Case of the vanishing fans

If Otago's match against the Lions was played tomorrow, Carisbrook would barely be half full.

The Otago Rugby Football Union faces the task of trying to cajole another 15,000 southern fans to attend the game on June 18.

"But there's plenty of time," chief executive Russell Gray said yesterday.

"I'm sure Dunedin people will rock on up and get their tickets when they're good and ready.

"And, depending on the weather, we'll get a walk-up crowd of about 2000."

Earlier this year, Gray said he was delighted with the demand for tickets to the Carisbrook game in the public ballot.

But only 12,000 tickets - about half of those available - were eventually bought, and Gray now claims he never expected a sellout crowd.

A New Zealand Rugby Union group running the Lions tour visited Carisbrook this week.

- NZPA