In my experience, if you were to mention Gold Coast teams in conversation outside of the Glitter Strip, you would more than likely be brushed off. So why am I, a born and raised Canberran, bringing it up in the first place? Because while it is not obvious, things are slowly improving, and now is the time that people should begin to take notice.
Looking at the “sports graveyard” tag, there is good reason for people to call the Gold Coast this. 3 unsuccessful rugby league teams in between 1988 to 1998, an NBL franchise that only lasted 5 years before owners pulled the plug, and an A-League team that had its license revoked after only three seasons. History shows that time and time again, the Gold Coast has had failed with its major franchises, and only have two left today, the AFL’s Gold Coast Suns (allegedly heavily funded by tv franchise money), and the NRL’s Gold Coast Titans (which is an outlier because it seems to be fiscally sustainable). So, what is the point in investing time and money into these franchises when there’s significant evidence to say, “don’t invest”! Well, there are reasons.
The fan numbers tell perhaps the most noticeable side of the story. Since 2019, (a year in which both sides placed last on the ladder) both sides membership numbers have almost doubled and have also managed to maintain a consistent home attendance, along with a stronger presence at away games (something I’ve experienced first-hand with Titans games that are played in Canberra). With the expansion into the women’s leagues, we’ve seen a historic shift in on-field popularity, with the Titans NRLW team being the first ever major Gold Coast team to make a Grand Final and the Gold Coast Suns women’s team being the first major Suns side to make the finals. We’ve also seen reports that the Glitter Strip is also trying to obtain license in the NBL and A-League again, which is sure to increase fan numbers should they go ahead, the community is growing, and now that teams are beginning to properly establish themselves and build their fanbases there is more familiarity, and more potential for the clubs to get even bigger.
It has been a slow and difficult process, but I argue that people should start to consider jumping on the acceptance bandwagon. Fans are finally starting to see very evidence that clubs are on the rise, and as the numbers show, confidence is growing.