Jarrod Croker and co. were welcomed onto the GIO Stadium turf on Saturday afternoon by another poignant rendition of the highly popular Viking Clap.
A reverberant orchestra of hands flooded the Raiders’ home fortress as a sea of green ushered Ricky Stuart’s men into battle.
The ensemble of clapping hands grew quicker and quicker and louder and louder in its approach to its deafening peak, as it built to a crescendo to welcome the team onto the field.
This is only a snapshot of the game-day atmosphere that greets the Raiders faithful at home, a world of theatre that has played a huge hand in the steep rise in Canberra’s average home-crowd numbers.
The Raiders Home game averages have continued to rise over the past two seasons, as they propel their way towards some big numbers at GIO Stadium for home matches.
The clubs average attendance has driven forward from 10,226 in 2013 to an impressive 15,469 so far in 2017, with a new look game day entertainment structure and strong on-field performances rekindling Canberra’s love of the Green Machine.
|
Average home-game crowd attendances |
2013 |
10,226 |
2014 |
9,608 |
2015 |
9,629 |
2016 |
13,806 |
2017 |
15,469 |
*2017’s crowd attendance was recorded after Six Home matches
CEO Don Furner said the club is very pleased with the rise in Raiders crowd numbers.
“The club could not be happier about the recent upward trend in crowd numbers,” he said.
“It is a reflection of not only the outstanding match-day experience the Raiders offer, but the wonderful members we have. Numbers at membership and corporate levels form an integral part of the club and the support of Raiders fans doesn’t go unnoticed on match day.”
The Raiders also lay claim to the fourth-highest average away crowd attendance this season – as recorded after Round 9 – a statistic that brings to bear the club’s significant following outside Canberra.
The Raiders’ 2017 average away crowd attendance sat at 18,174, a figure that only trailed the numbers registered by North Queensland, St George and Wests Tigers.
The news has come in the wake of the club having reached 19,000 members early this week, a milestone that has stamped a rapid surge in number from the 15,239 recorded at the end of last season.
The Viking Clap has brought one stellar string to the Raiders’ match-day bow, while a number of other activities have also made home games about more than just the footy.
School dance performances have brought plenty of entertainment to Raiders home games, while the Huawei Viking Ambassador welcomes the team onto the field and the VIP Viking member becomes Horn Blower after every Raiders try.
Corporate hospitality has grown considerably in popularity in recent years, a trend that 2017 has been no stranger to.
