Opinion: Support sporting events or stand to lose them

I'll admit I'm not the biggest sports fan.

I'll watch the All Blacks if it's on and admittedly I do love the Olympics, but for the most part, I'd rather watch anything else.

That said, nothing quite beats the shared enthusiasm and electric atmosphere of a live game.

Decked out in your team's colours, it's easy to morph into a completely different person - someone who cheers rambunctiously when their team scores a try and joins in with chants started by complete strangers.

A live game can be intoxicating and to be able to enjoy them in our own backyard is something I believe can be taken for granted.

We were lucky enough to host the Bayleys National Sevens again this year and while the turnout was okay, it could have been better.

Organisers said it was on par with previous years but I think if we're not careful we stand to lose not only the sevens but other great sporting events.

Rotorua was not picked to host a Chiefs game this year and while other factors may have come into it, poor attendance numbers could have been a contributor to its axing.

And sporting events are not the only thing to fall foul of fickle turnouts. Raggamuffin moved to Auckland in 2014, despite the gig injecting millions of dollars into the local economy, with its promoter at the time specifically citing low attendance numbers.

So I'm left wondering what is stopping locals coming out and enjoying the events on offer?

Is it the cost? A perceived lack of variety? Or is it that we simply can't be bothered?

Whatever the reason, something needs to change.

We've got some exciting sporting and lifestyle gigs coming up this year, as we reported in Saturday's paper, including Crankworx, the inaugural Mud Festival, Lakeside and the Summer Seafood Festival.

We need to make the most of them and prove to organisers Rotorua has what it takes to host amazing events that locals will support.

If we don't, we could stand to lose them all.