in her career. She has two of those at her house. One is Wimbledon and the other is the ASB Classic, which is pretty cool.”

While running the ASB Classic, Budge co-founded and operated Octosport Partners to pave his transition to working with the New Zealand Olympic Committee and Sail GP, post tennis.

He also founded the Piha Pro – an event scheduled to mark New Zealand’s return to the World Surf League in 2020.

One day before opening day, with Kelly Slater and Carissa Moore, the world No 1 women’s surfer at the time, in attendance, the Covid pandemic necessitated New Zealand shut its borders, forcing the event to be cancelled.

“That was set to be something really special. It hit me really hard. It was the first time I owned an event and it was a pride and joy to bring it to life. You felt so committed to the community out there.

“Through tragedy you test your character in a lot of ways. There’s some bloody good humans who I’ll be forever grateful for who helped me through that period. It was tough.

“You’d spent a whole lot of money and all of a sudden the revenue was turned off. It was a haunting time but a great learning setting something up from scratch.

“It was nice to play a small role in negotiating the deal with Government and the World Surf League to come back to Raglan this year.”

Working with SailGP – the fleet of 13 international foiling catamarans that returns to Auckland’s Waitematā Harbour this weekend – for the past three years is another contrasting venture Budge draws experience from.

“Russell [Coutts] is a genius. It’s phenomenal what that man has created. It’s probably the best sporting product I’ve ever been involved with when they get it right.

“It’s so dramatic. It’s fast, action packed and the experience they can build around it is amazing. You’re seeing that with the growth of the league – teams are selling for north of $70 million now.

“Going from some of the most established sports in the world to a start-up was really different. Lots of really good and bad, but I saw the ability to connect with fans in different ways.

“Christchurch sold out in less than 24 hours for a market that had never had sailing. It was incredible what you could build.”

Tennis, Olympics, surfing, sailing to rugby.

While Budge has engaged fans across the sporting spectrum, altering the lens with which attending Eden Park is viewed is his biggest test yet.

Rugby is a political, volatile environment steeped in history and tradition. Tennis and sailing’s progressive approaches are a world away from rugby’s conservatism.

Budge, though, is confident he can convert passion into attendance.

“What an opportunity. I suspect the job with rugby is easier than the job we started with at tennis. You’ve got a lot more fandom, more passion, a lot bigger base. We had to create all of that at the tennis so I’m encouraged by that.

“There’s challenges but imagine what we can do if Eden Park is full with people watching rugby again. It’s not that long ago that was real. The audience is clearly there. The numbers on television are phenomenal.

“Rugby is by far the most watched sporting competition in New Zealand every weekend. The NRL, the A-League, don’t come near those numbers. There’s lots we can do to come up to their level in a live experience.”

Indeed. Auckland FC, with their giant slide and inland beach play area, reaped rewards for their out-of-the-box approach with bumper crowds in their inaugural season at Mount Smart last year.

The Warriors, at the same venue, are riding a wave of support with consistent sellout crowds too.

“We’ll definitely look to them for inspiration. What Cameron George and Nick Becker have done for entertainment in Auckland has been fantastic. Our job is to rise to that. That gets me out of bed every day.

“We know the fandom is there. There’s lots of ideas I want to do, and we’ve got a team that’s young and hungry and wants to reimagine what a rugby experience can be. We’ll get to work doing that.”

As New Zealand’s largest venue, even at half capacity – the same size as a full Mount Smart – Eden Park’s atmosphere is often flat.

Australian opposition struggle to generate cut through but Super Rugby’s improving fast-paced on-field product should help gain traction, and a winning team drives interest.

Regardless of results, Budge is determined to be bold with new initiatives.

“A lot of the shifts you’ll start to see from 2027 but there’s certainly things we can do this year. It’s amazing when you respect the fans and treat them like adults, what you get back in return.

“We’re at a point now where we can go and have some fun. We’ve gone down a path for so long that people will be forgiving because we have to try something. If we keep doing what we’re doing we’re going to continue to lose ground.

“I’m an optimist with Eden Park too. We’ve got the privilege of the biggest stadium in the country.

“We can do things in that stadium no one else in NZ can. We’ve got the space and size – and we’ve got an incredible No 2 ground. Imagine what we could do with Super Round in Auckland.

“We know we’ve got to get better. No one is hiding from that. We’ll start with changes this year and keep stacking those.”

Cajoling fans from the couch to the stands won’t happen overnight but Budge’s resume suggests his proactive mindset could, gradually, boost bums on seats.

Liam Napier is a Senior Sports Journalist and Rugby Correspondent for the NZ Herald. He is a co-host of the Rugby Direct podcast.