GAVIN RICH: Tense Stormers’ narrow win and empty stands show something is still rotten
With the Paul Treu issue still not resolved, and question marks over the management’s communication, the off-field noise could trip up team
The inhabitants of the hospitality suite next to my seat in the Newlands press box weren’t in a positive mood when the Stormers kicked off their home game against the Lions. They pointed out the vast empty spaces in the stands and at the many hospitality suites that used to be heaving on match days but now are sadly empty, the seats covered in canvas. Just three weeks ago there were 55,000 people in attendance on Superhero Day at Cape Town Stadium. There were 15,000 at Newlands. The factors that contributed to the success of Superhero Day have been documented before, but it would have been chiefly the Stormers blow-out at Loftus in their opening competition game that caused the Newlands apathy. Sport is a fickle business, and Saturday at Newlands was a stark reminder of that. When the Stormers were struggling in the first half, my friends in the box alongside were so acerbic, sarcastic and cynical that you might have thought they were supporting the Lions. But when the Stormers came...
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