Ongoing disinterest from the public and poor gate takings have forced SA Rugby, the commercial arm of the South African Rugby Union, to launch an investigation into a slow start to ticket sales for the Tri-Nations series.

In a statement released on Wednesday, SA Rugby said they have already met the CEOs of some of the hosting unions.

The poor gate takings in the Tri-Nations follows the equally disappointing attendance figures during the recent tour by the British and Irish Lions - when not a single game, including the three Tests, were a sell-out.

The Springboks kick off three successive home Test matches on Saturday, when they take on New Zealand in Bloemfontein.

Ticket sales started off slowly, despite the appeal of a Springbok-All Black clash, although they have subsequently picked up.

"Ticket prices are always the first thing people look at, but the fact is that ticket prices have been growing at less than the rate of inflation for the last five years," said Andy Marinos, acting Managing Director of SA Rugby.

"This year they have been frozen at 2008's prices – ZAR425 in the case of Bloemfontein – but sales have been weak despite the relatively low price and the excitement of a seeing a great Springbok generation take on the All Blacks."

Marinos said that SA Rugby and the hosting unions were hopeful that the proximity of the series would see ticket sales pick up. Prices have also been reduced to ZAR300 for some seats in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

"We must acknowledge the impact of the global financial crisis and the delayed effect it has had in South Africa – particularly in the last quarter – but there may be other factors at play," said Marinos.

He pointed out there had been an unusual number of no-shows (people with tickets who do not attend) during the Lions Series, while some groups with contractual rights to tickets for the Tri-Nations had not taken up their options.

"We have to ask ourselves, ‘why?'," said Marinos. "It can't be the event – we have one of the most decorated Springbok teams of all time that has just added a Lions series to a World Cup title and is very much at full strength with the potential to win the Vodacom Tri-Nations.

"Price may well be a factor in these hard times but the fact that people are not taking up the option of paid for tickets would suggest we're seeing something else as well."

The Tri-Nations has come hard on the heels of the series against the British & Irish Lions in the middle of a South African sporting year which has also seen other major sporting attractions such as a home cricket series against Australia, the Indian Premier League and soccer's Confederations Cup.

"We have experienced an exceptional sporting year all of it crammed into the period before the start of the Vodacom Tri-Nations and what might be called ‘event-fatigue' may come into it," said Marinos.

Marinos said he and other SA Rugby staff were examining the issue along with union CEOs, while market research specialists were to be engaged to prepare a report to the SA Rugby Board following the conclusion of the Tri-Nations.

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